CAPE
Careers Advice and Pathways to Employment
Agreement number: 2015-1-PL01-KA202-016802
IO n.2: Needs Analysis Report
CESIE www.cesie.org
developed by CESIE May 2016
Table of Content
Introduction ...1
Teacher and Trainers’ needs ...2
1.1 Profile of interviewed teachers and trainers ...2
1.2 Information on the institutions ...4
1.3 Results from Institutions with Career Advice and Guidance services ...7
1.3.1 How is the service provided?...7
1.3.2 Beneficiaries and impact of the services provided ...9
1.3.3 How would you improve this service in your Institution? ... 10
1.3.4 Which students’ competences does the Career Advice and Guidance develop? ... 11
1.4 Results from Institutions without Career Advice and Guidance Service ... 14
1.4.1 Do you know Career Advice and Guidance service in other Schools or VET institutions? ... 14
1.4.2 Which competences do you think this service should develop in your students? ... 14
1.5 Teachers and Trainers’ Needs of Training ... 17
Disadvantaged Young People Perspective ... 18
1.1 Profile and institutions of the young people involved in the focus group ... 18
2.2 Activities carried out in the different countries ... 20
2.2.1 What comes to your mind when you hear the word “work/job”? ... 21
2.2.2 Do you know what you want to do after finishing the school? Which is the subject that you like? ... 22
2.2.3 Which are the difficulties you think you could face in getting a job? Which of them depend on you and which depend on external factors? ... 23
2.2.4 Do you have support in career guidance in your school? ... 24
2.3 Young people’s needs in Career Advice and Guidance services ... 27
Employers’ needs ... 27
3.1 Profile of employers interviewed ... 27
3.2 Companies involved in the research ... 28
3.3 Interviews Results ... 31
3.3.1 Did some of the new employees/trainees receive career Advice and Guidance during their Educational/Training path? ... 31
3.3.3 How many companies offer a Career Advice and Guidance Service? ... 35
3.3.4 What role can employers play in improving Careers Advice and Guidance? ... 36
3.3.5 Career Management Skills ... 37
Conclusions ... 42
Introduction
This report has been developed as second Intellectual Output of the Erasmus+ project “CAPE – Careers Advice and Pathways to Employment”. The projects aims to embed lifelong guidance into lifelong learning through supporting and improving careers advice and guidance given to young people at risk of Early School Leaving (ESL).
The Need Analysis Report is based on the information provided by partner organizations on the results collected through interviews and focus groups to the target groups in their countries. It includes the analysis of:
education and training needs of teachers and trainers on careers advice and guidance;
knowledge of career options and existing careers advice of young people at risk of ESL;
employees’ skills required by their employers.
Each of the topics mentioned has been explored through primary research using different methods according to the target group in Spain, Hungary, Portugal, Romania, Poland, Italy and Cyprus.
Precisely:
a questionnaire administered to teachers and trainers (in total 36);
a focus group carried out with young people at risk of ESL (in total 87);
interviews with employers (in total 50).
The main aim of this output is to identify the education and training needs of the target groups (teachers and trainers, young people at risk of ESL, employers).
This analysis will be the basis for the outputs of the WP4 (Training the Trainer), WP5 (Careers Advice and Guidance) and WP6 (Working with Employers), providing an overview of teachers and trainers’
needs, young people challenges and employers’ requirements in Careers Advice and Guidance services.
Teacher and Trainers’ needs
In each country, teachers and tutors were asked to answer to a questionnaire in order to explore their needs in relation to Career Advice and Guidance services. The questionnaire was administered through a face to face interview or by telephone or Skype.
In total, 36 teachers have been interviewed. In the next paragraph, in table 1 there is the detailed description of the teachers and tutors interviewed per country and their profiles.
1.1 Profile of interviewed teachers and trainers
Graph. 1 Data on the kind of institutions interviewees teach/work
As showed by Graph. 1, the majority of teachers and tutors involved in the research (22 of the interviewees) are working in VET institutions.
Country Teachers/Tutors’ Profile
Spain 1 teacher/tutor of a VET Institution;
1 math teacher of a VET institution;
2 support teacher of VET institutions;
1 science teacher of a primary and secondary school.
VET 61%
Primary and secondary
school 9%
Second chance schools
22%
Other 8%
Hungary 2 history and Hungarian language and literature teachers;
1 math and physics teacher;
1 English and Hungarian language and literature teacher;
1 IT and science teacher.
Portugal 2 teachers,
2 tutors,
2 psychologists.
Romania 2 teachers-psychologists;
1 Second Chance school manager;
1 career counsellor;
1 vocational subjects teacher/instructor (public alimentation and catering).
Poland 2 teachers of professional subjects, one
cook and one tailor of a VET Institution;
1 math teacher of a lower secondary school with vocational training.
Italy 1 professor and coordinator of the
services for students of a vocational school;
1 professor from a technical institute and collaborator of the headmaster;
2 professors of vocational schools focused on touristic services;
1 professor from an high school.
Cyprus 7 school psychologists specialized in
career counselling (2 males; 5 females).
