Ministry of Labour, Finland/ Teija Felt 1 Career Guidance Services provided by the Ministry of Labour

Ministry of Labour, Finland/ Teija Felt 2 Outline of the presentation  Organisation  Services, personnel, clients  Vocational guidance and career planning  Educational and vocational information service  Vocational rehabilitation  Statistics  Career counselling database  Cross sectoral co-operation/ Action programme  Challenges

Ministry of Labour, Finland/ Teija Felt 3 Organisation of the labour administration Regional Labour Market Departments at Employment and Economic Development Centres (15 ) Employment offices (127) - employment services - vocational development services - labour market measures promoting employment Job centres (30) – connected with larger employment offices - self-services, information on labour market, jobs, training, job clubs Ministry of Labour Employment service centres (38) – separate services for long-term unemployed, people with special needs

Ministry of Labour, Finland/ Teija Felt 4 Structural reform of Public Employment Service (PES) Employment Service Centre: -staff with PES background and social workers co- operating -target group: long term unemployed, special needs Employment office: * Employer services * Job seeking services : - Personal employment services - Support for employability + labour market measures JOB centre - mainly self-service - PES staff assistance * Vocational development services: - Labour market training - Vocational and Career Guidance - Educational and Vocational Information Services - Vocational rehabilitation E-services Phone- sevices E-services Self-services, e-services Personal service, special services

Ministry of Labour, Finland/ Teija Felt 5 Deepening service levels according to the needs of the PES customers Self services Personal services at the local employment offices (3-5) Individual, multi- professional counseling at the Employment Services Centres 1) Self services on the Internet 2) Supported self- access services at the job search centres (local employment offices) -individual advice on job seeking and training, writing of CVs -Job Clubs, about 300 advisers and employment counsellors 3) Personal employment counselling -interviews -action plans -provision of jobs, training, active programmes - EURES - educ.advisors, about employment counsellors -specialised counsellors (young people, immigrants) 4) Vocational rehabilitation for disabled people - about 300 special employment counsellors (and psychologists) 5) Career guidance, 269 psychologists 6) Multi-professional, individual counselling -about 20 psychologists and 300 employment counsellors co-operating with municipal social and heath care specialists (300)

Ministry of Labour, Finland/ Teija Felt 6 GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING available from Employment Offices VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE AND CAREER PLANNING - Available for all young people and adults free of charge - VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE PSYCHOLOGISTS help clients with career choices, professional development and finding employment > personal/face-to-face and small group guidance to clients > total of 269 vocational guidance psychologists in Finland > 20 psychologists at Employment Service Centres - VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE -> clients make realistic action plans based on their skills, interests and goals

Ministry of Labour, Finland/ Teija Felt 7 Tools used in Vocational Guidance - Face-to-face discussion with counsellor - Assessment testing: - abilities and aptitudes - personality - interests - Tasks for completion between sessions - Work try-outs - Placements in vocational schools, training centres - Medical or neurological assessment - Assessment of learning difficulties - Co-operation with vocational schools, social services, health care services, Social Insurance Institution etc. - Average length of counselling process: 2.6 sessions

Ministry of Labour, Finland/ Teija Felt 8 Services on the Internet AVO Vocational Guidance Program: information about almost 300 occupations and training possibilities. Evaluation tasks to measure user’s interests and aptitudes. Users can also clarify their professional aspirations and study how well different kinds of occupations meet them. A career-planning service aimed at adults: information on work, careers and training. Evaluation of user’s situation and exercises to assist them in decision-making. A service designed for adults in work to help them manage possible career changes.

