Fostering strategic leaderships and networks 4th International Symposium on Career Development and Public Policy Helmut Zelloth, ETF 23 October 2007, Aviemore / Scotland

What is the ETF ?  Agency of the European Union  Assisting EU neighbouring countries in reforming education, training and labour market systems through - dissemination of EU policies and good practices - policy advice / learning and capacity building - information and analysis

EU Member States ETF’s partner countries Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan South Eastern Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo European Union candidate countries: Croatia, Macedonia, Turkey Mediterranean region: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank and Gaza Strip

ETF and Career Guidance  5 years ago: career guidance was not yet on institutional agenda  2002 – 2007: more than 30 countries have been covered by career guidance policy reviews through the ETF

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

LEADERSHIP ?

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP Examples… UKRAINE Special Edict on Guidance/2007 – issued by Vice-Prime Minister - Leadership by Public Employment Services Context: lack of skilled/manual workers in almost all sectors MONTENEGRO CIPS – Centres for Career Information and Counselling - Leadership by public employment services + dedicated practitioners Context: skills mismatch on labour market GEORGIA Career Counselors in all VET Centres (2007) - Leadership by NGOs (HRD) + Ministry of Education (VET sector)

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP Examples… MACEDONIA (former Yugoslav Republic) Career Centres in all VET schools - Leadership by donor (USAID) + VET school students organisation / dedicated teachers) TURKEY National Protocol on Guidance - Leadership by academic experts + donor (World Bank) + Ministry of Education

NET - WORK(s)

The example… Regional Network of Policy Makers in career guidance in the Mediterranean region - covering 10 countries/territories - established by ETF in July as part of a wider Regional Project of the European Commission for the Mediterranean region (‘MEDA ETE – Education and Training for Employment’)

Algeria Egypt Israel Jordan Lebanon Morocco Syria Tunisia Turkey West Bank / Gaza strip Partner countries / territories

OBJECTIVES… To support the Mediterranean Partners  in the design of relevant TVET policies that can contribute to promote employment through a regional approach  to further develop policies and practices for career information, guidance and counselling through - regional comparative analysis - regional co-operation and capacity building

20 Policy makers from education and labour administration (2 per country), nominated by their Ministers 5 EU experts 2 ETF + 3 external consultants 10 Local Experts tendered and contracted Network architecture

Critical interrelations + success factors Networking Policy learning Policy analysis

Interlinked Activities ANALYSIS Experts level Country reports (and Field visits) JOINT WORKSHOP with policy makers STUDY VISIT (some experts) NETWORKING Policy makers JOINT WORKSHOP with experts + Country Mini-Action Plans STUDY VISIT + policy/practice lessons learned

Interlinked Activities ANALYSIS Experts level CROSS-COUNTRY Report VIRTUAL COMMUNITY (Discussion Forum) ANNUAL CONFERENCE (Forum) NETWORKING Policy makers DEBRIEFING with stakeholders in the country VIRTUAL COMMUNITY (Discussion Forum) Annual CONFERENCE (Forum)

REGIONAL NETWORKS can be very powerful ‘healthy competition’ (benchmarking) + piece of wider puzzle Connecting policy makers (also from same country) Stimulus + catalyst for policy/practice development at national level Strengthening of (individual + institutional) networking capacities + leadership Added value

IMPACT + SPIN-OFFs  EGYPT High commitment to strategy development National Task Force established Project proposal for donor funding  TURKEY Annual follow-up conferences Revival of National Guidance Protocol Country report translated / widely used  JORDAN Clearer vision + Pilot Centre in high school

IMPACT + SPIN-OFFs  MOROCCO National policy workshop  SYRIA Pilot Career Information and Guidance Centre  WEST BANK/GAZA STRIP Joint initiative of MoEHE+MoL for National Centre for Vocational Guidance/Counselling

CHALLENGES AHEAD Challenges How to use the analytical work systematically To keep the dynamic and momentum (bi-annual reporting, annual conference, refocus Virtual Community) To attract donor funding + be culturally sensitive + enable ‘home-grown’ development To link with other networks (EU Policy Network for Lifelong Guidance, ICCDPP, IAEVG etc) To link with other strategic developments (TVET strategy, NQF, apprenticeship, Observatories)

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