Table 1
Further information was provided for:
Portugal: teachers do not work in Career Advice and Guidance services. They can work as Educational Advisors, but psychologists are the ones who work in these services. Given the
both trainers (1 teacher and 1 psychologist) work or have worked with young people at risk of ESL;
1 teacher, 1trainer and 1 psychologist have experience in Career Advice and Guidance services.
The other psychologist involved doesn’t have experience in the institution, but knows Career Advice and Guidance services in other schools or VET institutions.
Neither the other teacher nor the other trainer know this service in their institutions or in other ones.
Romania:
the 2 teachers-psychologists are also involved in providing professional counselling and orientation services;
the Second Chance school manager, is also teaching in the school and is specialized in Feuerstein methods and involved into counselling activities for Second Chance students;
the “vocational subjects teacher/instructor” is responsible for the practical training of Second Chance students enrolled in a professional training programme and in a VET high-school. This teacher is also responsible for career counselling and orientation.
1.2 Information on the institutions
Country Institutions involved in the research
Spain 4 VET institutions
1 primary and secondary school
Hungary Kövessi Erzsébet High School, a VET
institution
Portugal INETE – Instituto de Educação Técnica
(Institution of Technical Education), a VET secondary and post-secondary education institute
ECL - Escola de Comércio de Lisboa (Commerce School of Lisbon), a VET school with professional and basic vocational courses
Romania AJOFM Neamt (Agentia Judeteana pentru Ocuparea Fortei de Munca Neamt), a Governmental institution
CJRAE Neamt (Centrul Judetean de Resursesi Asistenta Educationala Neamt), a local public support organization
Scoala Gimnazială Nr. 5 Piatra- Neamt, a Second Chance School
2 local VET high-schools/providers
Poland 2 Basic Vocational Schools for young
people who left mainstream education
1 lower secondary school
Italy Istituto Tecnico Industriale “A. Volta”, a
VET institute
Istituto Tecnico Nautico Statale Gioeni - Trabia, a VET institute
I.I.S.S. Danilo Dolci, a VET institute
IPSSEOA “P. Piazza”, a VET institute
Liceo Linguistico “Danilo Dolci”, a high school focused on teaching foreign languages
Cyprus 3 Preparatory Apprenticeship Schools
(providing support to early school leavers aged 14-21) in:
Nicosia;
Limassol;
Larnaca.
Table 2
The total number of institutions involved in the research is 24. The majority of institutions involved in the research (18 out of 24) provide Career Advice and Guidance Services to the students.
Graph. 2 Data on the institutions involved in the research
The 18 institutions providing those services are distributed among the different countries as showed by the Graphic below:
Graph. 3 Institutions providing Career Advice and Guidance services per country The questionnaire administered included two main sections:
one for teachers and tutors working in institutions providing Career Advice and Guidance services,
one for teachers and tutors working in institutions not providing those services.
18
6
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Institutions with Career Advice and Guidance services
Institutions without Career Advice and Guidance services
Spain 22%
Hungary 5%
Italy 6%
Romania 28%
Portugal 11%
Poland 11%
Cyprus 17%
1.3 Results from Institutions with Career Advice and Guidance services
1.3.1 How is the service provided?
As showed by the Graph. 3, in all the countries involved in the research there is at least an institution providing Career Advice and Guidance services. It has been asked to teachers and tutors to briefly describe the kind of services provided.
Spain
1 VET institution has been involved in the project InVet, an European project aiming at encouraging, inspiring, supporting and enabling VET professionals and Vocational Counsellors to prevent trainees at risk of dropping out from the school system.
3 VET institutions provide those services carrying out individual mentoring sessions with parents and students.
Hungary
The institution involved in the research participated to a project aimed at preventing dropout, Dobbantó. One of the aims of the project was to provide training and support to the teachers to create innovative learning environments that can help to change the views the participating students have about school as a result of their earlier school failures.
Portugal
In INETE, after enrolment at the school, all students are tested through school guidance interviews. Students in the second and third year, and also graduates, can request information about the courses that allow continuing the studies, as well as help in finding jobs.
In ECL, there is a Career Management Office where Psychologists go frequently to classrooms
and outside the classroom. These activities help to motivate students and are carried out according to their representations and class profiles.
Romania
AJOFM Neamt is a Governmental institution managing the situations of the job seekers allowance beneficiaries and coordinating at local level the activity of providing those persons with job opportunities. They are working directly with the employers and develop a wide range of programs to minimize unemployment. The organization offers a practical support to recent VET graduates in finding a job as they are in direct contact with the employers all the time. It has direct links with the labour market and is able to provide beneficiaries with concrete job offers.
CJRAE Neamt is a local public support organization focused on improving the quality of education services for the students with special educational needs, learning either in special schools/centres or integrated in mass education. Among other support services, they provide school and professional orientation advice to identify students’ interests and aptitudes.
Scoala Gimnazială provides, as a part of the education and training program, professional development activities, orientation and career counselling services.
2 VET institutions provide through the class masters who should spend one hour per week in
“counselling and orientation” activities (national rule) that may also include career planning, and through the school psychologist.
Poland
In the VET institutions involved, teachers provide information about the performed work, the chances in labour market and further work for the improvement of the qualifications and vocational competences. They do it during educational lessons and in addition when a need arises.
