Career counselling in the Latvian vocational education Gunta Kinta Academic Information Centre www.aic.lv NCP-VET-CO project fifth meeting 24-25 March 2011 in Bucharest

Activities on national level I ESF project “Provision of Career Education Programmes within Education System” (2005-2008) education opportunities data base (www.niid.lv) White Paper on the Improvement of the Career Guidance System (2006) National Forum on guidance and counselling (2007) Guidelines for Lifelong Learning Policy 2007-2013 (2007) envisioned the establishment of 48 counselling centres

Activities on national level II Cabinet Regulations “Procedure of accrediting general and vocational education programmes, education establishments and examination centres” (September 2010) ESF project “The Improvement of Theoretical Knowledge and Practical Competences for Vocational Subject Teachers and for Supervisors of Practical Training” (2010-2012) a module focusing on cooperation between education and the labour market

Responsible bodies Ministry of Education and Science State Education Development Agency: implementation of career education policy within education sector 38 regional education boards (counselling coordinator) Ministry of Welfare State Employment Agency: provision of career counselling “for all” Focus on the unemployed and job seekers (since 2009) Latvian administrative territorial reform (December 2008)

School level Responsibility of class teachers Career counsellors in some secondary schools (before 2009)