Page 8 - Career-Guidance-in-Sweden

themselves decide how to plan their counselling services within the folk high
operations, utilise their resources and schools.
organise guidance and counselling.
GUIDANCE PROVISION AT THE
There are 34 state HEIs in Sweden, as SWEDISH PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
well as a number of independent ones. SERVICE
Around 700 people work with providing Guidance for jobseekers at the Swedish
guidance services at Swedish HEIs. Public Employment Service (PES) is
provided through three channels: PES’
GUIDANCE WITHIN NON-FORMAL website, customer service (telephone)
ADULT EDUCATION and local PES offices around the country.
Folk high schools offer a wide range Information about different professions,
of courses at different levels and with studies and career choices is available
differing aims, and many of them are through PES’ website and questions
boarding schools. Each school also about this information can be asked via
offers courses that provide eligibility for customer service.
higher education. Every folk high school
is unique and develops its own content As part of the basic service, the
and working methods, so educational offices should meet jobseekers’ needs
and vocational guidance is designed very for guidance when looking for work.
differently at the schools, in terms of both This means that a sufficient number
content and organisation. of guidance counsellors should have
the knowledge necessary to ensure
Of the 151 folk high schools, over 100 reasonable access to the “Guidance
are run by popular movements, NGOs to Work” service. Local PES offices
or non-profit bodies. Around 40 are decide on appropriate services/activities
the responsibility of county councils for each jobseeker. PES officers with
and regions, and one is under municipal a counselling role need to be able to
management. review the situation to make decisions
about complex issues. Based on each
The Swedish National Council of Adult individual’s resources, the counsellor
Education is a non-profit association has to identify potential jobs and training
that distributes government grants to opportunities and then motivate the
folk high schools, and follows up and jobseeker to make the appropriate
evaluates the schools’ activities. The decisions, as well as introducing internet-
Information Service of the Swedish Folk based tools and ensuring that the
High Schools (FIN) is responsible for jobseeker is capable of using them. The
general information about all folk high guidance counsellor offers group and/or
schools and supports the development of individual counselling. Some services are
a common framework for guidance and only available to registered jobseekers.

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