Italy
The Istituto Tecnico Nautico Statale Gioeni – Trabia organizes activities to favour the school- work alternation and the meeting between students and enterprises. The school also organizes
internships for students of the last year. During these internships, students have the opportunity to work in enterprises relevant to the field they want to specialize in.
Cyprus
Preparatory Apprenticeship schools aim at reintroducing early school leavers to the learning process and to the concept of work–based learning by actually placing them in different employers according to their specializations. These schools last one or two academic years depending on student readiness. Once Preparatory Apprenticeship is completed, students then can enroll at the Core Apprenticeship level.
1.3.2 Beneficiaries and impact of the services provided
In all countries the direct beneficiaries of Career Advice and Guidance services are the students enrolled in the schools. In some cases, the services foresee some support also for the students’
parents and the teachers.
Impact on beneficiaries Country
improvement of students’ capacities and competences and self-development
Spain Hungary Romania Italy Cyprus very positive change in students in terms of
behaviour, interest and attitude
Portugal
more employment offers Hungary
Romania more conscious of their work, prospects for the
future and the need for further education
Romania Poland Cyprus reintroduction to the school community and the
learning process
Cyprus Table 3
1.3.3 How would you improve this service in your Institution?
Portugal
Use of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary methods.
Psychologists should go to classrooms more often giving more information to students for them to better prepare for professional life.
Focus on interpersonal and social skills, soft skills.
Development of more projects in this area, not only as a preventive measure but also as a measure of personal and professional achievement in the long run.
Romania
More investments in resources (human, material): for example, acquisition of actualized standardized tests (aptitudes, professional interest questionnaires, personality tests), hiring supplementary/qualified staff.
Collaboration with specialists from diverse activity fields and educational partnerships with specialized institutions (e.g., psychologists, social counsellors, real meetings with employees, technical visits in specialized units).
Poland
Exams on students’ aptitudes.
Give students the chance to change their educational path.
Italy
A closer relationship between the teacher and student when supporting in those services.
Cyprus
More regular personalized guidance.
Development of educational material specialized for vulnerable groups.
More incentives (mainly financial ones) for both students to utilize employment opportunities and potential employers to hire trainees/young employees.
Experiential learning workshops focusing on personal development, self-awareness, team spirit and collaboration.
Better connection with the labour market.
More activities encouraging creativity and simulation activities.
1.3.4 Which students’ competences does the Career Advice and Guidance develop?
The competences have been divided in four major categories:
Graph. 4 Data on the interviewees’ answers to question 1.3.4
As showed in the graphic, the majority of institutions focus their services in developing personal and social skills.
Each category included the following specific competences:
Personal and social skills
32%
Organisational Awareness - Sector/company
related skills 21%
Job awareness - Work Technology
13%
8 Key competences
26%
Other 8%
Graph. 5 Personal and Social skills developed by the Career Advice and Guidance services
Graph. 6 Organizational Awareness – Sector company skills developed by the Career Advice and Guidance services
Self-confidence 27%
Stress management Problem solving 12%
Analytical thinking 19%
9%
Team work 15%
Decision making 9%
Taking initiatives 9%
Personal and Social skills
Time Management 20%
Resource management
20%
Quality focus /Priority Setting
23%
Responsibility and engagement / Work
ethic and values 21%
Service management 2%
Concern for safety 14%
Organizational Awareness – Sector company
skills
Graph. 7 Job Awareness – Work Technology skills developed by the Career Advice and Guidance services
Graph. 8 8 Key Competences developed by the Career Advice and Guidance services
Office (telephone, office devises)
21%
ICT skills 37%
Customer orientation 21%
Specific knowledge (terminology, etc.)
21%
Job Awareness – Work Technology
Communication in mother tongue
15%
Communication in foreign language
13%
Mathematical competence and basic competence in
science and technology Digital competence 10%
14%
Learning to learn 10%
Social and civic competences
18%
Sense of initiatives and entrepreneurship
12%
Cultural awareness and expression
8%
8 Key Competences
In Cyprus, the interviewees added other competences:
Graph. 9 Other competences added by interviewees
1.4 Results from Institutions without Career Advice and Guidance Service
1.4.1 Do you know Career Advice and Guidance service in other Schools or VET institutions?
Almost all the interviewees don’t have knowledge of those services in other institutions or schools.
Only in Portugal and Poland some of the interviewees have been able to give more details about services provided in other institutions.
In Portugal, only 1 psychologist could answer the question, saying that the Psychologist Office (where the service is provided) in any vocational school aims to be divided by different areas which may include Counselling services and Vocational guidance. This service focus on the assessment and psychological/psycho educational monitoring of all students throughout their educative process, facilitating school’s project integration and promoting the development of students’ identity and the building of their own life project.
In Poland, teachers interviewed know that there are institutions, for example employment offices, where such service is provided, but they do not participate in any training and they do not send their students there.
1.4.2 Which competences do you think this service should develop in your students?
To the teachers working in institutions without Career Advice and Guidance services has been asked which competences those services should develop in their students. As for the teachers working in
Risk Management 7%
Practical Thinking 3%
Empathy 25%
Self-evaluation 18%
Oral Skills 18%
Openness to New Ideas
3%
Tolerance 3%
Development of Personal Vision
4%
Setting goals 11%
Critical Thinking 4%
Negotiation skills
4%
Other
institutions with Career Advice and Guidance services, the competences have been divided in four main categories.
