Page 36 - Euroguidance Insight Magazine

guidance sessions, webinars, and online resources Mobility information and advice at
for students and their parents/guardians amongst online guidance fairs in Belgium
others. For practitioners, employers and other Flanders 2021 and 2022
stakeholders, novelty included the use of online
training sessions, hybrid events such as conferences, In Belgium, during the annual Study Information
better use of social media platforms and increased Days (SID-In), students in the last year of secondary
use of previously under-explored resources such as school can explore a vast range of educational and
webinars. professional opportunities. During online editions
in 2021 and 2022, EG Belgium (Flanders) provided
The pandemic has provided us with an opportunity information and advice on studying abroad. In
to pay further attention to and rethink career guid- 2021, the SID-In was a virtual fair with many virtual
ance provision from a systemic perspective. On a information booths and ‘avatar’ visitors who were
practical level, whereas before the pandemic it seeking information, advice and guidance through
never crossed our minds to conduct many of our chat conversations and/or videocalls. The virtual
guidance events online, the pandemic has made us booth which Euroguidance Belgium (Flanders)
realise that at times, opting for an online meeting was part of, received 4.740 visitors. A video on
with a practitioner for a support session or for an studying abroad had 419 views and presentations
information meeting with students and their par- were downloaded 622 times. SID-In 2022 was
ents/guardians may in the end prove to be a more offered through an online platform that contained
effective and efficient way of operating our scarce links to videocalls on specific topics. Euroguidance
resources. For example, feedback from schools contributed to the content and structure of this
indicates that parents’ attendance for Career Talks platform that received over 47.000 visitors during
has increased when such talks were held online.
the three online conversation days. Outside of
Notwithstanding, feedback from practitioners these SID-In days the platform also received many
shows that face-to-face physical contact is still visitors. Content included a new video on studying
very much valued, and often the preferred op- abroad, developed by the Ministry of Education
tion. Indeed, this academic year 2022-2023, many and Training and Euroguidance Belgium (Flanders).
of our career guidance initiatives for students are Many pupils, students, teachers, parents, and guid-
back to pre-COVID ways – onsite career orientation ance counsellors found their way to Euroguidance
visits to workplaces, onsite visits to post-secondary Belgium (Flanders) to receive information and advice
institutions, onsite career fairs and conventions. on studying abroad.
Conferences, meetings, study visits and continuous
professional opportunities for our practitioners are
also now being conducted onsite relieving practi-
tioners of online fatigue from overreliance on digital
technology.
What has been learned these past two years is that
service provision must be flexible and prepared for
the unexpected. The pandemic has fostered an enor-
mous creativity from guidance practitioners who
are developing new and different ways of working,
which need to be evaluated to provide a theo-
retical and evidential basis to ensure high quality
provision. © Onderwijs Vlaanderen

36 2. EUROGUIDANCE NATIONAL ACTIVITIES