Page 16 - Euroguidance-Brochure-Recent-Developments-in-Guidance-Belgium

Erasmus+ KA3 Project GOAL:
Guidance and Orientation for Adult Learners

1 Flanders

Project GOAL sought to develop available models of guidance and orientation for low-educated adults in six
countries: Czech Republic, Iceland, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Slovenia and Belgium (Flanders). Coordinated by the
Flemish Ministry of Education and Training, it ran from February 2015 until January 2018.

In Flanders, adult education is rather fragmented as it is the responsibility of several policy domains and ministries.
Hence, it is not easy for adult learners - and particularly adults with a limited education background - to find the
right course that suits their needs best.
GOAL’s underlying hypothesis is that an independent one-stop guidance service centred on the specific needs of
low-educated adult learners may help increase participation of this target group in education and training.

Five intervention strategies were implemented to reach the target group and to improve guidance services:
1. Improving networks and partnerships, 2. Development of high-quality tools, 3. Counsellor competence
development, 4. Delivery of outreach activities and 5. Provision of high-quality guidance services.

Policy experimentation (September 2015 - end of April 2017) was carried out by de Stap (the Step) in Ghent through
its service ‘Word Wijs!’ (Get Smart!), and by De Leerwinkel (The Learning Shop) in the province of West-Flanders.
Both organisations built on existing services and expertise to further develop their educational guidance service.

AIM(S) The premise for each guidance process was that clients
take the lead. A tailored approach was applied by
GOAL aimed to map relevant aspects of educational considering the clients’ interests, personal background
guidance services to provide evidence for further policy and contextual factors.
Recent Developments in Guidance - Belgium | Chapter 1 | Policy initiatives, networks and working groups
development on structural educational guidance
services for adults in Flanders. Overall, the GOAL guidance process can be divided in
3 phases: intake & information mediation; guidance;
decision making and follow-up.
TARGET GROUP(S)
Most clients sought guidance to explore educational
Project GOAL focused on unqualified school leavers. opportunities, but GOAL guidance goes beyond this.
De Stap, ‘Word Wijs!’ concentrates on young adults GOAL encompasses every aspect of identifying a
(18-25), whereas de Leerwinkel caters for all unqualified suitable course or training programme and enrolling in
school leavers. it (e.g. how to overcome barriers to study?).
Ideally, a student mentor would start as soon as he/her
has enrolled in a course.
METHODOLOGY

Educational guidance was provided through face-to- RESULTS AND IMPACT
face meetings between a counsellor and a client. A total
of 925 sessions took place at de Stap and de Leerwinkel, Some Quantitative Results:
with an average of 2.2 guidance sessions per client. All 418 clients were registered as early school leavers
A substantial number of clients (44%) took part in one (=without a higher secondary education diploma).
session, whilst 56% engaged in a longer guidance The majority (73%) was under 26; with male and female
process. An average session lasted for 1 hour. being equally represented.
Counsellors also engaged in client follow-up through Several data have shown that GOAL clients were highly
micro-contacts such as text messages and social media. satisfied with the service. 52% finished the GOAL

16 16