Graph. 10 Data on the interviewees’ answers to 1.4.2
The majority of interviewees think that those services should develop the 8 Key competences. In detail, the answers for this category have been divided has follow:
Graph. 11 Answers on the 8 competences teachers think should be developed
Personal and social skills
30%
Organisational Awareness - Sector/compan
y related skills 19%
Job awareness - Work Technology
16%
8 Key competences
35%
Communication in mother tongue
15%
Communication in foreign
language Mathematical 13%
competence and basic competence in
science and technology
10%
Digital competence
14%
Social and civic competences
11%
Sense of initiatives and entrepreneurshi
p 13%
Cultural awareness and
expression 10%
8 Key Competences
The following graphics show the answers for the other categories in detail:
Graph. 12 Answers on the Personal and Social skills teachers think should be developed
Graph. 13 Answers on the Organizational Awareness – Sector company skills teachers think should be developed
Self-confidence 20%
Stress management
13%
Problem solving Analytical 15%
thinking 13%
Team work 17%
Decision making 12%
Taking initiatives 10%
Personal and social skills
Time Management
28%
Resource management Quality focus 20%
/Priority Setting 18%
Responsibility and engagement / Work ethic and
values 21%
Service management
3%
Concern for safety
10%
Organisational Awareness -
Sector/company related skills
Graph. 14 Answers on the Job Awareness – Work Technology skills teachers think should be developed
1.5 Teachers and Trainers’ Needs of Training
It has been asked to interviewees if they have some knowledge of existing training to support them in implementing Career Advice and Guidance services and which are their needs in this area.
In all countries, all the interviewees have some knowledge and training on how to provide and deliver those services.
In the following table, the needs expressed by teachers and trainers are summarized:
Teachers/traines’ Needs Country
More detailed and focused training Spain Hungary Romania Poland Italy Cyprus Developing skills to educate pupils on everyday
management skills, self-knowledge, work- organising skills and work-behaviour
Hungary Portugal
Need for training activities aimed at counselling the educational community in order to develop more structured services.
Romania Italy
Office (telephone, office devises)
29%
ICT skills 32%
Customer orientation
23%
Specific knowledge (terminology,
etc.) 16%
Job awareness - Work Technology
Sessions with companies Hungary Portugal Table 4
Disadvantaged Young People Perspective
In April 2016, each partner organized a focus group with students at risk of ESL in order to explore their perception of Career Advice and Guidance services and their needs in this area.
A total number of 87 students have been involved in the research.
1.1 Profile and institutions of the young people involved in the focus group
Country Students
Spain 4 students from a VET institution: 3 girls
and 1 boys
Hungary 8 students from a VET institution: 4 girls
and 4 boys
Portugal 14 students of a basic vocational class
(aged 14-15)
10 students of a secondary vocational class (aged 16-18)
Romania 9 students from a VET institution (aged
18-19)
Poland 11 students from a lower secondary
school with vocational training: 4 girls and 7 boys
Italy 8 students from a VET institution (aged
14-15)
Cyprus 23 students from Preparatory
Apprenticeship schools: 20 boys and 3 girls (aged 14-16)
Table 5
The partners organizations provided more details on participants’ profile:
Spain
All the students involved are thinking in abandoning their studies. According to their teachers, all of them are very good students but do not want to continue studying, they prefer to work.
Hungary
Pupils involved are in the last year of their studies and are considered to be at risk of early school leaving:
2 attend the institution’s secondary grammar school department;
2 technical school department;
4 attend the trade school department: 2 are learning carpenter and 2 have chosen to learn the cookery).
Portugal
Students of the basic vocational class have not yet had the opportunity to do their internship and are at risk of dropping out.
Students of the secondary vocational class were already doing their internships and some of them had already dropped out from mainstream education system. They are followed by the educational advisor (teachers).
Romania
The students participating to the focus group are enrolled at the “Liceul Economic Administrativ” (LTEA), a technological, vocational and post-secondary institution.
Poland
All the students participating to the focus group drop-out from the mainstream education system. The school is preparing them for the job market in different professions.
Italy
Students involved are all enrolled in the IPSSAR “Pietro Piazza”, a VET institute focused on touristic sector. During the last two years, students have to do an internship.
Cyprus
All the students involved have dropped out of school and are given an alternative educational pathway by entering the Preparatory Apprenticeship. Half of them are Cypriots and half of them come from other countries, such as Bulgaria, Romania and Lebanon.
2.2 Activities carried out in the different countries
Each country reported the activities carried out during the focus group and the answers received by the students involved.
The focus group started with the introduction of the project aims and the role of the focus group within the project.
