INTRODUCTION

I our changeable society the necessity of qualified guidance is increasing. An aim among others is
to counteract the appearance of gaps in level of education and knowledge. The rapid remoulding of
the of society constantly creates new opportunities, but also a risk of social exclusion.

The right individual with the right education in the right vocation gives pleasure in work and high
degree of employment. If the degree of employment could increase from 77% (June 2004, people
at the age of 20 to 64) to 78% it should strengthen the Swedish national economy with 17 thousand
millions SEK every year. (Jens Henriksson, Ministry of Finance).

How to define the process of careers guidance?

Careers guidance is a process with the aim of helping the individual to increase both the self-knowledge
and the understanding of the surrounding. It's the task of the guidance counsellor to help the individual
to handle the topic of education and the choice of vocation or profession. The most important tool
in the guidance process is the oral guidance dialogue.

The purpose of the guidance process is to give the individual the opportunity to set up goals for the future,
and the purpose of the guidance dialogue is that the individual should gain the necessary insights to make
choice with good grounding. The individual needs an understanding of her/his range of possibilities and
thereby increase the capacity to make decisions.

The matters of guidance:

Co-operation and in-service training

To secure a high quality in the applied careers counselling it’s essential to co-operate with business life,
the parties oingf the labour market and with different education and training institutions. It’s also important
for the guidance practitioners to develop procedures so that they more easily may collaborate locally,
regionally, nationally as wells as internationally.

The career guidance practitioners also need an active and continuous in-service-training, that to secure
a high quality of the daily work.

Rules and regulations

For every sphere of education the public study and vocational guidance is grounded on different but
specific rules and regulations, like the law of education, statutes, curriculum and local regulations.

The definition described below is worked out for general purpose and may be used in all context of
counselling (The definition emanates from Ingegärd Sahlström, 2001)

An independent and unbiased study and vocational guidance acts on the needs of the individual,
irrespective of age and occupation. The public study and vocational guidance should offer the individual
tools and methods to:

 •Identify and word one’s requirements, interests and conditions
 •Seek information and knowledge, and inform oneself about education possibilities, trainee posts and
  labour market
 •Make a choice of relevant measures
 •Be able to take on the responsibility for one’s own choice- and decision-making processes
 •Apprehend the possibilities to realise one’s ideas and look after one’s requirements

The professional guidance dialogue

The fundamentals of study and vocational guidance is the professional guidance dialogue.
(The description emanates from Line of Action, Kungsbacka Community, 2003).

The dialogue should embrace the fields of education and/or working life in relation to the each individual’s
situation/conditions and qualifications. The talk is a structured dialogue which should lead to self-decided
actions of the individual. Every single person is the owner of the line of conduct.

STUDY- AND VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE ON ALL LEVELS OF EDUCATION

Work experience programme. The aim of the work experience programme or in Swedish “PRAO”
(short for “praktisk arbetslivsorientering”) is to give the pupils tangible experiences from working life and
to give them an opportunity to grow and be socialised to the working life. The weeks of “PRAO” also gives
the pupil an important opportunity to form an opinion of different vocations and
training/educational programmes.

Under the spring term in 8th form, the pupils have two detached weeks of work experience programme.
Two continues weeks of “PRAO” is then given under the autumn term in 9th form, and this period may
very well have a connection to possible future choice of upper secondary school programme.
The study- and vocational guidance counsellors give lessons to inform every class about the purpose
with “PRAO”, practical details and the principle of selection of the trainee posts. The trainee posts are
mediated by The Central Agency for Trainee Job Acquisition at the Local Department of Education.

The choice of upper secondary school programme . The leaving-pupils of the compulsory school
make their choices of study paths through the upper secondary school. The choice is to be made
by the 1st of February. The study and vocational counsellors informs both pupils and parents by classes
about content of the different upper secondary programmes and about the meaning of upper secondary
school education. The pupils are also prepared before their visits to the yearly Study and Vocational Fair
of Gotland (surveying information) respectively the Upper Secondary School Days (deepening information).

The Regional Study and Vocational Fair of Gotland “FRAMTID GOTLAND” (“framtid” stands for “future”)
is carried out yearly under the first week of October. It gives a general view and a foundation before
the choice of education and vocation, thanks to that not only the different upper secondary school
programmes but also business life, university and other educational and training establishments are
represented.

The Upper Secondary School Days, alternatively Open House is carried through by every single
Upper Sec. School. The arrangement varies depending on different prerequisites of the schools.
Upper Secondary School Evenings are also commonly carried though and information is given to both
parents and pupils on these occasions.

Before the choice of Upper Secondary School and School programme every single pupil is given
at least one guidance dialogue in private, when the counsellor together with pupil penetrates possible training
or educational programmes. Different pupils have different needs of guidance. Some pupils have evident
aims and directions with their lives, and then it’s often enough with just one guidance dialogue occasion.
Many pupils need several meetings to work up thoughts, dreams, possibilities and obstacles in real life,
and to be able to organise plans for studies and assignments of work.

THE UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL, national programme

Choices within the upper secondary school. Within the upper secondary school the pupils are making
a lot of choices. It’s about branch inside the respective national programme, the choices of eligible courses
and the choices of the so called “Individually Eligible Courses” At these occasions the study and vocational
counsellor informs in class about the alternatives. Moreover, every pupil who wishes also has the opportunity
to get individual guidance. Such a dialogue may for instance throw light upon the consequences of different
choices on the eligibility to higher education.

