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Educational and Vocational Guidance - Denmark
Source: National Council for Educational and Vocational Guidance
According to the Act on Educational and Vocational Guidance, guidance services are to be offered by public employment services, schools/educational institutions, and by other relevant authorities and agencies. Currently, 27 different types of guidance services exist all of which have individual codes of practice. A guidance service is defined as an educational and vocational guidance service which is offered to a specified target group.
The structure and scope of a guidance service vary because a great deal of responsibility is decentralised to both regional and local bodies. In a number of cases, decisions on the range of guidance activities offered can be made by the individual guidance service institution. Therefore, individual institutions and their respective heads of service can influence actual service provision within a particular type of guidance service.
Denmark is divided into 14 counties and 275 municipalities, and political and administrative structures are generally decentralised. The state is responsible for university-based guidance, centres of information of higher education (centre for information om videregående uddannelser, ivu*C), vocational training centres and the public employment services (these include information centres and vocational guidance services). The 14 Danish counties run the guidance services connected with adult education and the folk high schools and the municipalities run the youth guidance services, the primary and lower secondary school guidance services, and the integration services for immigrants. A great many people are actively involved in educational and vocational guidance activities in Denmark; across the 27 guidance services in Denmark, approximately 12,000 guidance counsellors are employed. It should be noted, however, that the majority work part-time as guidance counsellors, often combining both teaching and guidance-related tasks within their position. Most guidance services are funded by public means.
In Denmark almost everybody meets a guidance counsellor several times during childhood and youth; beginning at primary and lower secondary school, and continuing in a youth education programme. Young people at risk of dropping out or who have dropped out of school are offered educational and vocational guidance via the municipal youth guidance scheme. This scheme must provide a guidance session at least twice a year for pupils leaving primary and lower secondary school or a youth education programme, in some municipalities for young people up to the age of 25. The educational and vocational guidance provided may also include more intensive and personally adjusted guidance and counselling if needed. The comprehensive guidance activities aimed at young people are a significant strength in the Danish guidance system. Most often one meets other parts of the guidance system later in life, e.g. when attending higher education, adult education and training or if seeking a job via the public employment service.
A quick overview of the types of guidance services offered in Denmark is illustrated in the model below. The axes of the model divide the target groups into youth and adults, and the purpose of guidance into orientation towards the education system or the labour market.
The 27 different types of guidance services are monitored by different ministries in Denmark. The vast majority are regulated by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour, but also influential in certain areas of guidance are the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Defence. Because of the high degree of decentralisation of the guidance services and because of the many types of guidance services there is a need for coordination of all the guidance activities. For information on how guidance activities are co-ordinated in Denmark, see chapter two.
The starting point of educational and vocational guidance is the client's need for information and guidance counselling with regard to individual possibilities concerning education and employment. Guidance in Denmark is based upon the Act on Educational and Vocational Guidance. According to this Act;
Despite the strong focus on the individual client's needs, as stated in the Act, there is no doubt that Danish educational and vocational guidance takes place in a field of refraction between the respect for the individual client's wishes and needs and the consideration of the needs of society. The task of guidance is to assist the client in decision-making; among other things by ensuring that the individual client has sufficient knowledge of both current and future possibilities for continuing education and entry into a particular profession. Sufficient knowledge also includes information about the theme of equal opportunity in both education and the labour market, i.e. possibilities and obstacles in relation to gender, social and ethnic background, religion, disabilities etc. Educational and vocational guidance is meant to help clients in situations when they face a problem or have to make a choice in relation to:
Due to the complexity of contemporary society, the individual has a wide range of career options. However, the individual may have limited possibilities to obtain information with regard to educational and occupational changes and new educational combinations provided by the constant flow of new legal initiatives. The guidance counsellors are the clients' qualified pathfinders in a process of clarification, helping them explore new educational and occupational areas.
Guidance counsellors in 27 sector-specific guidance services are involved in educational and vocational guidance activities. The purpose of an organised coordination of guidance activities is to make all guidance services in Denmark work together and function as a whole. Coordination promotes the development of cross-sectoral networks through which guidance counsellors can learn from and inspire one another. Furthermore, coordination makes it easier for guidance counsellors - as well as clients - to get an overview of the complex Danish guidance system. Knowing about the many different types of guidance services means that guidance counsellors can provide a better service in the sense that they can redirect clients to another - more appropriate - guidance service if needed or desired.
The coordination of guidance has two aspects to it; firstly, it has to take into account labour market and educational policies, and, secondly, it aims to develop and promote the professional guidance-related qualifications of the guidance counsellors. The responsibility for the coordination of guidance activities is divided between the national and the regional/local level as shown in the table below.
| Labour market and educational policies | Guidance orientated | |
|---|---|---|
| National | National Labour Market Council (LAR) /National Labour Market Authority (AMS) /education authorities | The Danish National Council for Educational and Vocational Guidance (R.U.E.) |
| Regional /Local | Regional labour market councils (RAR) | Regional and local guidance committees (VFU) |
The Danish Ministry of Labour developed the model for the regional coordination of guidance; a model that is meant to ensure regular and high-quality exchange of knowledge and experience among guidance counsellors in the education sector and in the labour market sector. The aim of the regional model is to organise and co-ordinate the responsibilities and interests of the area of education, the labour market and all other guidance activities. The regional model is based on a clear division of responsibilities and tasks in relation to guidance. The regional labour market councils (regionale arbejdsmarkedsråd, RAR) are responsible for labour market policies, whereas the regional guidance committees (vejledningsfaglige udvalg, VFU) are responsible for guidance-specific coordination activities.
