Page 7 - Career-Guidance-in-Sweden

that an average guidance counsellor and companies that are willing to help
in the compulsory school system was students with their degree projects. Their
responsible for approximately 522 goal is to support graduating students as
pupils. The figure for upper secondary they prepare to enter the labour market.
level was 479 pupils for every guidance
practitioner. In municipal adult education Higher education has two national
there were approximately 323 students agencies, both of which are subject to
for each full-time guidance counsellor. instructions issued by the Ministry of
Education and Research.
GUIDANCE IN HIGHER
EDUCATION The responsibilities of the Swedish
Sweden’s higher education institutions Council for Higher Education span
(HEIs) primarily organise study across the education sector. The
guidance in two ways: either a central, agency is tasked with providing
comprehensive study guidance centre or objective and relevant information about
a local guidance service at departmental higher education and the Swedish
level. Local guidance services are Scholastic Aptitude Test. The agency’s
usually combined with a small central responsibilities include encouraging
guidance office. At smaller HEIs there interest in higher education and
is usually only a central unit for study promoting widening participation. It
guidance. Many HEIs also offer career is also contracted by Swedish HEIs
guidance services. Central guidance to manage admissions and provide
services are usually the first contact that support for student administration.
prospective students have with an HEI. Additionally, the agency works to prevent
The most common issues are educational discrimination and to promote equal
choices, changes to fields of study, rights at HEIs.
studying abroad and choosing the right
specialisation for the labour market. The Swedish Higher Education Authority
Normally there is both a drop-in service evaluates the quality of higher education,
and a booking system. grants degree-awarding powers, ensures
that HEIs comply with relevant legislation
In local guidance services, a student and regulations, monitors the efficiency of
counsellor for a specific department HEIs, is responsible for official statistics
offers advice relating to the field of for higher education, monitors trends
study, as well as information about job and developments and encourages the
opportunities. professional development of staff at HEIs.
However, HEIs enjoy a great deal
Careers centres offer individual of freedom within the framework of
counselling about career choices and regulations and parameters laid down by
support for job applications. They also the government. They are bound by law
provide continuous information about to provide study and vocational guidance
job vacancies, summer jobs, internships for their students, but the institutions
6 7