Page 16 - Guiding-at-risk-youth-through-learning-to-work-Lessons-from-across-Europe

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

the journey does not end when the young person enters employment but that
support is received through to their first steps in the mainstream.
The education-to-work transition comprises two interrelated elements that
help young people take career decisions: the development of career
management skills and the opportunity to familiarise oneself with the world of
work. This second aspect is important for all young people, though particularly so
for those who have been disengaged.
There has been a transformation and expansion in guidance delivery
mechanisms and options. These now range from multi-agency service centres
addressing the guidance needs of young people in a holistic manner, to
sophisticated, integrated online information and communication tools. Careers
information alone is sufficient for many but this is not the case for most
disaffected young people, who need to be supported in a more holistic manner.
This Cedefop study suggests that young people need to be empowered
through a relationship which sees them as resourceful individuals. Practitioners
have an important role to play in promoting high expectations, as career
aspirations developed during teenage-years can have lifelong significance. It is
important to recruit, and support the continuous development of, talented and
committed individuals for such roles.
Guidance should not be seen as one of many approaches to supporting
transition: it should be seen as an integral part of any approach to tackling this
problem and it is important that guidance moves from implicit to explicit policy
response. It should also be seen as a continuum: guidance is not about
supporting a young person at a specific point in their life only, but is something
that extends over time and out into the community and the workplace.
It is important that young people are aware of guidance support on offer and
understand what difference it might make. Further research could be beneficial to
demonstrate the cost-benefits of guidance and its role in prevention, reintegration
and facilitating transitions. 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.
It is important that teachers and trainers are able to assist young people to
develop career management skills and apply them in both the transition into work
and throughout their working lives. Concerns have been raised that the guidance
offer that accompanies initial vocational education and training (IVET) is not at an
equivalent standard to the mainstream education offer; as such efforts need to be
focused on ensuring that the same quality is available to young people pursing a
vocational route.

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