Ministry of Labour, Finland/ Teija Felt 9 Statistics 2005 Personal counselling Drop-in service E-services over 25s 64,3 % - over 45s 18,6 % - unemployed 46,8 % - employed 19,5 % - special needs 20,2 % Educational/training plan 42,4 % Find employment 21,1 % Pension, rehabilitation, other 36,5 %

Ministry of Labour, Finland/ Teija Felt 10 EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL INFORMATION SERVICE INFORMATION for everyone about education, training, occupations and working life, how to finance study, and study and training opportunities abroad LIKE A LIBRARY… library-like reading room: guides, brochures and videos about educational and training institutions, study programmes and careers … with EDUCATIONAL ADVISORS 108 full time part time advisors answer clients’ inquiries face-to- face, by phone/ Nationwide web-based information system KOULUTUSNETTI/ The Education Website (set up in cooperation with National Board of Education) and AMMATTINETTI/ The Vocational Website and other web- services, self-access computers connected to internet

Ministry of Labour, Finland/ Teija Felt 11 EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL INFORMATION SERVICE HUGE DEMAND In 2005, clients made contact with educational advisors approximately times – either by office visit, telephoning or GROUP SERVICES The clients can also participate in public information events arranged by educational advisors 2005 – 3080 groups with participants LOCAL NETWORKING Educational advisors cooperate with local educational and training institutions Koulutuslinja/ Education Line: Mon-Fri 9.00 – h nationwide telephone service

Ministry of Labour, Finland/ Teija Felt 12 Career counselling database  PES database system (URA)  Client information (name, address, age, gender, education, work experience, nationality, health information)  Career guidance process (need for guidance, measures taken during the process, description of discussions and client situation, outcome of the process/ client´s plan for future)  Client feedback survey (ASPA): Carried out every second year Telephone interviews with people Feedback on how the process went, its usefulness, and client’s confidence in counsellor  Client feedback/ Vocational guidance: 7.9/2004 (scale 4-10)  Client feedback/ Educational information : 7.8 and 8.3 (not jobseekers)/ 2004

Ministry of Labour, Finland/ Teija Felt 13 VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION Reasons for weakening working capacity: orthopaedic injuries and illnesses, disturbances in mental health, diseases of the respiratory organs, neurological and sensory diseases, skin diseases, blood-vascular system-related ailments and metabolic disturbances. Persons are considered ‘disabled’ when their potential for gaining suitable work, retain their jobs or advance at work has diminished significantly due to diagnosed injury, illness or disability Vocational rehabilitation and subsistence security are organized and financed by: 1) Accident and traffic insurance institutions, 2) Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA),3) Employment pension institutions and 4) Labour Administration

Ministry of Labour, Finland/ Teija Felt 14 VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION disabled job seekers Special services for disabled clients (provided by psychologists and special employment counsellors) Approximately disabled job seekers using services each month long-term unemployed (40% of total). Majority 55 or older. 12% of unemployed disabled. Activation rate about 21%. Unsubsidised and subsidised work trials, work practice, work life coaching, and training leading to vocational qualifications, medical examinations

Ministry of Labour, Finland/ Teija Felt 15 Action Programme on information services, advice and guidance for adult education and training ( ) Ministry of Labour & Ministry of Education  Provide easy-to-use information services, suitable for adults  Improve accessibility of advisory and guidance services: web- advice and guidance services/ web-career guidance  Develop new tools to find out about skills of the working age population  Reinforce the strategic position of guidance and research and provide more training for those giving guidance (in adult learning institutions, work places and employment offices)  Enhance co-operation and networking (national, regional and local levels). Coordination group (managed by Ministries of Labour and Education, representatives of universities and stakeholder groups)

Ministry of Labour, Finland/ Teija Felt 16 Challenges for career counselling  Ensuring availability of services  Implementing the Action Programme on information services, advice and guidance for adult education and training: projects start 2007  Enhancing co-operation with job placement services, fulfilling youth guarantee obligation services  Developing cross-sectoral cooperation - involving student counselling, social work, adult education and training, employers and international immigration policy  Producing evaluations of and research on the impact of career counselling/career guidance (management by results: targets negotiated for 2007 – number of user contacts in vocational guidance and career planning)  Reinforcing career counselling competences and knowledge within both employment services and career guidance services