Page 112 - Guiding-at-risk-youth-through-learning-to-work-Lessons-from-across-Europe

Guiding at-risk youth through learning to work
Lessons from across Europe

example, several Member States have introduced multi-media tools to increase
the attractiveness of guidance portals for young people. Onisep (www.onisep.fr) is
a popular French facility used by more than six million lower and upper
secondary school pupils, parents and information and guidance professionals. It
combines providing information with blogs, chat facilities, podcasts and
videocasts; the Onisep database includes 15 000 training options, 20 000 contact
details for various establishments and 500 professions. The multi-media tools are
used to communicate information about jobs and careers to young people. The
site also includes quizzes to help users identify key skills and interests and their
suitability for different education/career pathways.
In countries such as Ireland and Sweden, Internet portals include interactive
matching tools where young people are able to explore opportunities relative to
their skills, competences and interests. Such facilities help young people to
identify jobs and careers that suit their interests and identify the necessary
education and training to access these jobs. The sites also allow young people to
access interactive tests to help them develop self-awareness by thinking about
their own interests, goals and skills. For example, the career matching service of
Career directions in Ireland (www.careerdirections.ie) takes young people
through a series of questions about themselves, their qualifications, interests and
skills. The results lead them to a list of matched professions, using a colour
coded ‘traffic light’ system.
Both Onisep and the Lithuanian web portal AIKOS, provide targeted or
tailored information for specific groups at risk. The AIKOS website provides
information for young people who have dropped out of education, including on
where to go for further advice, guidance and assessment.
Some observers have criticised Internet-based information services for
simply reproducing paper-based systems. Nevertheless, such approaches
provide a cost-effective means of providing services to raise awareness about
education, training, employment and other opportunities that might be available
for young people. Further, research shows that many young people want to
manage their own careers and are inclined to use services that are free and
convenient (Rainey, 2008).
While Internet-based services are typically seen as a means of extending
career guidance, successive reports have highlighted the lack of access to
computers (and the Internet) as a barrier to web based information and
interactive assessment tools. This is particularly the case among poorer families,
those with no phones, and for people living in remote areas in countries where
the use of Internet is not yet widespread (Barnes, 2008; OECDa, 2004a; OECD,
2008).

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