Page 9 - Information-on-the-Lifelong-Guidance-System-in-the-Czech-Republic

the importance of guidance and counselling er developing tools (e�g� early assessment,
within the labour office: counsellors are seen as profiling), organisational changes (setting client
office workers, a lack of coherence between the zones) and additional resources (staff numbers,
world of work and education – career choice, training, additional funds)�
an incomplete offer of vacancies, insufficient
support for the exchange of experience and Other actors such as private agencies or NGOs
good practice in cooperation with clients and can play a more significant role in the delivery
employers� of counselling services to specific target groups�
For example, the new Regional Information
and Education Centre in the South Moravian
2�6 Key challenges region could be used as a nationwide model
to address the needs of adults and promote
addressed by guidance continuing education activities� Greater cooper-
ation between career counselling providers at
in the Czech context the regional level would be beneficial in making
such services more accessible for various adult
groups and mapping their provision�
The OECD report on Employment and Skills
Strategies in the Czech Republic is specific Job profiles are mapped at the national level by
about the various challenges facing career guid- sector councils and described in the National
ance and recommends supporting the devel- Register of Occupations� The National Register
opment of a career counselling system for of Vocational Qualifications recognises skills and
youth and adults and promoting greater competencies and the certification of skills is
cooperation among career counselling important in terms of career mobility� It is im-
stakeholders. portant to strengthen this link between labour
market needs (defined by employers) and the
An effective career counselling system should qualifications being developed through the
assess individuals’ acquired skills and propose National Register of Occupations�
ways of enhancing or acquiring new ones� Ca-
reer guidance in the Czech Republic is seen as To ensure financial sustainability, there is a need
inadequate for both young people and adults� to acknowledge guidance and counselling as
Educational counsellors tend to have limited an integral part of education and employment
knowledge of current labour market needs and services and set up conditions and capacity for
job profiles� Career support for youth in schools the provision of quality guidance and counsel-
needs quality assurance mechanisms, adequate ling services�
resources and more systematic cooperation
with LOs and other institutions in acquiring The National Guidance Forum has formu-
labour market information� lated the following goals to ensure a solid and
stable basis for guidance and to set out educa-
The labour offices can play a significant role in tional and employment strategies:
career advice� Since early 2013, the Ministry of
Labour and Social Affairs has sought to provide — to recognise the importance of lifelong
better and more extensive career advice and as- guidance as a tool for decreasing unem-
sistance to jobseekers, employers, municipalities ployment rate and supporting social justice�
and social partners, and to improve communi-
cation between local contact offices� — to promote awareness of the benefits of
guidance and counselling in the potential
While addressing the development of career target group�
guidance will be a long term challenge for
the Czech Republic, the increased emphasis — to establish conditions for functional coop-
is welcomed� The government could consid- eration between the main public bodies

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