The National Labour Market Council (Landsarbejdsrådet, LAR), the National Labour Market Authority (Arbejdsmarkedsstyrelsen, AMS), the education authorities, and the Danish National Council for Educational and Vocational Guidance (Rådet for Uddannelses- og Erhvervsvejledning, R.U.E.) are responsible at the national level; this is outlined in a joint note of the relevant organisations. The relations between R.U.E. and the other authorities co-ordinating guidance at the national level consist in mutual orientation and consultation in relation to important initiatives, priorities etc.
In the following, the two models of coordination will be described further. The 'guidance orientated' aspect will be described in more detail than that of labour market and educational policies.
According to the Act on an Active Labour Market Policy, the National Labour Market Council (LAR) shall advise the Minister of Labour and participate in the planning of labour market policies.
LAR has set two goals for its activities. Firstly, it must ensure that companies have access to the necessary work force in the short and the long term and, secondly, it must take part in the prevention and reduction of long-term unemployment. A better coordination of guidance activities is seen as an important tool to obtain these goals. LAR has different tasks relating to guidance activities; among these are:
The National Labour Market Authority (AMS) is the superior authority of the public employment services and is in charge of the overall administration of the system and of initiatives in relation to unemployed persons who receive unemployment benefits. In relation to guidance, AMS is responsible for the production and distribution of monthly national lists and surveys concerning educational and vocational matters. On a quarterly basis, AMS produces labour market reviews based on reports form the regional labour market councils (see below). The quarterly reviews include a national overview of the development of employment, unemployment and bottleneck accounts. Finally, AMS draws up outlooks for future labour market developments. Reviews and outlooks are sent to the regional head offices of the public employment services which are responsible for further distribution.
Most guidance services are regulated by the Ministry of Education. The education authorities (that is the ministry and the authorities accounting to the ministry) formulate the circulars and executive orders which decide upon the tasks and resources of the different guidance services. The ministry has decentralised the responsibility for guidance activities which take place at schools and other educational institutions where guidance counsellors are actually based.
R.U.E. - the Danish National Council for Educational and Vocational Guidance
The Danish National Council for Educational and Vocational Guidance was established in 1981 following the introduction of the Danish Act on Educational and Vocational Guidance. The Act is applicable to all guidance services in Denmark irrespective of their institutional setting. The Act was based on the United Nations' declaration on human rights and the ILO convention and recommendation on vocational guidance and education in relation to the development of human resources.
R.U.E. is an agency under the Ministry of Labour and consists of a council and a secretariat. The council totals 23 members including the chairperson, who is nominated by the members of the council and appointed by the Minister of Labour in agreement with the Minister of Education. Eighteen members represent social partners, public authorities, guidance counsellors, and end-users of guidance. Finally, the Ministries of Labour and Education represent the final four seats of the council (non-voting members). The secretariat of the council is responsible for implementing all initiatives as decided upon by the council.
The R.U.E. secretariat employs approximately 40 staff members across a variety of sections, the publishing division being the biggest with 20 employees. In order to ensure that R.U.E. maintains a close link to the daily work of Danish guidance counsellors, the secretariat employs four guidance counsellors on a part-time basis, i.e. two days a week. These four guidance practitioners represent four large areas in the field of guidance:
R.U.E. also has an international division with three employees (see below).
The overall objective of R.U.E. is to contribute to the development and coordination of all guidance activities in Denmark. One aim is to promote higher levels of quality and a more homogenous approach to Danish guidance. The tasks of R.U.E. include:
The council has adopted a policy, which lays down the broad guidelines for R.U.E.'s activities in the years ahead. In the policy, the council emphasises the necessity to ensure that appropriate guidance offers are given within all sectors of the education system, just as the council points out the need to secure a high level of quality in the guidance system. On the basis of this policy, R.U.E. has developed different sets of guidelines, e.g. ethical guidelines for educational and vocational guidance and guidelines for the use of IT in guidance.
R.U.E. has also published a catalogue of ideas for common basic education and training programmes for guidance counsellors across all sectors, as well as a model for the development of quality in guidance in Denmark.
R.U.E. is aware of the importance of international aspects in guidance. Consequently, international information and experiences are disseminated to Danish guidance practitioners and used as a source of inspiration in R.U.E.'s development work.
