Sweden. Introduction to career guidance in Sweden. Click here, for a brief introduction to career guidance in Sweden

Sweden Click here, for a brief introduction to career guidance in Sweden. Or click the topics you are interested in: • • • • • • National guidance sy...
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Sweden Click here, for a brief introduction to career guidance in Sweden. Or click the topics you are interested in: • • • • • •

National guidance system [link to relevant table] Training of guidance practitioners [link to relevant table] Ethical guidelines for guidance practitioners [link to relevant table] National guidance forum [link to relevant table] Research in the field of guidance [link to relevant table] Guidance organisations, associations and resource centres [link to relevant table]

If you have comments or questions concerning the information provided, you are welcome to contact the Euroguidance centre in Sweden: [email protected]

Introduction to career guidance in Sweden Sweden has a long history of offering public guidance services. Already in the 40´s the employment offices started to offer vocational guidance for their clients. The underlying principle has always been that counselling is an individual right that should be free of charge and available to as many groups as possible. Today educational and vocational guidance is provided throughout the entire educational 1

system, in compulsory and upper secondary schools as well as within adult education, where guidance services are offered in municipal adult education, advanced vocational education, folk high schools and universities and university colleges. Guidance practitioners usually work within the schools or other educational institutions, but there are also examples of municipalities that offer guidance for schools through an external guidance centre instead of within each single school. Guidance services are also offered within the 418 Employment Offices around Sweden and in local municipality guidance and information centres for adults. The private sector is quite limited in Sweden, but there are private employment offices and some companies that specialise in career coaching and helping companies with reorganising or downsizing. There are no overall statistics of the number of guidance practitioners in Sweden, but a recent evaluation of guidance within the Swedish school system, conducted by the Swedish National Agency for Education, shows that an average Swedish guidance counsellor within compulsory school handles about 522 pupils. The figure for upper secondary level is 479 pupils for every guidance practitioner. Within the municipal adult education (Komvux) there were approx 323 students for each full-time working guidance counsellor. No figures are available for study counsellors at the universities or job counsellors within the employment offices. Educational and vocational guidance and information is also offered through publicly funded web services. There has been great investments in new web based tools for guidance and information in the last years. One of these new tools is the national education portal Utbildningsinfo.se. It is a web site for students, parents and professionals in the field of education. Another of these tools, Vägledningsinfo.se (Guidanceinfo.se), is a national web-based guidance service for adults and the "Choose profession or education" part of the Swedish Public Employment Service site provides information on different professions and gives an idea of which educational background that is needed for different professions. Career fairs are arranged regularly in different parts of Sweden. They are often organised in cooperation between local employers and upper secondary schools, where pupils in the ninth grade is the target group, but there are also the big SACO fair every year, which informs about university educations for pupils from secondary school and adult education. It is often possible to get personal guidance during these events (SACO - The Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations is a confederation of 25 independent associations that together have over half a million members, all of whom are academics or graduate professionals with a university or college degree) Sweden has a very decentralised system for decision-making and there is no central organisation coordinating or governing guidance activities. This is done on a local or regional basis. The local municipal authorities plan their services of guidance and counselling separately, in line with appropriation documents and school curricula. The guidance that takes place at university level and other higher education institutions is to a great extent the local responsibility of each university, in line with national goals and ordinances, and the counselling services for those in search of work is designed at the local employment offices, in accordance with the guidelines from the National Labour Market Board. Financing of guidance services is part of the total funding for the local municipality, the local university and/or the local employment office. No sum of money is specifically designated for guidance and counselling. In 2007 the National Agency for Education published a big evaluation of the quality of guidance in Swedish schools. It showed that there is a problem of weak supervision of guidance activities in the schools, which leads to big differences in the distribution of recourses 2

between schools, depending on the municipality in charge. Also the National Agency for Higher Education conducted an evaluation in 2007, where they looked into the study and career guidance offered at the Universities on the initiative of the Student Union. This evaluation also showed lack of a comprehensive, overall view and guiding principles or goals for the services offered. In spite of the negative results from these evaluations there are also actions taken to improve Swedish guidance. Since 2006 there is a big research project called “Career choice and guidance”. It is based on a network of researchers from the Universities in Sweden that offer a bachelor degree in career counselling. This network aims, among other things, at identifying urgent research areas and initiating research on career development and counselling. In 2007 The Government gave The Swedish National Agency for School Improvement the task to support municipalities in their work with developing the quality in vocational and educational guidance. This task is to be finished in 2008 and the Agency is working with specially chosen pilot municipalities that can act as good examples for others. Sweden also joined the European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network in 2007, where the Ministry of Education has chosen to get involved in the work package working with support for policy development and implementation at national level.

