Page 48 - valuing-diversity-guidance-for-labour-market-integration-of-migrants

Valuing diversity: guidance for labour market integration of migrants

The individual or micro level summarises the discussion above, highlighting
the personal value of guidance services, considering several dimensions of a
person, including his/her context. The value chain synthesises the actual activity
(or meso level) in which the organisation of activities and the policy priorities are
implemented.
All aspects of the policy priorities laid down in the Council resolution on
lifelong guidance (Council of the European Union, 2008) can be easily identified
in the meso level: assuring the quality of provision (counsellor skills, adequate
instruments and tools, QA mechanisms); the development of CMS; ensuring
access to services; and developing successful cooperation and coordination
mechanisms among stakeholders. At macro level, the diagram highlights how
quality guidance provision to immigrants contributes to social outcomes, by
softening processes of integration, allowing for less severe occurrence of
discrimination and stereotyping, better use and recognition of skills, and more
stable, integrated and empowered migrant communities.
The guidance value chain is inserted in a set of systems, to which it relates,
being frequently integrated in other services, such as integration of
immigrants/foreigners, public employment services, vocational training, social
services, local level associations, employer associations, and trade union
advice/support systems. It also relates to services upstream, such as training
counsellors, or guidance software production. It links and cooperates with local
actors such as administrations or communities with which it can network. The
quality of these upstream, downstream and horizontal links affects the final
quality and added value of the services, so they must be taken into account in
this analysis.
The meso/system level is the focus of the study, although reference to the
micro and macro levels will occur and relevant conclusions will be drawn. It is of
special interest to this study to understand how policy priorities can be
implemented to improve the effectiveness of guidance provision for immigrants.
When developing CMS, for example, counselling, mentoring, teaching and
sampling techniques can be developed to serve and adapt to the needs of
individuals and their cultural contexts: the use of professional female role models
in communities with strong gender-based career stereotypes is a very common
technique for labour market activation of women. The use of client-centred
approaches assisted by correct identification of publics and their issues, and
using role models and community immersion, assure better skills retention.
Adopting assessment and advisory methodologies not too strictly attached to
established (western) models of career development allows for the development
of better career adaptability in individuals from other cultures.

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