The international division of R.U.E. functions as a Euroguidance Centre (National Resource Centre for Vocational Guidance, NRCVG) under the EU programme, Leonardo da Vinci. The main Euroguidance activities are:
Regional labour market councils
Denmark is divided into 14 counties (regions). Each of these regions has a regional labour market council (RAR). RAR is set up to monitor the development of the regional labour market. With respect to the guidance orientated aspect, RAR is responsible for initiating and monitoring activities in relation to the coordination of guidance activities within the region. RAR has the overall responsibility for making the guidance orientated co-operation work at a regional level, and therefore, RAR initiates the establishment of a regional guidance committee (see below).
RAR can arrange different kinds of coordination agreements between the parties involved in educational and vocational guidance; i.e. authorities, educational institutions and/or labour market organisations. The arrangements are agreed upon within the framework of allocation of authority which is decided by law. In accordance with the model for coordination of guidance activities at regional level (as developed by the Ministry of Labour), RAR must assure that results from surveys of the labour market are available to all guidance practitioners in such a way that they can use the results in their work with clients.
Each of the 14 regions has a regional guidance committee (VFU) for which the regional labour market council (RAR) in the region is responsible (see above). The 14 VFUs in Denmark play an important role as coordinators of guidance activities at the regional level; coordination is required due to the existence of 27 different guidance services. Guidance counsellors work in different settings but need to develop their knowledge of each other's work. To serve their clients as well as possible, counsellors in the different guidance settings (sectors) have to work together on a cross-sectoral basis. The main purpose of the VFU in this respect is to contribute to networking across sectors within the region, making it easier for the different guidance services to redirect clients to other services if necessary.
Composition A VFU is made up of members from all guidance services in the region wishing to take part in the work of the committee. The VFU shall encourage all guidance services in the region to join the committee.
The members are appointed by the guidance practitioners of the part-taking institutions and organisations. Examples of who could be part of a VFU are representatives from:
The chairperson of each VFU is chosen from among the members, and most often a vocational guidance officer from the public employment service will function as a secretary for the committee.
Some VFUs (regional guidance committees) set up local guidance committees with members from primary and lower secondary schools and other institutions in the local community. The local guidance committees extend the co-ordinating activities to the local level, e.g. by promoting discussions of guidance-related issues among local guidance counsellors.
The VFUs are responsible for the professional aspects of the coordination of guidance and for the guidance orientated tasks at the regional level. The 14 VFUs in Denmark initiate a lot of activities, but due to different financial conditions, as decided upon by the individual RAR, some committees organise more activities than others. The following tasks, however, are carried out to some extent in every region:
The VFUs may initiate a variety of other activities. For example, the VFU in South Jutland (population of 254,000 people) has established a centre of expertise for guidance counsellors in the region. The centre employs 4-5 persons. The purposes of this centre are to strengthen the coordination of guidance activities, to give counsellors further education and training possibilities, and to function as a regional guidance resource centre. The centre has launched a website for guidance counsellors and their clients. The majority of the 14 VFUs have launched a website, and other committees are preparing to do so. The Danish National Council for Educational and Vocational Guidance (R.U.E.) has created a portal on its website which introduces the websites of the VFUs.
As mentioned before, R.U.E. is responsible for the coordination of guidance activities at the national level. Regular contact between R.U.E. and the 14 VFUs is of great importance in this connection in order to continuously inspire each other and exchange experience in the field of guidance. This contact is upheld on a number of occasions, e.g.:
This chapter gives a brief overview of the Danish education system in order to help the reader understand the complexity and variety of the many guidance services.
In Denmark it is possible to study, train and improve one's skills throughout life. Education is compulsory for children from the age of 7 to 16 years; i.e. primary and lower secondary school. Eighty-nine per cent attend the public Folkeskole with the remaining eleven per cent attending private schools. Eighty-three per cent of young people continue their education and attend a youth education programme with forty per cent of young people going on to higher education. The ordinary education system - from primary school through higher education - is free of charge. However, one third of the labour force has only completed primary and lower secondary education. Hence, the Danish Parliament recently reformed the system of adult education and continuing training, a major objective of which is to offer adult education and continuing training to all adults at all levels; from the low-skilled to university graduates.
The Danish education system is divided into the following main areas:
The main characteristics of the ordinary education system are shown in the following model:
Although there is a wide range of training and education programmes, not all young people are able to choose a course of education or start in a job immediately after finishing the Folkeskole. Therefore, there are other possibilities of training which are more individually adjusted to the young person concerned. Some of these education and training possibilities will be mentioned in brief below.
Vocational basic training (erhvervsgrunduddannelse, EGU) takes two years, but can be extended with practical training for up to one year. EGU is designed to give the young person technical skills and to develop maturity so that it becomes easier to find a job or start on an ordinary vocational training programme. The training alternates between theoretical teaching at a vocational college, production school or similar, and practical training on the job. This training programme can consist of individually chosen subjects, but may also be offered as a training programme for at particular industrial sector in co-operation with an educational institution.
