Page 4 - Information-on-the-Lifelong-Guidance-System-in-the-Czech-Republic

[1] Summary

here are two main bodies responsible ing Decree, and other related legislation,
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for career guidance and counselling in career guidance and counselling services for
Tthe Czech Republic: the Ministry of people requiring assistance in employment
Education, Youth and Sports (Ministerstvo matters are provided by the Labour Office of
školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy) and the Ministry the Czech Republic (Úřad práce České republiky,
of Labour and Social Affairs (Ministerstvo ÚP) and private employment agencies (agentura
práce a sociálních věcí)� Both ministries operate práce)�
networks providing day-to-day career guidance
and counselling� The activities of both these guidance
systems are merged to provide counselling
From the school level up to the tertiary profes- services to pupils leaving primary and second-
sional level, career guidance and counselling ary school� To a certain extent, both guidance
services are regulated by the Education Act, systems use the same work procedures and
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the Government Decree on the Provision of sources of information� Although the official
Counselling Services in Schools and School documents do not specifically state that this
Guidance Facilities, the Act on Teaching should be an integrated system of guidance
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Staff and other related legislation� Career services, the basis for such a system is being
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guidance and counselling for pupils and stu- unsystematically, but progressively, developed
dents is provided directly at schools and school in both sectors�
guidance facilities� These provide standard
guidance services free of charge on the request In addition to the Labour Office, other actors
of pupils, their legal representatives, schools or provide careers advice for adults, including
educational facilities� NGOs, employer associations and private
employment agencies� A wide range of ser-
Under the Higher Education Act , universities vices for specific target groups is provided by
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are required to provide candidates, students non-governmental organisations and funded by
and other persons with information and coun- different sources, mainly on a temporary basis
selling services relating to their studies and to (e�g� the European Social Fund, the European
employment opportunities for graduates of Lifelong Learning Programme, etc�)� Career
study programmes� Most public universities counselling projects funded by EU sources have
provide this service through in-house Career been expanded where delivered by external
Counselling Centres� specialists, however these are not always well
linked with other services and for the most part
Under the Employment Act, the Implement- they operate independently of the Ministry of
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Education, Youth and Sports and the Ministry of
Labour and Social Affairs� Awareness of their ac-
1 Act No� 561/2004 Coll�, on pre-school, basic, tivities is therefore fragmentary� However, those
secondary, tertiary professional and other edu- activities have contributed to the development
cation (the Education Act) of career guidance/counselling in the Czech
2 Decree No� 72/2005 Coll�, on the provision of Republic and have created a need for regulation
counselling services in schools and school of the whole range of career counselling ser-
guidance facilities� vices as a profession, with its own professional
standards and training�
3 Act No� 563/2004 Coll�, on teaching staff�
4 Section 22 (d) of the Act on higher education
institutions No� 111/1998 Coll�
6 Decree No� 518/2004 Coll�, implementing Act
5 Act No� 345/2004 Coll� on employment� No� 435/2004 Coll�, on employment�

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