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European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network

Work Package 1 – Career Management SkillsField visit 1: Integration of career management skills in curricula at secondary

level and in higher education

DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL CAREER EDUCATION GUIDELINES: IN AND OUT

Aleksandra SokolovaMinistry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania

Vilnius, Lithuania5-7 May 2009

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Most of the national key documents on guidance:

• Career Guidance Strategy • Law on Education • Law on Vocational Education and Training • Order on vocational information and counselling services

provisionregulate the provision of vocational orientation (career guidance) services, referring to the information and counselling services

• Only in few documents career education and the career management skills development is mentioned

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Stimulus for the development of the Careers education guidelines (Karjeros valdymo modelio gairės) (2007):

• Career Guidance strategy• National Programme for Career Guidance in the Educational

System (ESF 2007-2013): development of the models of careers education for general education, VET and HE schools as one of the planned activities

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Group of experts:

• representatives from the Ministry divisions responsible for general education, VET and HE

• professionals involved in guidance services provision at general education school, VET school and University career centres

• professionals from institutions representing the guidance network in educational sector

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The draft of the Careers education guidelines defines:• concept of careers education • model of careers education provision in general education,

VET and HE schools• outcomes of careers education (competencies, indicators,

other)

“Careers education refers to a range of educational, information and counselling activities (e.g. separate course on career

management competences development, career information, career counselling, assistance in developing personal

educational plan, professional/occupational exercises) aiming at development of career planning, career

development/maintaining and career evaluation competencies”

Based on Blueprint for Life/Work design

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Basic tasks (description of):• career planning and career management competencies and

indicators for students in respect to the education level (general education, VET, HE)

• basic principles and methods applied in careers education (e.g. stand-alone course, career information, career counselling, other)

• specialists in general education, VET and HE schools involved in careers education services, qualification requirements, range of responsibilities and functions in respect to the type of educational institution, level of education (grade, course of studies, other)

• role and functions of institutions involved in provision of careers education services (career information points, career centres, career guidance centres, other)

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Main sections of the document are divided by the level of education:

• career management at general schools, • career management at VET schools • career management at HE schools.

Domains of competencies:• Personal Management (self knowledge) • Learning and work (career) exploration • Career management (career planning)

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The draft of the Careers education guidelines (2007) was developed for 5 levels of education system:

• 1-4 grades of the general education school• 5-8 grades of the general education school• 9-12 grades of the general education school• VET schools• HE schools

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Specialists participating in education of the career management competencies:

• Teachers• Class masters• Career advisors• Career counsellors• School psychologists• Social pedagogues• The administration of school, student’s parents, and

community representatives are also involved in the CMS education activities.

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Developing career planning and career management competencies

Main activities: • careers education (stand-alone course, CMS topics integrated

in other subjects)• career information• career counselling• development of personal educational plan• occupational exercisesAdditional activities:• psychological assistance (psychological counselling, vocational

counselling)• social assistance (drop-out prevention, mediating the social

help or employment)

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Main methods:

• Teaching in the class (auditorium)• Lecture• Individual work (tasks)• Group work (tasks)• Project work• Excursions at the enterprises, institutions• Meeting the representatives of different occupations, former

students• Work practice• Interviewing• Case studies• Job quizzes• Volunteer work• Other

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Tools:

• Specialised portals and data bases• Computerised programmes (games)• Books, workbooks, posters, and other printed materials• CD, DVD, movies • Career tests• Carer fairs• Other

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Challenges in developing the document:

• theory and methodology (general vs specific competencies)• coherence in CMS development• different practice of guidance services provision at general

education schools, VET and HE schools (decisions about the course of studies vs CMS development; information and counselling services vs career management services), different administration (municipality, Ministry of Education and Science, autonomous)

• integration of the CMS topics into curriculum or/and introducing the separate course on CMS development

• specific of educational system (overlapping in educational programmes in general education and VET schools)

• continuity of services (transitions)• career monitoring

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Further development and implementation?

• introducing the careers education concept (evidence of relevance)

• resources: human, financial, administrative • training of specialists• harmonisation of legislation • agreement on division of functions in guidance• involving social partners and stakeholders• CMS assessment schemes

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Thank you for your attention!

Ms Aleksandra SokolovaMinistry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania

Department of Vocational and Continuing EducationSenior specialist of the Registers and Information Systems

Management DivisionA. Volano str. 2/7, LT-01516 Vilnius, Lithuania

Tel. +370 5 219 1165E-mail: aleksandra.sokolova@smm.lt