Page 12 - Euroguidance-Brochure-Recent-Developments-in-Guidance-Belgium

Partnership GO! Education-VDAB
Flanders

1
In January 2015, the Community Education umbrella (GO!) and the Flemish Public Employment Service (VDAB)
renewed their agreement to continue their partnership and develop it further. Since 2007, they collaborate to better
attune education and the labour market - focusing on talent, competencies, learning and careers. The challenges
regarding the intersection of education and labour market are, after all, quite substantial.

The partnership is built around 2 pillars: (school) career guidance (OLB) and regional partnerships GO!-VDAB.
GO! and VDAB are looking to reinforce each other’s expertise in both domains to develop the best possible school
career guidance and to pursue a ‘warm transfer’ of youngsters to the labour market.

AIM(S) considerable expertise in, for example, career interview-
ing techniques based on the model of Marinka Kuijpers
• Sharing of expertise between GO! and VDAB on the (five career competencies: quality reflection, motivation
development of (school) career competencies and reflection, work exploration, networks and career direc-
(school) career guidance, e.g. career interviews. tion). These career competencies are largely in line with
• Professionalisation of school teams and their CLB in what we know in education as self-concept clarification,
drawing up a (school) career guidance policy and horizon expansion and decision making ability.
practice
• Making targeted use of VDAB material in the develop- During the two-day training, four themes were covered:
ment of (school) guidance policy and practice • vision and support base;
• orientation and guidance with attention on several
TARGET GROUP(S) tools: incl. the five career competencies of Marinka
Kuijpers, the WATHOE method (GO!), tools offered on
• Schools and their CLB Onderwijskiezer (see p. 20);
• GO! school support services and CLBs • organisation of (school) career guidance in school;
• collaboration with parents and external stakeholders,
such as VDAB.
Recent Developments in Guidance - Belgium | Chapter 1 | Policy initiatives, networks and working groups
METHODOLOGY
Roles and tasks for school and CLB were explored and
In the starting phase (‘15-’16), GO! developed an action defined (anticipating the new decree on pupil guidance,
line (school) career guidance and VDAB focused on the see p. 8).
transfer of expertise in area - both through a project
approach. The project initially focused on labour market Together with the schools and their CLB, a starting
oriented training. In a second phase (‘16-’17), other situation analysis (zero measurement) was carried out,
types of secondary education were included. using the OLB scan. Based on its results and the content
acquired during the training, schools and their CLB set
In ‘15-’16, a pilot project was set up with 6 schools: out targets and actions for (school) career guidance.
building up expertise within the schools and their CLB, Next, they started designing a structured OLB policy
as well as within the support team of the GO! support and OLB practice. Following the training days, schools
service. embraced many OLB actions. However, there was a mar-
VDAB and GO! organised a two-day training course for gin of growth in regards to clearly defined targets and a
schools on 18 and 19 May ‘15. more integrated approach.

The GO! vision on (school) career guidance was the During the retrospective day on 8 December ‘15, schools
starting point (see: pro.g-o.be/blog/Documents/ and CLBs involved developed their OLB approach
DEFvoorsite_GO%21_Visietekst_onderwijsloopbaan- further. They clarified the current position, actions taken
begeleiding_v3.pdf), complemented by elements of and points of difficulty. Next, each school and its CLB
VDAB’s career thinking. Within the service provision for staff working on OLB drew up a school development
jobseekers and those in employment, VDAB has built up plan, supported by the project supervisors (of the school

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