Revision of personnel curriculum. In the upper secondary school there are many pupils who in different
respects want to change aim and direction of their studies, or to make other changes in their study
programme.It may be about a changeover to another national programme or to individual programme etc.
In face of such thorough changes regarding aim and direction of the studies, the pupil often needs to meet
his study and careers counsellor at quite a number of occasions to get the ability to make a well-founded
and well thought-out decision.

Choice of Education or Career when leaving the upper secondary school.
Information about 3rd level education and labour market is given by the study and careers counsellors
in class to the pupils on the eve of leaving school. These pupils are also informed under
“The Day of the Future of Gotland” (in Swedish “Gotlands framtidsdag”). At the study and careers counsellor
it’s always possible to get an individual dialogue to endorse careers planing.

“THE DAY OF THE FUTURE OF GOTLAND” or “GOTLANDS FRAMTIDSDAG”
is a seminar day carried trough every year and attended by all leaving pupils but also by many of
the pupils in the age group next to leaving the upper secondary school. Even adult students,
people in search of work and the general public are invited to attend the day.

The audience is offered information about university and other 3rd level study opportunities,
the labour market and about to work or study abroad, and how to finance studies,
i.e. about study allowances and grants.

THE UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL, individual programme

Admission requirements for national programme. At the individual programme many of the pupils
don’t match up to the admission requirements or they may have difficulties in studies at any national
programme, whereas others aren’t motivated for studies and take a sabbatical year. The end of an individual
programme is to prepare the pupil to grow into studies at a national programme and/or encounter the special
needs of an individual.

Every single pupil has a close contact with his study and careers counsellor. At these individual
guidance dialogue occations the individual programme of each pupil is planned and settled, the individual
programme may be composed of periods of study and/or practical working experience. Contact with
the parents is a part of this process. Co-operation with authorities and organisations take place
in some cases.

Supporting and motivating guidance is important for the pupils to find their individual course to
a self-governed working life. The trainee job as well as the tutor (at the place of work) is selected
from the special requirements of each individual pupil, and owing to that it becomes an important
pedagogical tool. Introduction, evaluation and revision are made by means of dialogues with pupil
and tutor at visits to the place of work

UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL FOR PUPILS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES
or “GYMNASIESÄRSKOLAN”

The study and careers counsellor has regular guidance dialogues to support the careers planing and
before alternations in the study programme.

THE GATEWAY – THE CENTRE OF STUDY AND CAREERS GUIDANCE, or “PORTALEN – VÄGLEDNINGSCENTRUM”

The Gateway is a co-operation between the County Administration and the Municipality of Gotland with
the aim to increase the accessibility of study and careers guidance for all adults on Gotland. The Gateway
is offering individual guidance dialogues. Information is given about the offering of education opportunities
(principally the offerings on Gotland), qualification requirements, study allowances and labour-market.
Furthermore, information meetings are arranged about study and vocational themes of present interest.

THE ADULT (FOREMOST SECONDARY) EDUCATION ADMINISTERED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES,
or “KOMVUX”

The study and vocational guidance at Komvux compass general counselling and information about study
and study allowances, carried though individually or in group. At Komvux, short term as well as long term
individual plans are made for every single student.

The competence of the study and careers counsellor is also important so that validation and graduation
of different leaving certificates could be accomplished.

THE FOLK HIGH-SCHOOL, or “FOLKHÖGSKOLAN”

Guidance is given individually and in group to students at the school but also to outside applicants.
To serve as guidance “Try-Out Courses” are also arranged at the folk high school. Information about
courses offered at present is also given during Open-House Days and Exhibitions.

GOTLAND UNIVERSITY or “HÖGSKOLAN PÅ GOTLAND”

At the university general guidance is given to prospective students about university studies and
professional life. Not including individual guidance dialogues, counselling/information about courses offered,
qualification requirements and principles of selection is mediated by telephone and e-mail. Information about
university studies and courses offered is also given at study visits to the university and at exhibitions.

THE SWEDISH NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT AGENCY, or “ARBETSFÖRMEDLINGEN”

Guidance to find a job. People in search for work and enrolled at The Employment Agency have
the opportunity to get study and careers guidance either uncertain about the choice of career, compelled
to take a new job or uncertain about the course to the profession.

Individual guidance with one or more dialogue appointments is an offered alternative.

Guidance in group is offered as another alternative. In this case a group of applicants together with
a study and careers counsellor meets regularly under some weeks. This gives an opportunity to think
about the self and about work, and may for instance contain study visits, lectures, training and discussions.

Trainee posts. As a manner guidance, trainee posts may by offered for some weeks by
the Employment Agency, this to confirm a preliminary choice of vocation.

Preparatory education. In order make to sure that a chosen longer vocational education is
the right choice, it’s possible get financial help with certain preparatory education.

 • The description of the Professional Guidance Dialogue emanates from:Handlingsplan för studie-
och yrkesvägledning i Kungsbacka kommun, 2003. (Line of Action of study and vocational guidance
in Kungsbacka town, 2003)

 • Study And Vocational Guidance On All Levels Of Education originates from job descriptions
by the study and vocational counsellors at the different schools and institutes on Gotland.

Compiled in June 2004 by:
Ewa Hammarstedt County Administration	Stellan Moon Local Department of Education

SCHOOL FOR PUPILS
WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES