Page 52 - euroguidance-highlights-2020

gro and Serbia for a joint seminar. The aim of this and define their role in guidance. Valuing their
event was to exchange experiences and ideas various experiences and wanting to give space for
about career guidance and to enhance coopera- questions, the training programme was planned
tion through a series of interactive webinars. An for small groups. On this occasion, 24 participants
additional goal of the event was to recognise good successfully completed the training programme
practices in guidance. Therefore there was an open and reported that the opportunities for integrating
call for speakers who would present their prac- various knowledge and defining their role as
tices. There were numerous teachers interested guidance practitioners were the most beneficial
to present and participate in this event. In the outcomes of the event.
end, there were 8 presenters and 38 participants Through transforming events from live to the
selected. Their feedback was that they were very online we have realised the following:
satisfied with the event and its outcomes. Having • Having a virtual space for the meeting helps
the joint place for all participants on the learning participants to focus and interact. It also helps,
platform gave them the opportunity to discuss the if there is an opportunity, to do so in various
challenges and directions for further development ways; personal messages, forum discussions,
of activities and different ways of cooperation on etc.
both national and European level. • Group work and interactive exercises take
During 2020 Euroguidance Serbia introduced longer when conducted online.
another training programme in addition to those • Time for reflection and integration of the
that have been organised for several years. This content is important. Therefore, we planned
one specifically targets youth workers. ‘Improving shorter sessions during a few days and
the Competencies of Youth Workers for Planning follow-up materials and discussions on the
and Carrying Out Career Guidance and Counselling learning platform. This allowed participants to
Activities and Services’ is an online programme • catch up with content and to reflect on it.
Online training sessions require more prepa-
the Netherlands and how we, as the Euroguidance the crisis started and took the initiative to search aiming to introduce important concepts, terms and ration time and clear focus when it comes to
centre, try to respond to it. for different opportunities himself. This resulted in stakeholders in the field of career guidance as well content.
a successful trajectory and he is now studying to as clarify the roles of youth workers as career
Objective of the scheme work in mental healthcare. Even though the offer practitioners. The event was organised between These experiences helped us realise that there are
The NL scheme aims to support employees and was created in response to the crisis, it goes far August 24-30 as a series of interactive webinars. many ways for achieving set goals. Some of those
jobseekers to remain or become attractive within beyond that and gives a boost to lifelong devel- The webinars included discussions and group work ways will certainly be an inspiration for ensuing
the labour market in these times during which opment and guidance. aiming to help participants share their experiences activities.
many jobs are disappearing due to COVID-19 and
changing due to digitalisation and remote working. Thanks to ‘NL Continues to Learn’ and other
The scheme is funded by the Ministry of Social crisis measures, career guidance has received an
Affairs and Employment. enormous boost. The risks, however, are fragmen-
tation, the speed with which things are set up and
A guidance professional helps people with their the short-term perspective. How do we use the
personal development by discussing their qualities, current energy and initiatives for the future? As
needs and concerns, and providing tailored devel- Euroguidance Netherlands, we try to contribute
opment advice. This advice shows where their to strengthening and securing initiatives for the
chances on the job market lie, where they can future, both by sharing examples from other coun-
still develop and how they can keep their work tries and by bringing people together. For example,
interesting and pleasant for them. by working on an ambition paper – together with
No fewer than 22,000 people took advantage of a team of experts – on a national career guidance
the development advice trajectory in the autumn structure and by making information available
of 2020. 50,000 development advice trajectories about how other countries design a one-stop shop
that became available on December 1 were filled or how in other countries e-guidance support is
st
within 24 hours. linked to a training portal or individual learning
accounts.
Success stories
Various success stories had already emerged from From Live to Online Events:
the first batch. Such as the 27-year old woman Experiences from Euroguidance
who used to work in the event industry, but un- Centres in Serbia and Montenegro
expectedly discovered that her heart belonged to a
sector where there are big shortages - education. During the last week of May, Euroguidance Serbia
Or the 52-year old man who used to cater at and Euroguidance Montenegro gathered teachers
Schiphol Airport, but felt dark clouds coming when from primary and secondary schools in Montene-

52 2. EUROGUIDANCE NATIONAL LEVEL ACTIVITIES 2. EUROGUIDANCE NATIONAL LEVEL ACTIVITIES 53