Open youth education (den fri ungdomsuddannelse, FUU) normally takes two years. It is an individual training scheme. This means that young people, together with a guidance counsellor, prepare their own personal training programme. The purpose is to develop the student both personally and vocationally, giving him or her more opportunities for continuing in education or training or for finding a job. A young person can draw up a training scheme at a recognised school, which will be responsible for the training. It could be a youth school, a youth boarding school, a school for arts and crafts, a folk high school for young people, or a production school. At least half a year must be spent at a school. The rest of the scheme may consist of e.g. practical training, project work or education abroad.
At a production school (produktionsskole) there is both practical and theoretical training. As a rule most of the training takes place in workshops where many different products are made. The trainees are also given the opportunity to go to classes in Danish, Arithmetic, IT and other subjects. A person (young or adult) may start at a production school at any time and continue for up to two years.
Via the "dual" (ordinary and adult) education system it is possible for every Dane - throughout life - to change between employment and education and/or to combine the two according to individual needs or wishes or in reaction to specific labour market changes. This makes educational and vocational guidance an essential tool in many people's lives, particularly when considering a change of career or a return to education and learning.
In Denmark there are 27 different categories or types of guidance services each of which provides educational and vocational guidance to a specific, limited target group. The scope and nature of the guidance offers vary from one service to another, but all guidance services are provided free of charge. It is characteristic of the Danish guidance system that most guidance counsellors work part-time as teachers, social workers or the like and part-time as guidance counsellors.
Twenty-two of the guidance services are regulated by law, executive orders etc. while five have been established as a result of priorities and decisions made by different institutions and organisations. The legal basis for the 22 regulated services varies a great deal. Equal for them is (and that is why they are categorised as regulated) that the guidance provision is guarantied one way or another according to the law or executive order. Examples of some highly regulated guidance service are educational and vocational guidance at the municipal primary and lower secondary schools, at the general upper secondary education programmes, and at the vocational schools. In these cases, it is stated, e.g., the type(s) of guidance counsellors connected with the system; what kind of basic guidance course each guidance counsellor is expected to go through; working hours per counsellor; and/or what kind of tasks the guidance counsellor should carry out.
Other guidance services are regulated by law but rest on a less detailed legal basis; e.g., educational and vocational guidance at the basic social and health education programme, the vocational basic training programme, and some municipal guidance schemes. These laws or executive orders mention that guidance shall be provided but leave out how and by whom the actual guidance is to be provided.
This chapter provides further information on each of the 27 guidance services (regulated or not), but some guidance services will be dealt with in more detail than others. You may read it from end to end or you may prefer to concentrate on certain areas of the guidance system.
The following overview of the guidance services is divided into eight groups according to target groups; i.e. three guidance services related to primary and lower secondary school, two services related to youth guidance, seven services related to youth education, two services related to higher education, and seven guidance services related to adult and further education and training. Furthermore, three guidance services connected with the labour market, and two related to the defence, as well as one attached to the Prison Service will be described.
The target group and the tasks of the guidance services will be described in the following. Furthermore, each group or individual service will be presented in a chart which in brief touches upon five issues:
Primary and lower secondary school
Three services are aimed at pupils at primary and lower secondary school:
The following description focuses on educational and vocational guidance in the Folkeskole as it is by far the most comprehensive of the three above-mentioned services. According to Danish legislation, private independent schools and youth boarding schools are obliged to offer some guidance to pupils in the 9th and 10th forms, especially with respect to possibilities in the youth education system. Other than that, educational and vocational guidance at private schools is not regulated by law. The individual schools are responsible for their own guidance provision, and they have different priorities; at some schools guidance is an integrated part of teaching; at other schools guidance does not play a major role. Approximately one fifth of pupils in higher forms attend private independent and youth boarding schools.
The target group includes all pupils in the Folkeskole where subjects of educational, vocational and labour market orientation must be dealt with in both primary and lower secondary school. However, the majority of guidance activities in the Folkeskole are aimed at the pupils in the 6th to 10th forms with a strong focus on their possibilities after leaving the Folkeskole.
The tasks related to educational and vocational guidance in the Folkeskole are a joint responsibility of form teachers and the so-called 'school guidance counsellors' in co-operation with other teachers and other guidance services in the municipality. It is important to stress that the school guidance counsellors work part-time as guidance counsellors and part-time a teachers. To a large extent, educational, vocational and labour market orientation is taken care of by form and other teachers. The main responsibility of the school guidance counsellor is to support the other teachers in this connection; e.g. by giving advise or by supplying information material. School guidance counsellors also offer individual and group guidance counselling of pupils and parents, including specialised counselling of pupils who leave school before the end of compulsory education. Furthermore, school counsellors arrange activities outside the school premises; e.g. visits to companies or work-experience placements.
