Category: Guides and Resources for Policy Makers and Delivery Managers

25

Oct2024
 RATIONALE A very impressive National Careers System Strategy (NCSS) has been developed by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), New Zealand, to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the careers system. Economic and structural changes arising from COVID-19 provided the impetus for the refresh. The review allowed for alignment with government priorities ... Read More
October 25, 2024John McCarthy

30

Sep2024
A well known axiom of good policy development is first consult with the target group for whom the policy is being developed to get an idea of their contexts, existing experiences, behaviour, motivations, life values, perceptions, and advice. Transitions from Secondary School is an excellent research report of the New Zealand ... Read More
September 30, 2024John McCarthy

02

Sep2024
This is a welcome initiative involving UNICEF for the first time in an international research study  (in cooperation with ETF) of young people’s career learning needs, the means to address these, their educational and occupational aspirations, key factors in their choices, and their current sources of career learning support. Nine ... Read More
September 2, 2024John McCarthy

31

Jul2024
In 2023,  Issue 2 of SKILLS4DEV newsletter of the World Bank Group focused on career guidance, marking a welcome return of WB interest in career guidance after a lapse of almost 20 years. Back then, under the stewardship of Dave Fretwell, the WB was very involved in international reviews of policies and ... Read More
July 31, 2024John McCarthy

27

Jun2024
This excellent Powerpoint presentation by Ms Nozuko Mfenyana, Project Manager, Career Development Services Systems Coordination, Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), at the recent NICDS Policy Dialogue, describes the challenges of implementing government career guidance policy in South Africa. Policy, strategy, systems, and practice are key components of career guidance ... Read More
June 27, 2024John McCarthy

30

May2024
This is an excellent Powerpoint presentation on lifelong guidance in Finland, created by representatives of two ministries (Ms Ulla-Jill Karlsson, Ministry of Education and Culture and Ms Anna Toni, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment), and presented recently online at a National Conference on Career Development in South Africa organised ... Read More
May 30, 2024John McCarthy

27

Apr2024
Canada is one of many countries where the career guidance sector is unregulated and not organized at a national level, with no universal application of consistent job titles, sector member definitions, or sector data tracking systems. Policymakers, employers, and the public know very little about the sector. Provincial and territorial ... Read More
April 27, 2024John McCarthy

27

Apr2024
This is one of the best OECD publications on career guidance for a long time. It addresses how education systems can assist the education to work transitions of young people who experience barriers to successful transitions because of socioeconomic circumstances or gender (including sexual orientation and identity) or migrant status (including ... Read More
April 27, 2024John McCarthy

21

Feb2024
SUPPORTING EMPLOYABILITY AND POVERTY REDUCTION Among the many challenges facing career guidance policies, systems, and practices are those of showing proof that career guidance has a very positive effect on people's lives in concrete terms such as obtaining employment and improving their socio-economic circumstances. Canada provides us with two recent evidenced-based ... Read More
February 21, 2024John McCarthy

23

Jan2024
Public Employment Services (PES) play a critical role in active labour market policies, helping to match jobseekers with job opportunities, and supporting job changers. Matching is not a straight forward activity. The skills demanded by employers e.g. in emerging jobs, may not be those held by jobseekers. Moreover, jobseekers are ... Read More
January 23, 2024John McCarthy

23

Jan2024
The CIP theory of career choice concerns the application of general principles of cognitive information processing to making and implementing career choices.  The recently published “Cognitive Information Processing: Career Theory, Research, and Practice” aims to improve the integration of cognitive information processing (CIP) theory, research, and practice, leading to more cost-effective ... Read More
January 23, 2024John McCarthy

12

Sep2023
INNOVATION: CAREER EXPLORATION THROUGH THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM FOR STUDENTS AGED 15-16 YEARS The Department of Education in Ireland has a unique one-year school programme that bridges the gap between junior and senior cycle education, known as the Transition Year Programme (TYP). It represents a radical systems experiment whereby one whole year in the middle ... Read More
September 12, 2023John McCarthy