National guidance system Type of guidance service Guidance in compulsory school, secondary school and adult education

Activities Guidance provided by Common to all study and vocational activity in school and adult education is to help the individual to obtain more knowledge about his or her own capacity and about the existing opportunities and to form personal goals within education and working life. The counselling is given to pupils both individually and in group sessions. There are no compulsory lessons in career education, but counsellors occasionally have lessons/information sessions in both comprehensive school and secondary school. This most often occurs with different choices. For instance most pupils in the ninth

Clients/ Target groups Pupils in compulsor y and secondary school, students in municipal adult education

Responsibility and administrative control

Further information

The Swedish National Agency for Education is the central administrative authority for the Swedish public school system for children, young people and adults. The Agency gets certain guidelines from The Ministry of Education and Research, but its main work is independent. The Ministry initiates different kinds of follow-up investigations that are conducted by the Agency.

The Ministry of Education and Research:

However, Sweden's municipalities have the main responsibility for guidance in the Swedish school system. The education administration in each municipality has great freedom to form their own services of information, guidance and counselling in accordance

http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/ 2063

The Swedish National Agency for Education: http://www.skolverket.se/

Contact: [email protected]

Contact information to the different municipalities can be found through the website of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions http://www.skl.se/startpage_en. asp?C=6390

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with national standards regulated in curricula and ordinances for schools and adult education.

grade have personal interviews with their counsellor about their future plans and the choice of programme in upper secondary school. Many pupils also meet their counsellor before they have their weeks of work experience in the eighth and ninth grade. Guidance is provided by the guidance counsellors that work in the schools. In some municipalities they have a central guidance centre instead of offering guidance in each school.

Academic guidance services at universities and university colleges

1. Guidance at a central level The central level is usually the first contact that prospective students have with the university. The most common matters discussed are educational choices, changes of study field, studying abroad and the choice of a right major in order to get a job in the future. Normally there is both a drop-in service and a special schedule for visits booked in advance. 2. Guidance at the departments The student counsellor at a specific department offer advice in his or her own field of study and also on job opportunities regarding the special branch connected to the subject concerned.

University students and prospectiv e students

For compulsory school, secondary school and adult education there is a national curriculum that states that the head of school is responsible for ensuring that: ”Study and vocationally oriented activities are organised in such a way that pupils receive guidance before making the different choices the school provides and before their further education.” There is also a national Law, The School Law, which regulates who can be hired as a counsellor within the Swedish school system. The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education is a central agency responsible for matters relating to institutions of higher education in Sweden. The way in which it operates is subject to the instructions issued by the Government (The Ministry of Education and Research). The Agency evaluates and exercises supervision of higher education institutions. However, the higher education institutions enjoy a great deal of freedom within the framework of the regulations and parameters laid down by the Government. The institutions themselves decide how to plan their operations, utilise their resources and organise their activities in the area of guidance and counselling.

Contact information to guidance counsellors in schools around Sweden can be found on the web sites of each individual school. Search tool for schools in Sweden: http://www.skolverket.se/sb/d/2 44

The Ministry of Education and Research: http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/ 2063

The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education http://www.hsv.se/ Contact: [email protected]

Contact information to the guidance services at higher education institutions can be found on the web sites of each University. Addresses to higher education institutions in Sweden can be found here: http://www.hsv.se/highereducati

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The universities are bound by law to provide study and vocational guidance for their students. They have to offer these services, but there are no regulations about how or how much and there are no regulations about the educational background that the guidance counsellors at the University should have.