The school guidance counsellor is responsible for the compilation of the pupils' education plans and education books. An education book is a personal document in which each pupil in co-operation with the form teacher or the school guidance counsellor writes down main results, interests, aims etc. in relation to his or her present and future education. During the 9th or 10th forms, the education book is developed into an education plan that is more specifically focused on the individual pupil's plans and aims after leaving the Folkeskole. The education book and plan follow the pupil from the 6th form at least until the beginning of a youth education. Using the education book as a point of departure, the school counsellor carries out one interview per year with each pupil in the 6th and 7th forms and two interviews per year per pupil in the 8th, 9th and 10th forms. The interviews are planned and carried out in co-operation with the form teacher.
According to Danish legislation, both form teachers and school guidance counsellors in the Folkeskole are obliged to work with guidance-related tasks as described above. Many municipalities also choose to employ municipal school consultants for educational and vocational and labour market orientation and mentors for social and practical counselling of pupils, both of which support and carry out tasks connected with educational and vocational guidance in the Folkeskole. Municipal school consultants support school guidance counsellors and form teachers; e.g. by providing information material, by co-ordinating one- or two-week placements and by arranging visits to companies. Furthermore, many municipal school consultants have duties in connection with the youth guidance service in the municipality (see below).
A typical task for a mentor in the municipality is social and practical counselling of pupils with special needs, including those who leave school before finishing compulsory education and who require special educational (pedagogical) assistance in the following years. Therefore, like the municipal school consultants, many mentors carry out tasks which are related to youth guidance (see below).
| Group | Services | Legal regulation | Authority responsible | Types of guidance counsellors | Number of guidance counsellors | Working hours spent on guidance-related tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary and lower secondary school | Educational and vocational guidance at municipal primary and lower secondary schools | Yes | The municipal council | Form teachers | 10,505 in 1998/99 | No fixed number of hours per teacher; guidance is an integrated part of teaching |
| School guidance counsellors | Approx. 1,800 at 1,664 schools in 2000 | 1-16 hours per week. On average 20% of a full-time position | ||||
| Municipal school consultants for educational and vocational and labour market orientation | 244 in 1999 | From a few hours per week to full-time. 87% use less than 50% of their working hours. The majority have related tasks in the remaining working hours | ||||
| Mentors for social and practical counselling of pupils | 125 in 155 municipalities in 1999 | From a few hours per week to full-time. An estimated average is 35% of a full-time position | ||||
| Educational and vocational guidance at private independent schools | No | The individual school | Form teachers | Not specified | Not specified | |
| School guidance counsellors | Not specified | Not specified | ||||
| Educational and vocational guidance at youth boarding schools | No | The individual school | Teachers | 370 (on average 1.5 per school) | Not specified |
This covers:
The target group is young people under the age of 19 years who have left school and have not registered for an education or training programme that provides guidance counselling. In some municipalities the target group will include young people up to the age of 25 years.
Both guidance services offer guidance, focussing on access to education and/or job opportunities for young people within the target group. Guidance sessions are offered at least twice a year until a satisfactory result has been achieved, i.e. a return to education or employment. For young people with special needs a more comprehensive and individually oriented guidance and counselling process is provided.
| Group | Services | Legal regulation | Authority responsible | Types of guidance counsellors | Number of guidance counsellors | Working hours spent on guidance-related tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth guidance | Youth guidance | Yes | Municipal council | Youth guidance counsellors or coordinators for youth guidance activities. They often work with other related municipal guidance services, and may in addition function as one of the following: | Approx. 1,000 | On average 6.8 hours per week |
| School guidance counsellors (especially in the smaller municipalities) | ||||||
| Employment and job consultants working in the labour market division of the municipality | ||||||
| Teachers employed at the municipal schools | ||||||
| School consultants for educational, vocational and labour market orientation | ||||||
| Mentors | ||||||
| Child and youth consultants | ||||||
| Social workers | ||||||
| Guidance in relation to vocational basic training (EGU) | Yes | Municipal council | Many of the types of guidance counsellors employed with the above-mentioned youth guidance scheme, but in this case called: | An estimated 275-300 | Vary | |
| EGU coordinators | ||||||
| EGU-responsible personnel |
Seven services are aimed at pupils attending a youth education programme. The following five will be described together since they are aimed at the majority of young people; i.e., those who choose the 'direct' route through the youth education system (the remaining two services are described at the end):
The target group includes potential and current pupils or course participants at the educational institution concerned.
Guidance counsellors provide educational and vocational orientation as well as group and individual guidance counselling in sessions focussing on issues related to studying, economic conditions, social and personal matters related to the educational situation. The tasks differ according to the type of education; some programmes, e.g., carry out a compulsory admission interview. Guidance counsellors are also actively involved in information meetings, open days at educational institutions and bridge building for pupils in the 9th and 10th forms in primary and lower secondary school. Bridge building courses make it possible for pupils at compulsory school to attend a youth education programme for a couple of weeks.
