Page 156 - Guiding-at-risk-youth-through-learning-to-work-Lessons-from-across-Europe

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

Further research could be beneficial to demonstrate the costs and benefits of
guidance and its role in prevention, reintegration and facilitating transitions. While
effective practice illustrates how guidance can be used, cost-effectiveness
evidence will help make the case for developing such services. High-quality
monitoring and evaluation systems are essential to show whether a project is
working well or whether improvements could be made and to ensure that
provision is continually evolving in line with changing contexts.
Support should be impartial, multi-dimensional, realistic and specific and
provided by experienced and knowledgeable advisers who understand the world
of work and the range of different learning opportunities available for young
people. These advisers should be able to signpost young people to other, more
appropriate organisations when they cannot help.
More evaluation is need of preventive approaches. It is important to develop
new initiatives based on knowledge of what works and such evaluation needs to
communicate effectively the costs and benefits associated with these
approaches.
Greater emphasis should be placed on ensuring that teachers providing
guidance and guidance practitioners know the local and the wider labour market
context and so are to provide wellinformed and targeted guidance services.

8.5. Priority area 4: encourage stakeholder
cooperation

To cope and thrive in this challenging work, guidance practitioners should seek to
establish good working partnerships with other professionals (psychologists,
career guidance counsellors, etc.) and agencies working with the young person.
Such a network can prove a valuable source of support for both the young
person and the practitioner.
While there is evidence of multi-agency approaches identified in the case
studies, such approaches are not present in all countries. An aim for the future is
to ensure that comprehensive multi-agency approaches or true partnership-
working becomes the norm, accessible for all young people.
Preventive strategies need to operate within a strategic and integrated
approach to minimising drop-out. Multi-agency, joined-up approaches are
required to ensure that young people do not fall through the cracks in service
provision. The examples identified in this report need to be communicated to
policy makers, to ensure that they learn from practice and do not reinvent the
wheel.

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