08

Sep2023
Career guidance provision for adults has long been recognised as the weakest link in the chain in lifelong guidance careers services and systems in most countries. This is paradoxal as we spend most of our lives in adulthood, experiencing multiple transitions in work and life roles, and trying to balance ... Read More
September 8, 2023John McCarthy

22

Jul2023
ENGLAND: JULY 2023 Career guidance has a century long rich history and tradition of theory and practice innovation in England.  The consistency of such developments over time stands in stark contrast to its value and interest to policy makers and developers which fluctuate constantly in government policies for education, training, and ... Read More
July 22, 2023John McCarthy

22

Jun2023
SKILLS IN LATIN AMERICA REPORT: OECD 2023 This interesting report highlights some of the challenges and opportunities facing governments and societies in several Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries. Despite remarkable recent increases in enrollment, school completion, and educational attainment, these countries lag behind in skills development among both secondary school students ... Read More
June 22, 2023John McCarthy

24

May2023
DISRUPTED FUTURES: HOW SCHOOLS CAN BEST EQUIP STUDENTS FOR THEIR WORKING LIVES The OECD is hosting a free 3 day online conference next week whose focus will be the role of schools in preparing students for working life.  The programme includes practice and research papers, in parallel sessions, from 15 countries worldwide. The opening session on ... Read More
May 24, 2023John McCarthy

29

Mar2023
FOR NEETS, EARLY SCHOOL LEAVERS, AND STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES AN EMPOWERMENT BASED APPROACH "Nothing succeeds like observed success" is a phrase that I learned from my professor of applied psychology back in the 1970s! These words came to mind again in recent interactions with Pascal Chaumette, the director of ID6, a ... Read More
March 29, 2023John McCarthy

28

Jan2023
Jens Bjornavold worked for many years at CEDEFOP as a lead international expert on the interrelationships between education, training, and the labour market, the changing nature and role of vocational education and training, the role of learning outcomes and competences in reforming education and training policies, and the continuous development ... Read More
January 28, 2023John McCarthy

19

Jan2023
The Department  of Education, Ireland, has just published a Consultation Paper on a national framework for lifelong guidance provision. It provides a brief overview of existing career guidance provision, a rationale for a national lifelong system, a vision for a high functioning system, some guiding principles, and four strategic pillars. It offers readers ... Read More
January 19, 2023John McCarthy

02

Jan2023
THE ROLE OF CAREER GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING EU REVIEW 2022 This CEDEFOP report maps the existing career guidance and counselling policies and practices supporting learners at risk and early leavers from vocational education and training in the 27 EU countries plus the UK. It analyses the key characteristics of these policies and practices, identifies ... Read More
January 2, 2023John McCarthy

20

Dec2022
This interesting and well researched review report of career guidance provision in Viet Nam covers all the bases that one would expect using the career guidance systems review model recently developed by the ILO. Thus, the legal instruments and their applications are well described as are the ministry roles and those of ... Read More
December 20, 2022John McCarthy

24

Jun2022
This well-intentioned joint ILO ETF publication acknowledges the socio-economic context of Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC), particularly infrastructure, geography, demographics, migration and emigration, attitudes and values, gender and age expectations, and participation in and the role of the informal economy. It identifies key elements or reference points for the development ... Read More
June 24, 2022John McCarthy

24

Jun2022
In 2009, CEDEFOP undertook landmark research Professionalising Career Guidance into the roles of career practitioners in EU Member States and into their initial and continuing training and qualifications. Based on the research findings, CEDEFOP proposed a competence framework for career practitioners while recognising that career practitioner roles were not homogenous between ... Read More
June 24, 2022John McCarthy

24

Jun2022
This succinct and comprehensive Briefing Note draws attention to the importance of career practitioner professionalism in career guidance delivery, to the need to continually redefine practitioner competences and occupational profiles in response to societal and technological changes, and consequently the need for continuing government investment in re-skilling and up-skilling of practitioners ... Read More
June 24, 2022John McCarthy