2.2.1 What comes to your mind when you hear the word “work/job”?
Through brainstorming students explored the value these words have for them:
Country Students’ inputs
Portugal Money
Independence
Autonomy
Responsibility
Assiduity
Salary
Autonomy
Independence
Poland Satisfaction
Money
Self-Sufficiency
Self-Reliance
Cooperation
Career
Become Independent
Experience In The Profession
Money For Eating
Position In The Life
Italy Sacrifice
Profit
Effort
Independence
Emancipation
Freedom
Cyprus Monetary reward
High standard of living
Recognition and self-esteem
Development of personal relationships
Sense of belonging
Tiredness
2.2.2 Do you know what you want to do after finishing the school? Which is the subject that you like?
Country Students’ answers
Hungary Restart studies later parallel with working
in order to complete high-school graduation
Learn a specific profession
Portugal Find a job after finishing school
All students know what they want to do after school
Romania Willing to continue their studies
Only two of them have a clear career option
Poland Never thought about it
Italy Almost all of them had a clear idea about
their future
Only one student answered that he was uncertain about his future profession
Cyprus The majority of students have decided on
the professional path they want to follow
Some of the most popular professions mentioned were: automotive mechanic, carpenter, electrician, cook, hairdresser and beautician
Table 7
2.2.3 Which are the difficulties you think you could face in getting a job? Which of them depend on you and which depend on external factors?
Country Difficulties depending on them Difficulties depending on external factors
Portugal Prejudice from
interviewers in companies
Low wages that companies pay to those who have no professional experience
Poland Education,
Desire of the finding of work,
Lack of the knowledge of foreign languages,
Laziness,
Engagement in job searching,
Health,
Motivation ,
Co-operation
Malicious friends at workplace,
Earnings,
Working hours,
Journey to work,
Working conditions,
Requirements of the employer,
Range of activities
Italy Knowledge of foreign
languages;
Difficulty in maintaining a job;
Getting experience;
Laziness in searching a job.
Lack of opportunities in the job market
Cyprus High unemployment rate
Intense competition in the labour market
Bad working
conditions
Lack of meritocracy Table 8
2.2.4 Do you have support in career guidance in your school?
Spain
Career Guidance almost once a month, implemented both in groups and personal sessions, but some of them claimed that the sessions weren´t enough and the lack of interest by some of the Career Guidance providers.
Hungary
7 students haven’t participated in direct Career Guidance.
2 trade school students said that they had some kind of Career Guidance when they started school. As part of it, they could try different professions before they had to choose what to learn. They considered it to be useful for them and raised attention to the fact, that first graders don’t have this opportunity anymore.
3 trade school students said that in their case Career Guidance would not be as useful as they already knew what they would like to learn. They also declared that they didn’t get any help to find a job.
2 students made a reference to the voluntary service (that is obligatory for those who graduate) as helpful in terms of career choice. They got an insight into some professions and one of them decided to study about one of the observed areas.
Portugal
Most students from the first group were not happy with Career Guidance services, and did not know for sure what this service is for.
All students from the second group think Career Guidance services helped them to find their vocation based on their profile and that educational advisory will help them in the future.
Romania
There is no national framework and effective structured career guidance system, thus the young people's experiences are limited.
Poland
Sometimes students visit with the tutor the City Employment Office where they have meetings with professional career advisor. However, according to the students, these visits are irregular and too short.
Italy
The students involved in the focus group don’t have any experience in Career Advice and Guidance services. They receive some guidance from their professors during lessons, but these are not programmed and structured moments.
Cyprus
Students attend a two-hour (80’) module every week named Personal Development that entails workshops, exercises for group dynamics, assignments, case-studies and discussion. In addition, students are offered individual counselling from psychologists according to their needs.Students had a positive experience with this subject and seem to like the emphasis given on the personal needs. Students regard this Career Guidance module rather useful for both their personal and future professional life.
Spain
As far as regards Spain, during the focus group, the main topics faced were:
- dropping out of school is a big problem in the Education System. In Giner (two of the students involved in this focus group study in this VET institution), school leavers rate is one of the main concerns that teachers have. This year the number of school leavers in VET has gone down. Probably, it is caused by the unemployment increase. People have to study, otherwise they cannot get a job.
- Some parents are frustrated with the dropout issue. They feel that this problem overcome them.
- Lack of motivation could be one of the main causes of dropping out. A large number of trainees start the VET studies thinking that there are a lot of practical subjects, but when the course begins, they notice that they have to study a lot of theory subjects.
- Other causes of dropping out could be: trainees get a job or those who are immigrants have to go back to their countries.
- There is a big difference among trainees´ motivation between low vocational training and high vocational training. The rate of school leavers is higher in low vocational training.
- There is an important difference in the dropping out rate between specialities.
- The lack of parents’ involvement seems to be an important factor of dropping out.
- Teachers and tutors think they have not got tools and knowledge to deal with trainees at the risk of dropping out. When they notice that a trainee is thinking to drop out it is late and they cannot stop it.
- Tutors and counsellors try to talk with trainees and encourage them, but they have not got enough resources to solve the dropout problem.
- If a trainee drops out the school before he or she is 16, counsellors must talk to social services, particularly to the dropout commission. Many times, this commission knows different tools to prevent dropout. If a trainee drops out the school after he or she is 16, counsellors could manage to solve it.
2.3 Young people’s needs in Career Advice and Guidance services
From the discussions in the focus group, the following students’ needs emerged
Students’ need Country
Services supporting them throughout their studies Spain Italy Need to acquire more practical knowledge and information about future career options
Hungary Portugal Italy Cyprus Need for more structured services. Italy Table 9
Employers’ needs
Interviews to employers have been done in each country in order to explore their needs.
