PUBLIC POLICIES FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT DESIGN OF CAREER INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE SYSTEMS IN MIDDLE INCOME AND TRANSITION ECONOMIIES

What are career guidance services, are they important? Purpose: assist individuals make informed choices Rationale: economic, social and political International context: OECD, EU, UNESCO,Bank Middle income country issues: poverty and unemployment, informal economy, family & culture Policy goals: learning, labor market, social equity Approaches: reactive vs. proactive Evaluation

Organization of the World Bank Study Design: parallels OECD and EU studies Seven Countries: Chile, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Turkey Objectives: describe policies and identify issues, help countries and development agencies develop appropriate policies Financing: US$125,000 - DFID & World Bank Administration: Europe and Central Asia Human Development Sector, World Bank, with host country Ministries (labor and education)

Taking stock, who are the major actors? Role of Education and Labor Institutions Schools (compulsory education) Tertiary education Public Employment Services Employer Based Services Private and non-government agencies

Changing the mold, what are the issues? Weaknesses Marginalisation in schools Emphasis on one to one services and psychometric testing approaches Limited career and educational information Little career exploration at work PES focus on jobs vs. careers Lack of career development services in enterprises Strengths Services in schools, less so in tertiary Emerging services in public employment services Innovative practices in some countries

Changing the mold, what needs to be done? Expand access: ICT, help lines, expand locations Self-help: Career education, self assessment, group methods, physical Concepts: Talent match / career management Information: gaps, demarcations, integration, follow-up, quality assurance Personnel: broaden & define competencies, role definition, updating, associations

A framework for enhancing policy development and service delivery Policy coordination Strategic leadership Legislation Financing Building an evidence base Assuring quality International support

What are the key messages and conclusions? Action: developing countries are making investments in this sector Coherence: there needs to be a coherent system to maximize return to investment and impact Governments: can play a key role, but should not be sole providers. Priorities: information, self-help services, staff training, incentives for private & NGOs. Evidence base: demand, cost, impact

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