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Working and ageing
240 Guidance and counselling for mature learners

12.6. Discussion and conclusions

Recent approaches to the concept of guidance (Council of the EU, 2008)
retain its traditional elements such as the notion that competences,
motivations and expectations of individuals are the basis for decision-making
along the education-training-employment axis. However, it is, at the same
time, an approach that has been broadened to include all citizens, of any age,
at any stage of their lives and which aims at taking a decision to manage an
individual pathway that may go beyond qualification and employability.
In Portugal, guidance and counselling for the adult population is provided
in (and technically and financially supported by) existing services, like new
opportunities centres. This measure places guidance and counselling in the
centre of services provided to the adult population, being, by these means,
more effective.
Methods adopted in centres specifically are, as mentioned before, centred
on each individual candidate. They consider their sociographical
characteristics, their motivations, expectations and abilities. Whether in the
stages of reception, diagnosis and guidance, or in RVCC processes and
drawing up personal development plans, adults are the main actors in the
skills-recognition and supported and negotiated decision-making processes
for embarking on qualifications pathways under the national qualifications
system.
Particularly for ageing workers, RVCC processes can be seen as suitable
for achieving higher qualification levels. On one hand, ageing workers are
provided with an opportunity of accreditation of prior learning built on a lifelong
experience. On the other hand, validation of informal and non-formal learning
is based on national standards that are labour-market driven and updated,
also providing higher levels of employability for these workers.
Work between candidates and guidance counsellors taken up both in
diagnosis processes and RVCC also assists in developing lifelong learning
skills, as well as motivation for learning, training and working activities and
projects, which is vital for workers often marginalised in the labour market.
Participation in RVCC processes is also developed in a group/social
environment, increasing social (re)integration of ageing workers and widening
their social networks. Finally, increasing use of ICT accompanying RVCC
processes is also an important achievement, particularly for some ageing
workers not used to dealing with it.
It is important to add that experiences gained under this national initiative
are raising new issues and challenges for the Portuguese national