At the vocational (technical and commercial) schools where practical work experience in a company is part of the education programme, guidance counsellors also help the young people find a practical training place. Furthermore, the guidance counsellors will work with the pupils to help them complete their individual education plans. An individual education plan is divided into two parts; one concerning the basic training at the school and one concerning the main training which includes the practical work experience as well as a number of courses at the school. The idea of the plan is to make the pupil think about how to prepare and apply for a practical training place and about the whole course of training in relation to the pupil's aims and interests in general.
| Group | Services | Legal regulation | Authority responsible | Types of guidance counsellors | Number of guidance counsellors | Working hours spent on guidance-related tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth Education | Educational guidance at gymnasium, HF and courses of upper secondary school leaving examination | Yes | Headmaster or principal at the educational institution | Educational guidance counsellors | 808 in March 2001 | Each counsellor spends between one third and one half of their time on guidance-related tasks; the rest of the time they teach |
| Educational and vocational guidance at upper secondary vocational schools | Yes | Headmaster or principal at the educational institution | Educational and vocational guidance counsellors | Approx. 600 | Approx. 17-46% of the time as counsellors and the rest of the time as teachers | |
| Educational guidance at the basic social and health education programmes | Yes | The county council | Educational guidance counsellors | Approx. 30 | 1-18 hours per week | |
| Practical training counsellors | Not specified | |||||
| Guidance at the basic educational education for child-minder, educational assistant, welfare worker etc. | Yes | The school and the practical training place | Educational guidance at the basic educational education is often the same as that at the basic social and health education programme | |||
| Guidance at agricultural schools | Yes | Headmaster or principal at the educational institution | Guidance counsellors | 23 | 1-12 hours per week (estimated) | |
| Youth consultants | 23 | Full-time | ||||
Guidance at the open youth education (FUU)
The service is aimed at young people who do not attend one of the above-mentioned types of youth education.
Each pupil/trainee at the open youth education programme has individually selected courses and is connected with a guidance counsellor at the responsible institution. Generally speaking, the guidance counsellor supports the pupils/trainees in drawing up realistic objectives for their individual education plans, in addition to offering support to the trainees in achieving their goals. More specifically this means:
| Group | Services | Legal regulation | Authority responsible | Types of guidance counsellors | Number of guidance counsellors | Working hours spent on guidance-related tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth education, continued | Guidance at the open youth education (FUU) | Yes | The individual educational institution where the pupil/trainee is based | Guidance counsellors (for FUU) | Approx. 700 in 1999 | From a few hours per week to full-time. 16% work full-time as guidance counsellors |
Guidance at production schools
The service is aimed at young people who do not attend one of the above-mentioned types of youth education.
Production schools distinguish between formal and informal guidance tasks but the two interrelate with one another. Basically, guidance is an integrated part of what the school does. The daily, face-to-face guidance and counselling which takes place as conversation is considered of great importance. In co-operation with each trainee/participant the school writes up a course plan for the individual trainee which includes information about the course at the school and reflects upon the longer term objective for the trainee. The individual course plan is revised at least every three months.
| Group | Services | Legal regulation | Authority responsible | Types of guidance counsellors | Number of guidance counsellors | Working hours spent on guidance-related tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth education, continued | Guidance at production schools | Yes | The individual production school | Guidance counsellors | 69 | From a few hours per week to full-time |
| Workshop leaders /instructors | Not specified | Not specified | ||||
| The principal (especially at smaller schools) | Not specified | Not specified | ||||
| Teachers | Not specified | Not specified | ||||
| Social workers | Not specified | Not specified |
Two services are aimed at potential and current students at higher education institutions:
The target groups of the guidance services at higher education institutions are both current (registered) and potential students. Furthermore, there are five centres of information (called 'ivu*C') in Denmark, providing information about all higher education programmes in Denmark. The target groups of ivu*C include both potential students and registered disabled students.
At higher education institutions tasks are divided into three areas:
The information centres, ivu*Cs, carry out co-ordinating tasks concerning higher education in co-operation with higher education institutions. These co-ordinating tasks involve education programme information meetings, open days, and guiding rejected applicants to more appropriate or available study places. In addition, the ivu*Cs provide face-to-face guidance on:
| Group | Services | Legal regulation | Authority responsible | Types of guidance counsellors | Number of guidance counsellors | Working hours spent on guidance-related tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Higher education | Educational guidance at higher education institutions | Partly regulated | The unit carrying out the educational guidance, the course supervisor, or the rector | Students | Guidance counsellors working within 'long-cycle' and 'medium-cycle' higher education number approx. 850 while those working within 'short-cycle' higher education number around 300 | Working hours as guidance counsellors vary from a few hours per week (typical for students and lecturers) to full-time (typical for academic and administrative personnel). |
| Lecturers /associate professors | ||||||
| Administrative personnel | ||||||
| Academic personnel (working at the central information office, e.g.) | ||||||
| Centres of information of higher education, ivu*C | Yes | Ministry of Education | Administrative personnel | 4 | Time spent on actual guidance within these centres varies; for some it can be full-time in certain periods. | |
| Academic personnel | 12 |
Adult and further education and training
Seven guidance services are attached to the adult education and training system. They are described in two groups. The second group - that will be described later - is specifically targeted at refugees and immigrants, whereas the first one is aimed at all adults:
The target groups are both current and potential course participants.
