university of iceland policy making in guidance: hindrances and facilitators gudbjörg...

UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND

Policy making in guidance: Hindrances and facilitators

Gudbjörg Vilhjálmsdóttir and Sif Einarsdóttir

Faculty of Social and Human SciencesIAEVG conference in Jyväskylä, June 2009


Why policy making?

• Develop high quality, broadly accessible guidance provision

• Improve quality assurance mechanisms for guidance

• Strengthen structures for policy and systems development at national and regional levels

– Education Council resolution, 2004

Dimensions of guidance

• Policy dimension (national educational and labour market policy)• Contextual dimension (legislation, norms, national curriculum, municipal

level decisions)• Organizational dimension (Organizational level, management of services)• Responsability dimension (rationale for responsibilities for different

services)• Division of labour dimension (Job descriptions, operational plans)• Content dimension (career education, career information programmes)• Methodological dimension (different service delivery mode, self help, brief

staff assisted, individual case-managed services)



SWOT analysis of guidance in Iceland

• Strengths • Solidarity in the profession• All school and career counsellors are trained in the same MA

programme• Innovation: Workplace guidance, guidance for dropouts, career

counseling in prisons• New legislation on guidance stating that all students should have

access to guidance provided by licenced school /career counsellors• Weaknesses

• No unified portal of educational and vocational information and lack of teaching material for careers education

• Little know about the quality of guidance Little impact of research• Policy making has been weak• No one is responsible for guidance in the education ministry• Half of counselor time in personal counseling and careers education is

provided in 50% of compulsory schools


SWOT analysis – cont.

• Threats• Financing in jeopardy because of economic crisis (hrun)

• Counselors lack knowledge on labour market

• Non professionals who think they can act as professionals

• Opportunities• The new school legislation stating that all students have a right

to school and career counselling

• The new legislation on guidance counsellors

• Management of the opportunities created by the new legislation

• Collaboration with other countries

Policy making – On paper

• European Union – Iceland is in EEA• LLG (Life long guidance)

• ELGPN (European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network)

• Leonardo projects on guidance

• Nordic Countries: NVL• Quality in guidance : What is the value of guidance in the

Nordic countries?

• National• Legislation (Important acts passed in 2008 and 2009)

• Reports (Some have an impact, others do not)


Policy making - In reality

• No results most of the time• Hindrances: disinterested stakeholders, other

professionals, lack of solidarity within the profession, low self esteem of professionals (feminine helping profession that is there to serve not make demands), lack of money...

• Results occur when a window opens up

UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Why does a policy window open up?

• Impetus for policy in guidance: – Problems identified: Increasingly complex school system

and transition to work, dropout, social problem of youth, gender equality, competitiveness in the world economy

• Objectives of guidance– Make educational and vocational information and guidance

available and accessible to all children

• Origin of the guidance movement• Theoretical foundation• Adoption of guidance by stake holders• Responsibility of guidance


Facilitators

• Professionalism and professional solidarity• Expectations from users and stakeholders• Support of labour unions• International co-operation

– Nordic countries (NUAS, (Nordiska Universitetsadministratörssamarbetet) Nordic Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance, NVL (Nordens vuxen læring))

– ELGPN (European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network)


New legislation on March 30th this year

• Contents

• How did it happen?

• A new platform


Role of counselors

• Qualified and competent professional– Prerequisites: Good training and licensure

• Work organised according to a guidance programme and evaluation of guidance– Based on standards and objectives so that guidance can be

accessible to ALL

• Advocate of users of guidance– “Be there” with the counselees and be prepared to fight for

them (assertiveness as well as attentiveness)


Training counsellors

• Quality of professional training

• Programme not position

• Advocacy


university of iceland policy making in guidance: hindrances and facilitators gudbjörg...

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