3. Career centres At some universities there are also career centres. They offer individual counselling on career choices and support regarding job applications and they also give continuous information about job vacancies, summer jobs, trainee vacancies and companies willing to help and support students with their thesis work.

Job counselling within the Swedish Public Employme nt Service

Guidance is provided by the study counsellors that work at the universities The guidance for job-seekers through the Swedish Public Employment Service is provided through three channels; Public Employment Service Internet, Customer Service (telephone) and the local PES-offices around the country. Information on different professions, studies and career choices is available through PES – Internet. Questions regarding this information are answered through Customer Service. The local PES-office decides on appropriate service/activity for each individual.

People in search of work – unemploy ed as well as those who wish to change careers. Special emphasis is put on vulnerable groups.

The National Labour Market Board sets the rules for the work in the employment offices in accordance with the overall guidelines of the Ministry of Employment. There are many regulations for the different activities going on in the employment offices and they have developed many tools for information and guidance, but there are no special laws or regulations especially connected to guidance activities.

on/highereducationinstitutions/ addresses.4.539a949110f3d59 14ec800072905.html

Ministry of Employment.. http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/ 8281

Swedish Public Employment Service http://www.ams.se/go.aspx?C= 223

Employment officers with a counselling role in PES need to be able to review the situation to decide 5

on a complex matter. Based on each individual’s resources, the counsellor has to discern possible jobs and training opportunities, and then motivate the job seeker to make well-founded choices. As well as introducing Internet-based tools, and ensuring that the job seeker is capable of using them, the counsellor will also be able to offer group and/or individual counselling. Some of the services available at the Employment Office are only available if one is registered there as a job seeker. Guidance Guidance at local municipality at local information centres is offered municipality through different channels; information • Career guidance based on the centres specific needs and wishes of each individual, to identify possibilities, alternatives, obstacles and how to overcome them • General information on educational programmes, application forms, requirements, study allowances etc • Self-service – possibility to use computers to search for information or for interest tests

All adults with residency in that particular municipality

Local guidance and information centres only exist in some municipalities and they are the responsibility of that particular municipality..

Examples: Malmö Infoteket (Information and guidance centre) http://www.malmo.se/infoteket Contact: [email protected]

Göteborg Vuxenutbildningens studievägledning (Guidance centre for adult education) http://www.vux.goteborg.se/vux/ sida_kontor.asp?HMenyID=1& UMenyID=1&MenyID=0 Contact: [email protected]

Stockholm Vuxenutbildningscentrum (Adult education centre) http://www.stockholm.se/Extern /Templates/InfoPage.aspx?id=9

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5957

Contact: [email protected]

Gotland Vägledningscentrum (Guidance centre) Web-based guidance and information

Utbildningsinfo.se (Educationinfo.se) is a web site for students, parents and professionals in the field of education. The web site consists of different parts: a search tool for educations in Sweden, a web-based career guidance tool, a description of the Swedish school system, a personal folder and a special section for guidance practitioners. Välj och Planera (Choose and plan) is a web-based career guidance program. It contains different tools, such as pedagogical texts, exercises, examples in a wellstructured matrix and it supports raising awareness about different issues that are important in a career choice. The program can be used independently or with the assistance of a career counsellor. Additional information is provided in the accompanying guide. _____________________________ Vägledningsinfo.se (Guidanceinfo.se) is a neutral and free service for adults who want to get in contact with a Careers Advisor. One can choose to contact

Students, parents and profession als

The Swedish National Agency for Education is responsible for the website Utbildningsinfo.se. The website is publicly funded and without any advertising

This tool is part of Utbildningsinfo.se

________ Adults who are contempla ting studying

________________________________ The service is offered as a pilot project between 2nd of May 2007 and 30th of June 2008. Evaluation of the service is being conducted continuously.

http://www.portalen.gotland.se/ http://www.utbildningsinfo.se

http://www.utbildningsinfo.se/sb /d/134;jsessionid=6C82857B11 FB5CF1AA56FA20BC70526F

