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[9] Guidance Research

9�1 Research bodies focused on support for guidance services
within the labour market sector (close coop-
eration with the Ministry of Labour and Social
The National Institute for Education (NÚV) Affairs of the Czech Republic) and monitoring
focuses among other activities on research, of guidance services in the education sec-
methodology and dissemination of information tor, particularly in higher education� Participa-
related to career counselling, and supports tion in projects is focused on support of the
the teaching of subjects dealing with labour European dimension in the provision of
market issues� The Department for Lifelong guidance services, its improvement and the
Career Guidance of the National Institute for promotion of co-operation between provid-
Education is responsible for methodological ers of guidance services at a national level� The
support for career counselling, the develop- Unit supports publication activities focusing
ment of career guidance in the Czech Republic, on educational and vocational guidance and
cooperation with other subjects in the field of organises information and specialized events�
career guidance, promotion of career counsel-
ling, and analytical surveys (e�g� needs of career The National Observatory of Employment
counsellors at the PES, needs of career coun- and Training (Národní observatoř zaměstnanosti
sellors at schools, etc)� The Institute provides a vzdělávání) is another analytical section of
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specific training focused on counselling services the National Training Fund� The Observatory
and the development and introduction of provides information about the development
new methods of diagnostics in the area� It also of human resources, collects data and anal-
pursues development of the integrated infor- yses trends in education and the labour
mation system (ISA) and the related website market against the background of social and
www.infoabsolvent.cz that gathers information economic changes� As part of the analyses
on the situation and employment of school extensive surveys are conducted, the results of
leavers in the labour market and thus provides which facilitate up-to-date information con-
a useful source of information for career deci- cerning specific areas that are not covered by
sion making for students, counsellors and also regular statistical data� One of the main activities
adults� The NÚV has also provided e-learning of the Observatory is forecasting skill needs�
courses for counsellors and teachers to improve
their skills related to career counselling� Research Institute for Labour and Social
Affairs (Výzkumný ústav práce a sociálních
The Guidance Services Support Unit – věcí) conducts applied research on labour and
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GSSU (Středisko podpory poradenských služeb - social affairs issues at a regional, national and
SPPS) is a unit of the National Training Fund international level; this research is formulated
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that primarily carries out research in the field in line with the current requirements of state
of guidance and counselling� The GSSU has government authorities and possibly non-profit
replaced the National Resource Centre for the or private entities� One of the spheres of activity
Vocational Guidance agenda (Euroguidance is labour market research, in this context re-
nowadays) which had been transferred to the lated to guidance and counselling� It focuses
Centre for International Cooperation in Educa- mainly on employment policy, its objectives
tion� The activities of the GSSU are especially and instruments, the institutions implementing

75 http://en.nvf.cz/narodni-observator
74 http://en.nvf.cz/stredisko-podpory-poraden-
skych-sluzeb 76 www.vupsv.cz/?p=index&site=en

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