23

Jun2022
There are many things that the Scots get right at a policy level: the importance of youth engagement between ages 16 to 24 years in learning, work, and other societally productive activity; the need to provide additional career learning support to disadvantaged youth to enable them to visualise and plan ... Read More
June 23, 2022John McCarthy

23

Jun2022
هناك العديد من الأمور التي يفهمها الأسكتلنديون تماماً على مستوى السياسات: أهمية انخراط الشباب بين 16 و24 سنة بالتعلم والأنشطة الأخرى المُنتجة اجتماعياً، والحاجة الى تأمين دعم إضافي للتعليم المهني للشباب لجعلهم قادرين على تخطيط وتصور مستقبلهم في العمل والمجتمع، والحاجة الدائمة لمراجعة وتعديل سياسات وأنظمة الخدمات المهنية بالتشاور مع أصحاب ... Read More
June 23, 2022John McCarthy

23

Jun2022
تملك فنلندا واحداً من أفضل موارد أنظمة التوجيه المهني المدرسي حول العالم، حيث يُعتبر التعليم المهني جزءاً متكاملاً وإلزامياً من المنهج المدرسي، وتبلغ نسبة الطالب الى ممارس توجيه مهني المدرسي 350:1. بالتالي، من الطبيعي ان تملك مؤسسات التعليم العالي والمستمر في فنلندا (بما في ذلك التعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني TVET) معدلات ... Read More
June 23, 2022John McCarthy

23

Jun2022
In July 1966, the European Commission issued a Recommendation on Career Guidance to the then 6 Member States which highlighted in its first article the importance of annual monitoring and evaluation of career guidance services for young people and adults at national level. Such evaluation was intended to provide an evidence base to support the development of ... Read More
June 23, 2022John McCarthy

23

Jun2022
USEFUL LINKS AND TOOLS FOR WORKING WITH REFUGEES EU Skills Profile for Third Country Nationals https://ec.europa.eu/migrantskills/#/ This tool is intended for persons and organisations in the EU who work with refugees. It helps to map the skills, qualifications and work experiences of third country nationals and to give them personalised advice on further steps, e.g., a ... Read More
June 23, 2022John McCarthy

16

Jul2021
Joint Position Paper: OECD, CEDEFOP, ETF, UNESCO, ILO, ECThis booklet is a revision and further developed version of a 2019 joint publication by these six international organisations. It describes: What is meant by 'career guidance' The current social and economic context that guides publicly funded career guidance responses Some characteristics of effective career guidance ... Read More
July 16, 2021John McCarthy

15

Jun2021
This handbook seeks to provide a state-of-the-art reference point for the field of career development. The handbook is divided into three sections. The first section explores the economic, educational, and public policy contexts within which careers are enacted. The second section explores the rich conceptual landscape of career theory. The ... Read More
June 15, 2021John McCarthy

12

Jun2021
On 27, 28 and 29 October 2021, OECD with ICCDPP will host a free online conference highlighting innovative research and practice focusing on how schools can prepare young people for their transitions through education into ultimate employment.The conference will begin with the presentation by Andreas Schleicher (OECD Director of Education and ... Read More
June 12, 2021John McCarthy

12

Jun2021
Using data from longitudinal studies (Australia, Denmark, and Switzerland) and other research, this working paper examines five aspects of the career learning thinking and behaviours of teenagers:Career certainty (definiteness of career plan)Career alignment (education plans matching occupational aspirations)Career ambition (high expectations for study and jobs)Instrumental motivation (understands the long-term benefits of education)Career ... Read More
June 12, 2021John McCarthy

01

Jun2021
This UCAS publication (April 2021) explores the reasons for choice of degree subjects of UK higher education students and applicants, and maps their decision-making journeys from primary through secondary school. It also explores the barriers and challenges they faced in the decision-making process. Based on the responses of 64,600 higher education ... Read More
June 1, 2021John McCarthy

23

Apr2021
ETF published 2 volumes under this title in Autumn 2020. In Volume 1, the authors, from their perspectives, identify and describe 4 mega-trends in career guidance: the use of ICT for career guidance delivery; career learning-the teaching and acquisition of career management skills; inter-ministerial coordination and cooperation in policy and ... Read More
April 23, 2021John McCarthy