_______________________ Vägledingsinfo http://vägledningsinfo.se/

Contact: 7

a Careers Advisor through telephone, Skype or MSN video call or write an e-mail. A network of student counsellors from adult education and universities will answer and take care of the e-mails within 48 hours. Webbased guidance and information

The service is offered by student counsellors from adult education and universities in a network, who have been offered common training in distance counselling _____________________________ Kompetens direkt (Competence directly) offers on-line guidance through web camera. The client can chat with the guidance counsellor on the Internet. _____________________________ On studera.nu (Study.now), it is possible to search among programmes and courses offered by higher education institutions in Sweden, read about them and also apply for the ones of interest, directly through the Internet. Choose profession or education is a part of the Swedish Public Employment Service site. It provides information on different professions and gives an idea of which educational background that is needed for different professions. The different parts of the site are the

but are uncertain about how, what or where

The service is offered as a complement to the ordinary service in universities and in municipalities. Vägledningsinfo is financed by Swedish Agency for Networks and Cooperation in Higher Education during the pilot project, as part of the Agency’s work with Widening Participation.

[email protected]

________

________________________________

_______________________

Residents in the area of Kalmar

The service has been developed through cooperation between municipalities in the region of Kalmar.

Kompetens Direkt:

________ University students and prospectiv e university students ________ All interested parties

________________________________ The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education is responsible for studera.nu. The website is publicly funded and without any advertising

http://www.kompetensdirekt.co m/home/index.asp?sid=83&mid =1 _________________________ www.studera.nu

______________________ _______________________________ This service is part of the Swedish Public Employment Service web site It is publicly funded and without any advertising

http://www.ams.se/go.aspx?C= 31

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Guidance and career coaching provided by private companies

following: "Vägar vidare" (roads to follow) for people that already have experience of work, but wants to change profession or maybe develop new skills. "Utbildningar" (Educations) gives information about educations on secondary school and university level and "Yrken A-Ö" (Professions A-Ö) contains 1200 descriptions of professions within different areas. Career planning and study guidance for schools, companies and organisations as well as services for individuals that need support in educational or career choices

Private career consultants offering coaching on life- and career planning

School children as well as adults

Privately run companies offering guidance to school children and others. Their services are for instance bought by independent schools. Vistas Karriärvägledning is an example of this sort of company.

Usually adults

In recent years more and more companies offering life planning and careers consulting have been established. Nina Jansdotter is a typical example of such a consultant.

Example: Vistas Karriärvägledning (Vistas Career Guidance) http://www.vistas.nu/

Example: Nina Jansdotter: http://www.ninajansdotter.com/

Training of guidance practitioners In Sweden most guidance counsellors within the national school system has a Bachelor of Education in Career Counselling, which is received after finishing a three-year full-time programme provided at three different universities in Sweden. This is usually also the background for counsellors within municipal adult education Approximately 70% of the guidance counsellors in secondary school and adult education have this educational background. Guidance staff working at the Universities do not always have a degree in Careers Counselling. For them a general degree, a bachelor or a master is more common. Especially when it comes to the study counsellors working at the individual departments, a major in the specific subject concerned is considered more important for the work. University counsellors often get in-service training about theories and methods in study- and career counselling. At the employment offices you can find some counsellors with the professional degree in counselling, but most of the workers have gone through the National Labour Market Administrations own in-service training. 9

Once the guidance counsellors have started to work there are not many opportunities for further training on offer. Some municipalities in Sweden arrange regular information meetings on current topics of interest for practitioners. There is also some further training courses offered at the universities that offer the three-year programme in Career Counselling and there are some private companies that offer education in Career Coaching.

Type of training and entry requirements Bachelor of Education in Career Counselling To qualify, students must meet the general admission requirements for undergraduate university studies and have received Pass or higher in Social sciences, course A, at upper secondary school/ college, as well as have at least one year (12 months) of working experience. (Anyone who has a schoolleaving certificate or a final certificate from the uppersecondary school or adult education in Sweden, or who has completed an uppersecondary schooling outside Sweden, fulfils the general admission requirements provided that adequate grades have been attained) Single university courses

Main contents

Duration

The major subject in the course of studies is ”career counselling” which consists of three main sections:

Three-year full-time university programme, also available on distance, 180 ECTS

1.