In total, the employers interviewed have been 50. When talking about “new young employees”
interviewer meant employees employed in the last 5 years.
3.1 Profile of employers interviewed
Country Employers
Spain 2 CEOs and owners of companies,
1 engineer director.
Hungary 1 owner of an NGO
1 assistant director.
Portugal 1 responsible for quality,
1 director of certification and financing
2 human resources’ managers.
All participants have direct contact with trainees in the companies to which they belong.
Romania 3 managers of SMEs. They are all directly involved into the day-by-day activity of the company (as full-time employees), with a professional qualification into the field of activity and staff recruitment.
The local labour market and is mainly represented by SMEs. Small enterprises, with no more than ten employees are the most accessible and common employer for VET graduates with a professional qualification (either professional or high-school level education).
Poland The employers interviewed are the owners of
their company. They are specialists and trainers in their industry.
Italy 1 owner of a small enterprise
1 Export Manager of a SME
1 receptionist of a camping
Cyprus 29 directors
2 executive chefs
1 site engineer Table 10
3.2 Companies involved in the research
Country Companies’ Profile
Spain 1. TERMODINAIR company:
number of employees 50-10;
young people employed during the last 5 years 5-10 (VET level 2/3).
2. 5CERO2 comunicación:
Press marketing agency,
number of employees less than 10;
5- 10 young people have been hired during the last 5 years (Academic HE).
3. Viajes ECO:
Tourism Company, with 50-10 employees,
5-10 young people employed during the last 5 years (Academic HE).
Hungary 1. KOCKACSOKI company:
Food-industry,
number of employees less than10;
young people employed during the last 5 years are 2 (VET level 2/3).
2. FSZK Nonprofit KFT:
non-profit background institute, number of employees 50-250;
young people have been hired during the last 5 years are7 (Academic HE).
Portugal 1. URBANOS: Logistics/Transportation
2. SONAE: Retail
3. JERÓNIMO MARTINS: Retail
These three companies have more than 250 employees and more than 10 young employees or trainees in the last five years were employed.
4. ARPIAL: Metallurgical Industry, between 50 and 100 employees,
less than 5 young employees or trainees in the last five years.
All participants reported different educational background of new young employees or trainees:
• Urbanos answered Academic Secondary,
• SONAE answered Academic HE,
• Jerónimo Martins VET level 4 and Academic Secondary educational background.
Romania • Two small enterprises, with less than
10 employees (one active in the field of commerce with different types of products, another small company active in the field of cosmetics and hairdressing),
• one medium-sized enterprise with more than 10 employees (active in the field of gerontology).
Two out of three companies answered that they avoid hiring recent graduates and very young people due to ”their lack of experience”, ”inconstancy”, ”lack of loyalty and seriousness”. However, they declared that, if it have to employ young people, a professional qualification in the field of activity and a minimum level of practical experience (e.g. summer job, internship), along with good references from the companies where they acquired the practical experience would be the ideal background.
One of the two small companies has employed two young VET graduates (hairdresser and cosmetician)
Poland 1. Salon Fryzjersko-Kosmetyczny, hairdressing and cosmetology, place – Lodz,
number of employees 50-10, 5-10 new young employees,
their educational background was VET level2/3.
2. BOPIS, installations, place – Lodz, number of employees – 50-10,
new young employees – 5-10
with educational background VET level 2/3, 3. Fijalkowski, construction, building, place- Tuszyn,
number of employees <10, young employees 5-10
with basic and initial VET level of education.
Italy 1. Liber, small enterprise of handicraft,
number of employees <10,
new young employees and trainers <5.
with VET or high school education background.
2. Mugavero Teresa S.a.s., SME producing fertilizers,
number of employees 10-50, young employees 5-10
with secondary education or university background.
3. Camping and Village Rais Gerbi, number of employees 10-50, young employees 5-10, with VET background.
Cyprus 25 companies involved employ less than
10 staff members, while the other seven employ from ten to 50 individuals.
Companies’ activity:
24 companies provide auto-mechanical services
1 provides aluminium services
3 restaurants
4 hair salons.
Concerning the number of young people recently employed:
24 companies have employed less than 5 trainees
8 more than ten trainees.
All trainees have been Lyceum graduates.
Table 11
3.3 Interviews Results
3.3.1 Did some of the new employees/trainees receive career Advice and Guidance during their Educational/Training path?
Romania and Italy could not answer to this question as none of the interviewees hired new employees who experienced in Career Advice and Guidance services. In Cyprus, interviewees were not aware of whether trainees/new employees have been offered career advice and guidance.
In the other countries, all interviewees had a positive experience with young employees who experienced Career Advice and Guidance services.
Spain
Employers’ experience has been great; all of the students have shown a good level of integration in the company. According to the experience of the interviewees, the impact on students who benefited from Career Advice and Guidance services in that they are more integrated and learn much more, because they feel more comfortable.
Hungary
Employers’ experience has been gratifying; all of the young employees have shown an average level of integration. Some of them need more attention and special help (e.g., visual cues and algorithms, job-mentor). The young employees who experiences guidance services are able to stay in their position and work for a long time at the same place.
Portugal
Participants answered that the impact this service had on new employees was very positive
paths for their professional future. Students decisions depends on the information they received by this service.