The objectives of educational and vocational guidance within adult and further education and training are: 1) to ensure that participants receive relevant guidance concerning the course they are about to take and the institution offering the course; and 2) to ensure that the participants receive guidance with regard to their options after finishing the course. Guidance may cover subjects and structure of the course in addition to economic, social and personal issues relating to the individual. Guidance can take place individually or in groups and it can be included as an integrated part of class instruction.
| Group | Services | Legal regulation | Authority responsible | Types of guidance counsellors | Number of guidance counsellors | Working hours spent on guidance-related tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult and further education | Guidance in relation to preparatory adult education | Yes | Ministry of Education | Guidance counsellors | Not specified | The hours vary |
| Guidance in relation to general adult education | Yes | The individual educational institution and the county | Educational guidance counsellors | 249 | One third to half of a full-time position | |
| Guidance related to adult vocational training programmes | Yes | The individual educational institution | Guidance counsellors | Not specified | Hours vary | |
| Guidance at day folk schools | Yes | The individual educational institution | Teachers | Not specified | ||
| Guidance at folk high schools | No | The individual educational institution | Guidance counsellors | 26 | ||
| Teachers | Not specified |
The target group includes refugees and immigrants over the age of 18.
Activities may include:
| Group | Services | Legal regulation | Authority responsible | Types of guidance counsellors | Number of guidance counsellors | Working hours spent on guidance-related tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult and further education, continued | Educational and vocational guidance in relation to courses in Danish as a second language for foreign adults | Yes | The municipal council | Educational and vocational guidance counsellors | 151 in 1997 | Vary |
| Educational and vocational guidance for refugees and immigrants provided by the municipalities | Yes | The municipal council | Social workers | Not specified | Not specified | |
| Refugee coordinators | Not specified | Not specified | ||||
| Caseworkers | Not specified | Not specified | ||||
| Integration coordinators and consultants | Not specified | Not specified | ||||
| Interpreters | Not specified | Not specified |
Three guidance services connected with the labour market will be described separately.
There are two target groups:
Provision of both information and guidance is central to the activities carried out by the public employment services. Guidance activities are mainly carried out by vocational guidance counsellors, including:
In co-operation with job consultants, the vocational guidance counsellors also organise:
Euro guidance is solely offered by Euro advisers. Besides job placements in other European countries, Euro advisers offer:
| Group | Services | Legal regulation | Authority responsible | Types of guidance counsellors | Number of guidance counsellors | Working hours spent on guidance-related tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour Market | Vocational guidance including Euro guidance at the public employment services | Yes | The National Labour Market Authority and the directors of the 14 regional public employment services | Vocational guidance counsellors | 260 in 2000 | Full-time |
| Job consultants | 906 in 2000 | Not specified | ||||
| Euro advisers | 23 in 2001 | 18 of these work full-time, 5 work part-time as vocational guidance counsellors or related jobs |
Guidance in the union-based unemployment insurance system
The target group is primarily unemployed members of various unions.
The main task is to inform members about their rights and duties according to the Act on Unemployment Insurance and other acts of the labour market. Furthermore, the unemployment insurance funds must provide individual guidance counselling in case members require it.
| Group | Services | Legal regulation | Authority responsible | Types of guidance counsellors | Number of guidance counsellors | Working hours spent on guidance-related tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour Market, continued | Guidance in the union-based unemployment insurance system | Yes | The individual unemployment insurance fund | Caseworkers | 1,700-1,800 | 1-37 hours per week |
| Guidance counsellors | 700-800 | Full-time (37 hours per week) |
Guidance counselling connected with the Act on an Active Social Policy
The target group includes people who have a right to receive guidance or to be re-engaged according to the Act on an Active Social Policy.
The aim of the guidance provided is to help the clients improve their possibilities of getting a job or returning to the education system.
| Group | Services | Legal regulation | Authority responsible | Types of guidance counsellors | Number of guidance counsellors | Working hours spent on guidance-related tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour Market, continued | Guidance counselling connected with the Act on an Active Social Policy | Yes | The municipal council | Job consultants | 800-900 | Many work full-time with guidance-related tasks |
| Social workers |
The two guidance services are:
Target group
The personnel of the defence.
The tasks consist of:
| Group | Services | Legal regulation | Authority responsible | Types of guidance counsellors | Number of guidance counsellors | Working hours spent on guidance-related tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The defence | Guidance of conscripts and others | Yes | The Ministry of Defence | Employment and educational counsellors | 15 | Not specified |
| Guidance of regulars of the defence | Yes | The Ministry of Defence | Civil educational counsellors | 16 | Not specified |
The guidance service is aimed at both prisoners and remand prisoners.