Social sciences, aimed at imparting knowledge about how society, working life and education are organised, and function 2. Behavioural sciences, covering the basic knowledge of Psychology, Pedagogies and Sociology required for such an understanding of human behaviour that makes one able to act as a guidance counsellor, tutor and/or information officer. 3. Practical periods, mainly in schools and colleges, but also in other fields. Practical periods include such aspects as independently carrying out guidance sessions with individuals and/or groups, teaching and giving information. Example of Basic level courses: • Rehabilitation and Vocational

Institutions offering this training, including contact details Malmö University, School of Teacher Education http://www.edu.mah.se/LGSYV/

For further information, please contact: [email protected]

Stockholm University, Department of Education http://www.su.se/pub/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=8187

For further information, please contact: [email protected]

Umeå University, Faculty of Teacher Education http://www.educ.umu.se/indexeng.html

For further information, please contact: [email protected]

Single university

Stockholm University, Department of Education http://www.su.se/pub/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=8187

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To qualify for basic level courses, students must meet the general admission requirements for undergraduate university studies (see above) To qualify for advanced level courses, students must have a Bachelor of Education in Career Counselling (see above)

Information and training days arranged by the municipalities No formal admission requirements. The events are arranged for guidance professionals and others interested in current topics in this area The basic idea is that the employer (schools, guidance centres, universities etc) should buy a subscription for as many participants as they wish, to offer their employees the possibility to attend these information days.

• • • •

Councelling Entrepreneurship, enterprising and career counselling The Process of Group Supervision International Dimension of Career Guidance The Professional Dialogue

Example of Advanced level courses: • Perspective on career counselling and career development - theory, method and change • Pedagogy in Career counselling Information and training days about current topics and themes of interest for guidance practitioners, such as: • • • • • • etc

changes in the national education system labour market trends studies in other countries validating informal experiences lifelong learning the connection between education and working life

courses of 7,5 ECTS or more.

For further information, please contact:

Half a day up to one or two days

Not all municipalities in Sweden offer this sort of further training for guidance practitioners. Two good examples are:

[email protected]

1) “Lärarfortbildning AB” (Further training for teachers) is a company that has been given the task by the municipality of Stockholm to arrange regular thematic conferences for guidance professionals, approx 7 times/year. The action is called “Vägledarkalendariet” (Guidance counsellor calendar) http://www.lararforbundet.se/web/lfort.nsf?OpenData base

For further information, please contact: [email protected]

2) The Skåne Association of Local Authorities (Skåne is in the south of Sweden and consists of 33 municipalities) offers an action called “Vägledarkompetensen” (Guidance Counsellor 11

Competence), where they each year arrange a range of conferences and study visits in Sweden and Denmark. http://www.kfsk.se/vagledarkompetensen/

For further information, please contact: [email protected]

Training in Career coaching and life planning No entry requirements other than payment for attending the course or training programme. The employer often pays this fee.

The training includes modules like: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Life and career goals Life Work balance Career values clarification Personality and career preference profiling Interests Transferable skills identification Overcoming career constraints Options analysis and career action plan Finding my personal job market Self marketing made easy Job search techniques CV preparation Interview skills Start up a new business

Duration from one year programmes down to a few days seminars

Newstart Career Coach Academy is a company that offers a wide range of training courses and seminars, including both extensive training programmes and shorter workshops for learning specific coaching tools and techniques. http://www.newstart.se/eng/infotext.php?val=15

For further information, please contact: [email protected]

TRINOM is another company in this area. They offer courses as well as annual conferences on career and life planning. http://www.trinom.se/

For further information, please contact: [email protected]

Ethical guidelines for guidance practitioners Name of guidelines

Sectors covered

Etisk deklaration och etiska riktlinjer för studie- och

The Ethical Guidelines are developed for all guidance practitioners who are members

Issuing organisation Sveriges Vägledarförening, (The Swedish

Link to guidelines (national and English versions) Swedish: http://www.vagledarforeningen.org/ (look under “Etisk deklaration”)

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yrkesvägledning (Declaration of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines for educational and vocational guidance counsellors) Etiska regler för studie- och yrkesvägledare (Ethical regulations for educational and vocational guidance counsellors)

of the Swedish Association of Guidance Counsellors.

