Draft Guidelines for lifelong guidance policies and systems: a Reference Framework for the EU and for the Commission Recorded presentation for the National Guidance Forum, Ireland, meeting on the 14 November 2014 By Dr. John McCarthy, Director, International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy

European Co-operation in the fields of Education, Training, and Employment Every EU country is responsible for its own education, training, and employment policies This includes responsibility for policy for career guidance All EU countries face common/similar/different problems in those policy areas A key EU principle and objective is internal mobility for learning and work This raises an additional set of challenges for the education, training and employment systems in each country

European Cooperation in the fields of Education, Training, and Employment European cooperation in VET policy since the 1960s European cooperation in Higher Education policy since the 1980s European cooperation in formal education since 1992 European cooperation in lifelong learning since 2001

Meaning of cooperation Sharing knowledge and experiences Respect for national responsibility Use of the Open Method of Coordination Arriving at common agreements on the way forward: Level 1: agreements Level 2: agreements Level 3: actions

Level 1 agreements Three political advisory agreements on career/lifelong guidance 1966: Recommendation of the Commission to the European Parliament and to the Member States 2004: Resolution of the Council of Ministers (Education) on strengthening policies and systems for lifelong guidance 2008: Resolution of the Council of Ministers (Education) on better integrating lifelong guidance into LLL policies

Level 2 agreements Endorsed by the Council of Ministers: -Integrated/Employment Guidelines -The European Qualifications Framework -The Framework for Key Competences for Lifelong Learning -Guidelines for the Validation of Non-formal and Informal Learning Known as EU common reference tools There is no Level 2 agreement/reference tool yet for lifelong guidance

Level 3 Actions Networks: e.g. ELGPN, Heads of PES Surveys and Analyses: CEDEFOP but not only Pilot Projects and Result Dissemination Projects Expert Groups Usually these are financed by EU programmes These actions initiate, inform and influence the agreements at Levels 1 and 2

Draft Guidelines for Lifelong Guidance Policies and Systems Process of development initiated by ELGPN in Tallinn, May 2013 Further refined and developed both between and at the following ELGPN meetings: Vilnius, December 2013; Athens, February 2014; Zagreb, June 2014; Rome, October 2014 Will be put to ELGPN for approval December 2014 and Level 1 political endorsement sought in 2015 so that it becomes a Level 2 agreement

The nature of the Guidelines Non-binding recommendations Based on the shared knowledge and experience of ELGPN and of good policy and systems components identified by the OECD, WB, CEDEFOP, ETF, ILO They cover 5 areas mandated by the 2008 Council Resolution: Access, CMS, Cooperation, Quality Assurance, and Evidence

Table of contents Three categories of Guidelines: – Transversal policy and systems components – Policy and systems components specific to the education and training (IVET and CVET) sectors – Policy and systems components specific to the employment sector

Guidelines Huge variation between EU Member States on how policies and systems for lifelong guidance are organised Compromise: cannot be an exact mirror image of only one country, but must be realistic enough to appeal to all and to get their agreement

Your task today! Take a helicopter view Are they realistic enough to appeal to and be usable in an Irish context? What uses would you see for them? How would you as a National Forum use them?