1. Lifelong Guidance for Job Seekers, Bratislava, September 25 - 26, 20081 Organisational structure of public employment services in Slovakia – overview of career information, guidance and counselling services Štefan Grajcár ÚPSVaR Slovak Republic

2. Lifelong Guidance for Job Seekers, Bratislava, September 25 - 26, 2008 2 Contents: History of Slovak PES since 1990 Public employment services legislation Organisational structure of PES SR Guidance and counselling in employment services - information and guidance services - counselling services Characteristics of information and guidance services Characteristics of counselling services Staffing of guidance and counselling services

3. Lifelong Guidance for Job Seekers, Bratislava, September 25 - 26, 2008 3 History of Slovak PES since 1990 Before 1990: no employment services, „full“ and compulsory employment 1990 – 1996: Employment Services Administration as part of the ministry of labour, a network of labour offices 1997 – 2003: National Labour Office as a public institution built on tripartite principles, three levels of NLO 2004 until now: Central Office and local Offices of Labour, Social Affairs and Family as budgetary organisations under the MOLSAF

4. Lifelong Guidance for Job Seekers, Bratislava, September 25 - 26, 2008 4 Current Public employment services legislation Act. No. 453/2003 on state administration institutions in the area of social affairs, family and employment services (valid since January 2004) Act No. 5/2004 of Employment Services, valid since February 1, 2004, with major amendments valid since May 2008

5. Lifelong Guidance for Job Seekers, Bratislava, September 25 - 26, 2008 5 Organisational structure of PES SR Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of Slovak Republic Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family 46 Offices of Labour, Social Affairs and Family 135 contact points throughout the country

6. Lifelong Guidance for Job Seekers, Bratislava, September 25 - 26, 2008 6 Guidance and counselling in employment services (1) Information and guidance services are services provided in the framework of:  choosing a career (mainly for young people),  selection of employment including its change  selection of an employee (for an employer),  adaptation of an employee in new employment

7. Lifelong Guidance for Job Seekers, Bratislava, September 25 - 26, 2008 7 Guidance and counselling in employment services (2) Information and guidance services are also services providing information and advice on  vacancies and employment possibilities in the territory of the Slovak Republic and abroad,  requirements for individual occupations,  possibilities and conditions of participating in active labour market measures and programmes,  conditions of claiming unemployment benefits, etc.

8. Lifelong Guidance for Job Seekers, Bratislava, September 25 - 26, 2008 8 Guidance and counselling in employment services (3) Counselling services are focusing on solving problems associated with job seeker's employability, on harmonizing his/her personal characteristics with requirements of a certain job, as well as on improving his/her decision making, job search and other skills needed for successful personal and social adaptation to the labour market

9. Lifelong Guidance for Job Seekers, Bratislava, September 25 - 26, 2008 9 Staffing of guidance and counselling services (2007) Information and guidance services: 592 employees (13 per office), great variety of level and type of education, Counselling services: 270 counsellors (less than 6 per office), all with university degree (Master level) of various types (prevalence of social work, teaching, adult education, and other social sciences)

10. Lifelong Guidance for Job Seekers, Bratislava, September 25 - 26, 200810 Thank you for your attention!