According to a circular on drawing up a plan for education and training under imprisonment, guidance must be offered to remand prisoners as soon as possible after imprisonment. The guidance provided includes information about education opportunities while serving a potential future sentence as well as assistance in relation to drawing up an individual education plan. Written material is provided and individual guidance interviews are arranged.
| Group | Services | Legal regulation | Authority responsible | Types of guidance counsellors | Number of guidance counsellors | Working hours spent on guidance-related tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Prison Service | Guidance in connection with the Prison Service | Yes | The Prison Service | Prison teachers | Approx. 50 | On average 2 hours per week |
| Social workers | Not specified | |||||
| Course leaders | 14 | 25% of a full-time position |
Education and Training Courses for Guidance Counsellors
As pointed out in the previous chapters, educational and vocational guidance is not regarded as a profession in itself in Denmark. In most cases, educational and vocational guidance is seen as a set of tasks and responsibilities that (usually) related professions can take of. Consequently, the educational background of Danish guidance counsellors differs a lot, although the majority tend to be teachers and social workers or others with experience from the social, the educational and/or the labour market field.
It is important to stress that education and training courses for guidance counsellors are not part of the ordinary education system; on the contrary, the courses can for the most part be characterised as further education and training for people who are employed as guidance counsellors.
In Denmark it is not possible to study educational and vocational guidance at university or college, but once a person has been appointed guidance counsellor (e.g. a teacher in a Folkeskole) it is common practice that he or she completes a guidance course on a part-time basis alongside his or her job responsibilities.
Education and training courses for educational and vocational guidance counsellors can be divided into basic courses and further education and training courses. These two types of courses will be described in this chapter.
The basic guidance counsellor courses differ very much from one another, both in terms of contents and duration. The length of the courses varies from 30 to 1,680 hours, and courses may stretch over a period of four days up to three years. Some courses are offered to a broadly defined group of counsellors; other courses have narrowly defined target groups. Some courses are available all over the country; others solely in some regions or towns.
Currently, there are 15 different types of basic guidance courses:
The existence of the first nine of these courses is secured according to Danish legislation. This is not the case for the rest which, consequently, are dependent on professional and economic priorities of the institution offering the course.
The first five courses rest on rather detailed legal documents, stating: 1) that there is an obligation to offer these courses; 2) who is responsible for offering the courses; and 3) the target group of the courses. Such specific details and requirements do not exist in the case of the other four legally based courses.
The courses are offered by various educational institutions:
Most courses are free of charge for the counsellors, the only exception being the adult guidance counsellor course. The nine legally based courses are mostly covered by public subvention.
The contents, scope and focal points may differ from one basic course to another. However, most basic courses do - to some extent - cover the following five main themes:
The vast majority of the basic courses are divided into modules, each module focusing on a specific subject chosen by the participants. Usually there are several subjects to choose from, all related to the above-mentioned main themes. An example of a basic course with a wide range of subjects to choose from is the school and youth guidance education programme where the participants choose subjects to suit their particular job situation and field of activity. The subject choices are:
Number one, seven and eight are compulsory; the rest voluntary.
Methods of teaching and working are either group or class instruction which is a traditional teacher-based teaching method; or group work based on exercises meant to demonstrate practical guidance situations and aiming to promote an exchange of knowledge and experience among the participants. Eight of the basic courses also use project work as a working method. Practical training and study tours are also included in courses of longer duration. Few courses have an actual examination at the end of the course, but many of the courses issue certificates or documentation stating that the guidance counsellors have participated and completed the course.
Further education and training
Further education and training courses within the field of guidance play an important role in relation to the qualifications of guidance counsellors in Denmark.
More than 20 institutions similar to the institutions mentioned above offer further education and training courses to guidance counsellors. Furthermore, several guidance counsellor organisations arrange such courses for their members and, in addition, the Danish National Council for Educational and Vocational Guidance (R.U.E.) offers approximately ten courses and seminars and three conferences for Danish guidance counsellors on an annual basis. The wide variety of courses makes it possible for guidance counsellors to acquire theoretical input, to improve their guidance skills, and to expand their network of guidance professionals.
Courses of further education and training vary in terms of length, target group and contents. Some courses are offered as a voluntary supplement to basic guidance courses. Other courses are aimed at a particular group of guidance counsellors. Apart from these last-mentioned courses, most further education and training courses do not have actual admission criteria; they are open to all guidance practitioners. A few courses do, however, demand that participants have completed a basic guidance course. All courses are offered on a regular basis and usually more than once a year. Some courses are offered all over the country; others may take place in just one region.
There is only one guidance course at higher education level; a course in upper secondary education and guidance. The University of Southern Denmark offers this course once a year. It is aimed solely at guidance counsellors within the general upper secondary school (gymnasium and HF). The course comprises six modules, and it takes three years on a part-time basis to complete the course.
The Danish University of Education (DPU) and the Danish Institute for Educational Training of Vocational Teachers (DEL) currently consider launching each their own guidance course at the higher education level. The DEL plans include a course that could function as a superstructure for the adult guidance education programme.
A very important player in the field of further education and training for guidance counsellors is the regional guidance committee (VFU) in each region (see chapter two). The VFUs offer courses in order to support and develop the network of guidance counsellors in their particular region; networks which in turn constitute an essential part of the coordination of guidance activities throughout the whole country.
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