09

Apr2021
CEDEFOP is inviting applications for expressions of interest in participating as a CareersNet independent, voluntary national expert in lifelong guidance and career development. It aims to select one core national expert for each country, as well as alternate experts who can serve in national reference groups.Eligible countries are all countries ... Read More
April 9, 2021John McCarthy

23

Mar2021
 ICCDPP, CEDEFOP, ILO, ETF, THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, UNESCO, AND OECD jointedly implemented a flash international survey between June and August 2020 on how career guidance services responded to the challenges posed by Covid-19. The survey inquired about the range of solutions adopted, especially digital, and the challenges faced by services, practitioners, ... Read More
March 23, 2021John McCarthy

18

Mar2021
BACK TO BASICS  There has been lots of discussion over recent years about the relevance of different job classification systems and accompanying job descriptions. Some of this has spilled onto the provision of careers information.Job classification systems and accompanying job descriptions exist to provide objective and accurate definitions and evaluations of ... Read More
March 18, 2021John McCarthy

15

Mar2021
This OECD expert paper, written by Andre Tricot, is almost 20 years old. But the principles it promotes for the development of careers information materials, are as relevant today as they were then. The English version of the paper is also to be found on this site.
March 15, 2021John McCarthy

15

Mar2021
March 15, 2021John McCarthy

15

Mar2021
March 15, 2021John McCarthy

15

Mar2021
If you missed this important seminar, you can see it here
March 15, 2021John McCarthy

16

Feb2021
THE FOLLOWING LINK WILL BRING YOU TO the webinar page where you can register to participate in the webinar! https://www.ilo.org/skills/WCMS_768716/lang--en/index.htm
February 16, 2021John McCarthy

05

Jan2021
JOINT RESEARCH REPORT: ICCDPP, OECD, UNESCO, ILO, EC, CEDEFOP, ETF  This report, recently published through CEDEFOP, captures changes in career guidance policies, systems and practices arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, as observed across 93 countries globally between the end of June and the beginning of August 2020.The research findings show that career ... Read More
January 5, 2021John McCarthy

18

Dec2020
Data-driven guidance: new OECD work on teenage indicators of career readiness As the healthcare emergency becomes an employment crisis, it is more timely than ever to reflect on the effectiveness of career guidance interventions and ask what works and why.  This week the OECD publishes a new working paper and launches new ... Read More
December 18, 2020John McCarthy

14

Dec2020

CAREER READY

0  
The OECD has just published a new Working Paper, Career Ready? How schools can better prepare young people for working life in the era of Covid-19.  The paper reviews academic literature that analyses national longitudinal datasets and provides evidence of teenage career-related indicators of better than expected adult employment outcomes.  It ... Read More
December 14, 2020John McCarthy

21

Oct2020

0  
CAREER DEVELOPMENT: COGNITIVE INFORMATION PROCESSING THEORY ONLINE RESOURCE LIST
October 21, 2020John McCarthy

14

Jun2020
UNESCO, ILO, OECD, EUROPEAN COMMISSION, CEDEFOP, AND ETF have combined with ICCDPP to carry out an international survey of the effects of COVID-19 on the provision of career guidance. The pandemic is already having (and will continue to have over the next five years) significant impact on the transitions of ... Read More
June 14, 2020John McCarthy

04

Jun2020
LESSONS LEARNED (OECD) FROM THE 2008 GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS Every crisis is a learning opportunity.So what did we learn from the effects of the last worldwide economic crisis, the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, on the lives and opportunities for young people?The OECD has just published some of the lessons of effective ... Read More
June 4, 2020John McCarthy

03

Apr2020
The provision of career guidance/learning in schools in many countries has been impacted by COVID-19. Schools and career practitioners have had to adapt to providing online support for students. These Guidelines just published by the Department of Education and Skills (Ireland) provide advice to guidance counsellors on how to manage ... Read More
April 3, 2020John McCarthy