Poland
New employees who experienced Career Advice and Guidance Service integrated in the company very well, they tried to perform their work well and exactly, they knew basic principles of interpersonal contacts in the place of work.
It was worse with the ones which lacked such a preparation. They felt lost and required the additional support.
3.3.2 From you professional point of view, would you suggest that Career Advice and Guidance service is extended to a bigger number of VET Institutions and Schools?
In this paragraph, it is showed a table summarizing the suggestions given by employers in order to improve Career Advice and Guidance services in the educational institutions:
Country Suggestions
Spain More mentoring sessions with the
students;
more courses in order to help them get integrated in the labour market;
Hungary “Carrier-orientation” as an obligatory
subject teaching work-skills and work- behaviour (such as arriving on time, follow the instructions strictly, self-knowledge);
introduction of different groups of jobs, with special features, expectations, needed skills, etc.);
work-place practice at different areas during the school-years;
better organized obligatory 50 hours voluntary work;
greater focus on the development in the fields of social and practical- communicational skills.
Portugal More partnerships with companies/entities;
better managers/mentors dedicated to the integration of trainees;
having someone in Career Advice and Guidance Services who could have business knowledge (professional experience in the area);
admission of more psychologists in schools;
greater engagement with the world of work with guided visits to factories, shops, offices, and lectures from different professionals;
practical experience in the workplace and other approach to the world of work would result in improvement of these services.
Romania Development of career planning skills, job
searching skills, soft skills (e.g.
communication, customer care) and specific attitudes (seriousness, an increased level of responsibility in the workplace);
all students should benefit from Career Advice and Guidance Services at least during the final school years and these services should be personalized and linked to the real labour market situation at local level, not only limited to theoretical approaches and aptitudes tests.
Poland Workshops strengthening students’ self-
confidence and motivating them to improve their professional competence.
Italy Organization of visits in enterprises in order for students to better know the realities where they should work;
courses to develop their soft skills, but also the practical skills needed in the field they would like to work.
Cyprus Students should acquire more in-depth
practical knowledge
Educational institutions should foster student positive attitude to learning
Students should be offered more in-depth information on characteristics and requirements of different jobs as well as characteristics on different industries
Students should be trained to work in teams
Students should be trained to set measurable goals
Students’ self-confidence and social skills should be developed
Students should be familiarized with work ethics
Table 12
3.3.3 How many companies offer a Career Advice and Guidance Service?
Graph. 15 Data on Career Advice and Guidance services in the companies involved in the research The majority (56%) of enterprises involved in the research do not offer those services.
The companies providing those services are the following ones:
two companies interviewed in Spain;
a company in Hungary, namely Kockacsoki. They have a small internship programme: it lasts 2 months, a few hours per week, without salary, the young people have the opportunity to collect information on the special job, they learn the steps of chocolate-preparing, and get familiar within the small company. It is a useful possibility to challenge themselves in a special work-position without risk, and it is a tool for recruiting to the firm, too;
22 companies in Cyprus. Employers delegate a wide variety of job tasks to trainees in order to provide them with numerous and useful learning opportunities. Under their supervision and with the provision of ample coaching, employers allow and encourage trainees’ high involvement in the implementation of real projects. Finally, at the end of the traineeship period, employers advise trainees on whether they have the required knowledge, skills and competencies to pursue a career in this field.
Companies not offering Career Advice and
Guidance Service
56%
Companies offering Career
Advice and Guidance
Service 44%
3.3.4 What role can employers play in improving Careers Advice and Guidance?
It has been asked to employers how they can improve the Career Advice and Guidance services and which can be the role of such services within their companies.
Country Suggestions
Portugal support the development of curricular
contents in schools and also promote partnerships with them;
welcome intermediate trainees and not only the ones who are at the end of the courses;
receiving trainees and direct them to professional life within the company (integration of trainees in companies).
Romania Employers should keep career counsellors in
educational institutions informed about their staff needs and the counsellors could make recommendations;
employers could organize short-term practical trainings/job shadowing.
Poland Companies should observe whether the young
employees are satisfied with their position and, if not, guide and support them in finding the right position.
Italy Help new young employees in getting
experience and supporting them in the first period.
Cyprus Delegation of many different job tasks
Coaching / Learning by doing
Work shadowing
Tolerance to mistakes
Advice on whether they have selected the right profession
Organizing specialized seminars
Encourage students to take initiatives
More incentives Table 13
3.3.5 Career Management Skills
As for teachers and tutors, also the employers have been asked to express their opinion about the career management skills. The first question was about which career management competences the employers expect in their new young employees:
Graph. 16 Data on the competences of the young employees
The majority of employers expect new young employees to have both personal and social skills and in the 8 key competences. Then, it has been asked them to choose the competences they usually met in their new employees/trainees when started working in their companies:
Personal and social skills
27%
Organisational Awareness - Sector/compan
y related skills 20%
Job awareness - Work technology
9%
8 Key competences
29%
Other 15%
Personal and social skills
32%
Organisational Awareness - Sector/compan
y related skills 27%
Job awareness - Work technology
7%
8 Key competences
27%
Other 7%
There is almost a match between the competences that employers expect in their young employees and the ones that young employees actually have. The majority of employers think that their new young employees have personal and social skills and the 8 key competences.
