This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Study Visit to Galway

The Management & Staff at Galway Technical Institute welcomed 21 delegates from Sandwell (UK), Zlin (CZ) and Maia (PT) in September 2012.

The focus of the visit to Galway was to examine Career Guidance in Higher Education Institutions.

The visit took place from September 25th to 27th September 2012.

It was great to get an opportunity to return the hospitality received in both Zlin and Sandwell.

The visit schedule was designed to offer our international colleagues an opportunity to learn about the provision of guidance counselling in Ireland.

The participants visited the following institutions:

Galway Technical Institute (www.gti.ie)

Youthreach (http://www.cgvec.ie/SchoolsCentres/Youthreach/)

Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (www.gmit.ie)

National University of Ireland, Galway (www.nuigalway.ie)

Coláiste Iognáid (www.colaisteiognaid.ie)

CISCO (www.cisco.com)

Galway Technical Institute

GTI is one of the leading colleges of

Further Education in Ireland, providing

FETAC Level 5 & 6 courses to over 1,300 learners annually. At GTI, courses are

designed to be of immediate and practical use in the workplace or as a stepping

stone to further study and higher qualifications. Everything our students

learn will be valuable to them throughout their lives.

GTI offers further education courses in the

following areas:

Applied Health & Social Sciences

Art & Design

Business

Computing & Engineering

Fashion

Hairdressing & Beauty

Media

Sports & Recreation

Facilities at GTI include recording studios,

creative digital media laboratories, hairdressing and beauty salons, furniture

design workshops, fashion studios plus a wide range of specialist IT facilities. Our

European Links provide work placements abroad for over 100 GTI students annually.

These placements are fully funded and afford students the opportunity to gain

valuable work related training in institutions and enterprises throughout

Europe.

Newsletter 3/2012

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Career Guidance in Ireland

In December 2011, the Minister for Education & Skills announced significant changes to the provision of Career Guidance Counsellors in second level schools and Further Education colleges.

The budgetary measure meant that ex-

quota guidance positions would now

become within quota. The direct impact of this measure on schools is that guidance

counselling would now be provided at the schools discretion.

The challenge is now to do more with less.

Key Principles of Careers Guidance

Guidance services in the educational sector are based in post-primary schools, higher and further education colleges and through adult and second chance education programmes. Background of careers services in education provides Education Act (1998). Section 9 which imposes “…ensure that all students have access to appropriate guidance to assist them in their educational and career choices”.

Ministerial Department of Education and Skills (DES) issues Guidelines for guidance services. The DES 2005 Guidelines make two further points regarding counselling.

1. Counselling is a key part of the school guidance programme, offered on an individual or group basis as part of a developmental learning process and at moments of personal crisis. Counselling has as its objective the empowerment of students so that they can make decisions, solve problems, address behavioural issues, develop coping strategies and resolve difficulties they may be experiencing. Counselling in schools may include personal counselling, educational counselling, career counselling or combinations of these.

2. Counselling should be available when necessary, on an individual and/or group basis, to assist students in their personal and social, educational and career development. Guidance counsellors are qualified to provide counselling support to students.

Appropriate guidance contents identification of student needs (done in consultation with management, teachers, student council and students themselves), vocational guidance (in relation to employment), educational guidance (in relation to education subjects) andpersonal guidance - counselling.

Newsletter 3/2012 www.careersofthefuture.org

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Career Guidance - ICT Tools

Career counsellors use various ICT tools as internet portals or software such as:

1. Qualifax - Ireland’s National Learners’ Database. It is the "one stop shop" for learners. It provides the comprehensive information on further and higher education and training courses (www.qualifax.ie)

2. Careers Portal - this site brings together a wide range of career related information aimed at career seekers and career guidance professionals (www.careersportal.ie)

3. Career Directions – web site of FAS (Training and Employment Authority) where students can create and update their own career ‘Action Plan’, plan their ongoing education. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. (www.careerdirections.ie)

4. Gradireland - web site providing jobs and careers advice for graduates (www.gradireland.ie)

5. CAO - Central Application Office. Through them students can apply to all the Irish universities and institutes of technology (www.cao.ie)

6. UCAS - Universities and Colleges Admissions System in Great Britain (www.ucas.co.uk)

Good Practice Learned in Ireland

1 National Centre for Guidance in Education

The NCGE organizescontinuing professional development, carries out a range of surveys and related research on guidance practice and needs. It is involved ininitial and in-service training for guidance counsellors.

2 Galway Technical Institute

Careers counselling is based on a high level of collaboration between the careers counsellor and subject offered, often this includes the delivery by teachers, class tutors and pastoral staff.

3 Galway City Vocational Education Committee

Advice and support available cover education, careers, adult basic education, social welfare, vocationaltraining opportunity schemes, back to education initiatives and community education programmes.

4 Youthreach Galway Centre

Young people are given the chance to re-engage in learning through a structured programme which incorporates qualifications, development of life skills and confidence building.

5 Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology

Work experience and placement support (both locally and international) for students during their course duration at GMIT.

6 CISCO Systems

Employees are allowed to come to work in their Casual comfortable clothes, there are numerous break out areas to encourage collaborative thinking, pool tables for entertainment and a canteen with all manner of trendy foods.

Newsletter 3/2012 www.careersofthefuture.org

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Galway Visit by Lin Blake

Certain members of the Sandwell Study Group were delighted to discover that they were members of the 14 tribes of Galway, Brian Martin and Lin Blake take a bow. We were some what concerned when tales of climbing flagpoles to retrieve the flags which were flying boldly in Galway City Centre were mentioned. The local Garda have confirmed said flags still remain in place!

The 14 tribes of Galway or as Lin would say, “it’s

got to be wortha drink or ten”

Lin working out if she could climb a flagpole!

A certain member of our happy band acquired the taste for Guinness, it was only fair we escorted him to the local hostilery, it’s hard going ordering a drink at the bar when you are short, purple and fluffy! Rumour has it if you go down to Galway University you will find

plenty of the Connexions bugs scattered about in strange places, I wonder who did that?

Fluffy enjoys a Guinness.

Oh, and before you know it someone is using your shoulder as a pillow, thank goodness the local hairy bikers had not got on the bus!

Hold it, hold it, nearly there, does anyone know how this works? iPads sent to drive you mad!

Newsletter 3/2012 www.careersofthefuture.org

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Study Visit Evaluation

Our international colleagues found the visit very interesting and educational. Some comments from participants are listed below:

I was very motivated by the practice of the HE institutions in the use of information technology.

My expectations were met and in most cases exceeded.

As a careers adviser I have gained a fantastic insight into the differing approaches to Careers Guidance (CIAG) in Eire.

The visit fulfilled my expectation and broadened my knowledge. The visit was very well systematized. All those participating created a friendly working and interpersonal inspirational atmosphere.

I will support contacts with other institutions in our country and I will try to find the possibility of travelling for my work team so they can meet new people and see different systems of work and schools, because new experience is very useful (in my opinion) for any kind of people’s activity.

Our study visit had very well timing. Whole study visit was good planning and executed my expectation.

The highlight of the visit for me was an unexpected visit to The Youthreach Project.

What’s next – Study Visit Oporto

ESCOLA SECUNDÁRIA DO CASTÊLO DA MAIA will host the next study visit from the 5th February 2013 to the 8th February 2013. The visit theme will be An Investigation of the use of ICT in Career Guidance Counselling.

Delegates will fly to Oporto and will stay in a hotel in Maia.

We all look forward to this visit.

More Photos from Galway

Delegates visiting the National University of Ireland

Presentation in CISCO

At our hosts – GTI