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CHAPTER 12
Guiding and counselling adults in Portugal: new opportunities for a qualification 229

Effective lifelong guidance provision is a crucial task of new opportunities
centres. By encouraging and supporting individualsʼ participation in education
and training they also support realistic and meaningful careers. The centres
play a major role in helping adults design their academic and/or professional
qualification pathways, through a somewhat extensive set of activities that aim
to ʻrevealʼ each candidatesʼ individual profile – personal and sociographical
characteristics, academic and professional histories, motivations, interests
and expectations. All adults enrolled in these centres undergo diagnosis and
guidance processes regarding their career and qualification pathways.
Components of this stage are:
(a) reception: welcoming and enrolment of adults, detailed presentation of
several training paths in the national qualifications system where the adult
lives or works;
(b) diagnosis: analysis of the candidateʼs profile, involving more individualised
activities such as reviewing the CV, supported by an interview. This
interview is vital, as a form of individual support, in helping adults build a
degree of self-knowledge. Its aim is to work with candidates to fit
realistically their expectations to their pathway. The quality of the
relationship between the adviser and the adult candidate supports a
proper diagnosis that will result in an equally well-adjusted route;
(c) guidance: provide candidates with all information to guide them towards
the most appropriate qualification choice. Results from analysis of the
candidateʼs characteristics and track record (including prior education and
training, life experience, aspirations, motivations, needs and
expectations), identified during the diagnosis process. In addition to
guiding each adult to the most suitable qualification solution, this step also
encourages each candidate to take responsibility for the choices made
and for integrating into and pursuing their qualifications pathway.
The method used in these three intervention stages/dimensions is clearly
defined in a specific document (Almeida et al., 2008). In the centres, guidance
practices are implemented through diverse individual and group activities,
seeking provision and collection of information, as well as forms of skills
development to support decision-making and career management.
Responsibility for carrying out each of the stages lies with the diagnosis and
guiding counsellor. This advisor works directly with each candidate as well as
their immediate environment. This involves seeking out relevant information
for guiding and integrating adults into training offers that meet their needs and
are available in the area where the adult lives or works, as well as researching
the more pressing needs of the local labour market.