The following graphics are showing in detail the competences that employers expect in new young employees and the ones they found in their young employees per each category.
In the left axis of each graphic is indicated the total number of the respondents:
Graph. 18 Data on answers related to Personal and Social skills
The most relevant competences in this area for employers are taking initiatives, team work and problem solving.
13
23 23
11
29
7
29
9
13
7
3
20
4
11
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Competences relevant for the company Competences in the new employees
Graph. 19 Data on answers related to Organisational Awareness -Sector/company As far as regards the Organisational Awareness -Sector/company related skills, the competence that the majority of employers expect to find in new employees and they actually have is “responsibility and engagement”, “work ethics and values”. Another competence relevant for most of the employers is “time management”.
Graph. 20 Data on answers related to Job awareness - Work technology skills
19 20
3
39
5 3
4 7
4
27
5 3
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Time Management
Resource management
Quality focus /Priority Setting
*(ability to plan work by prioritising urgent matters)
Responsibility and engagement /
Work Ethics and Values
Service management
Concern for safety
Competences relevant for the company Competences in the new employees
3
11
7
1 3
12
7
1 0
2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Office (telephone, office devises)
ICT skills Customer orientation Specific knowledge (terminology, allergens etc.) Competences relevant for the company Competences in the new employees
Graph. 21 Data on answers related to the 8 Key competences
The competences in this area relevant for the majority of employers are sense of initiative and entrepreneurship and the social and civic competences. These are also the most common competences of new young employees along with digital competences, learning to learn and communication in mother tongue.
Interviewees have also specified other competences that, according to them, are relevant for the company and that they found in their young employees:
Competences relevant for the company Competences in the new employees
Openness to New Ideas Openness to New Ideas
Development of Practical Solutions Development of Practical Solutions
Critical Thinking Critical Thinking
Oral Skills Oral Skills
Writing Skills Writing Skills
Tolerance to Team Diversity Tolerance to Team Diversity
Risk Management Risk Management
Empathy Empathy
Ethics Ethics
Information Sharing Information Sharing
Self-Evaluation Self-Evaluation
Setting Goals Setting Goals
16
8
6
9
6
21 20
5
9 9 8 10 10 10 9
7
0 5 10 15 20 25
Competences relavant for the company Competences in the new employees
Negotiating Skills Negotiating Skills Creativity
Flexibility Table 14
Conclusions
The main conclusion drawn from this primary research show the interest by all the target groups involved, namely teachers/tutors, young people at risk of dropout and employers, in the development of more structured Career Advice and Guidance services in educational institutions.
In almost all the educational institutions involved in the research, those services have some limits and can be improved. They usually do not support students in the development of Career Management skills and are poorly focused on practical experience.
The main needs of the different target groups in the development of Career Advice and Guidance services are summarized in the following table.
Teachers/trainers Young people Employers
Need for more focused and detailed trainings throughout teaching career to develop skills in supporting students in their future career choices.
Need to acquire more practical knowledge and information about future career options.
Educational institutions should support students’ in developing soft and career planning skills, but also practical skills needed in the field they would like to work.
Need for training activities aimed at counselling the educational community in order to develop more structured services.
Need for more structured services.
Having someone in Career Advice and Guidance services with some business knowledge.
Organization of sessions with employers in order to know which are the skills they value the most.
More study visits and meetings with professionals in order to have feedbacks on the skills needed in the job market.
Educational institutions should be more engaged with the job market through guided visits to factories, shops, offices, and lectures from different professionals.
Collaboration with specialists from different areas (e.g., psychologists, social counsellors, real meetings with employees, technical visits in specialized units).
Services supporting them throughout their studies.
Educational institutions should organize more mentoring sessions with the students and involve more psychologists in these activities.
Trainings covering not only theoretical aspects (e.g.
aptitudes tests/interests), but also practical ways of getting in touch with employers would be necessary.
Orientation moments not only focused on the choice of further educational path, but also in regard to career options.
Career counsellors in the educational institutions should develop partnerships with the employers in order to organize internships within the companies.
Skills and tools in training students to improve their job searching skills, personal branding skills, interview skills, etc.
Companies should support the development of curricular contents in schools and also promote partnerships with them.
Need for tools and technics on how to improve pupils’
motivation, work-awareness and for examining students’
aptitude.
Educational institutions should
organize workshops
strengthening students’ self- confidence and motivating them to improve their professional competence.
An investment in resources should be done in order to favour a closer relationship between teachers and students.
Table 15
On the basis of the different needs:
teachers, tutors and counsellors in educational institutions should develop skills and tools to better support students throughout their school years. Most of the interviewees expressed the need for more training on how to develop students’ soft and career planning skills.
There is also a need to develop more structured services and activities covering not only theoretical aspects (e.g., students’ aptitude), but also practical skills useful for students’ future careers. This could be fostered by a closer relation and collaboration between educational institutions and companies through study visits, meetings with professionals, internships, etc.
According to most of employers, all students should benefit from Career Advice and Guidance services at least during the final school years and these services should be personalized and linked to the real labour market situation.
Teachers and tutors could profit from collaboration with other professionals, as psychologists and