Association of Guidance CounsellorsSAGC)

The Ethical regulations are developed for all educational and vocational counsellors within the National Union of Teachers

Studie- och yrkesvägledarna inom Lärarnas Riksförbund, LR (Educational and vocational counsellors within the National Union of Teachers)

English: http://www.vagledarforeningen.org/ (look under “Etisk deklaration”)

http://forening.proventek.net/vagledarna/etiskaregler.html

(only in Swedish)

National guidance forum Name of forum The Swedish Ministry of Education and Research has established a reference group in connection with the Swedish participation in the European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network , ELGPN

Who/which organisations etc. are represented in the forum Represented in the reference group are: • The Swedish National Agency for Education • The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education • The Swedish Public Employment Service • Euroguidance Sweden • Representatives from different parts of the Ministry

Objectives, tasks and status

Contact details/further information

To act as a reference group in relation to the Swedish participation in ELGPN

In charge of the Swedish participation in ELGPN is: Jacob Johansson at the Swedish Ministry of Education and Research: [email protected]

For further information, contact: [email protected]

Research in the field of guidance Institution/organisation responsible for

Research areas

Contact details, including relevant 13

research Research network Career choice and counselling

websites The research network aims at: • identifying urgent research areas

Research is conducted at all three Universities that offer an academic degree in Career counselling: •

Malmö University



Stockholm University



Umeå University

and initiating research on career development and counselling, • stimulating further co-operation and involvement in such research, • initiating a national graduate school, • contributing to increased participation in international research and development of career development and counselling from the part of Sweden Research areas are for example: • Career development among young immigrants • International counselling • Interpersonal behaviour in counselling • Methods and theories in guidance counselling. • The evaluation and development of guidance and counselling, • Modern technology as a tool in the delivery of counselling services • The counselling interview And many others…

Project coordinator Fredrik Hertzberg Ph.D Lecturer Stockholm University Phone: +46 8 12076368 e-mail: [email protected]

Website: http://sherwood.lh.umu.se/fkvv/index_en.htm

A list of Swedish researchers in the area of guidance and counselling can be found here: http://sherwood.lh.umu.se/fkvvdynamic/users_sv. aspx

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National guidance organisations, associations and resource centres Name

Description

Brief description of activities

Sveriges Vägledarförening, (The Swedish Association of Guidance Counsellors- SAGC)

SAGC organizes around 1200 Swedish guidance practitioners from all sectors, including schools, adult education, universities and employment offices.

SAGC is actively engaged in the development and strengthening of educational and vocational counselling. The association participates in efforts to improve the professionalism of counsellor practise and professional ethics. An annual conference for Swedish guidance counsellors is arranged and the association publishes a quarterly journal, “Vägledaren i utbildning och arbetsliv” (The Educational and Vocational Guidance Counsellor). SAGC has formulated and ratified a Declaration of Ethics for educational and vocational guidance practitioners (see above). The Forum has formulated a work description for guidance counsellors and an ethical declaration. They also answer government bills circulated for comments in this area and they publish a newsletter, “Vägledarnytt” (Guidance news).

Studie- och yrkesvägledarna inom Lärarnas Riksförbund, LR (Educational and vocational counsellors within the National Union of Teachers)

A forum for Swedish guidance professionals within the trade union for teachers, “Lärarnas riksförbund”. They have a central board and local associations all around Sweden.

Contact details, including website Sveriges Vägledarförening http://www.vagledarforeningen.org

For further information, please contact: Lena Collin (secretary) E-mail: [email protected] e

Website of LR: http://www.lr.se/ Website of the forum for counsellors: http://forening.proventek.net/vagle darna/

For further information, please contact: Chairman Berit Haugen [email protected]

Lärarförbundet - the Swedish Teachers Union Euroguidance Sweden

A professional trade union for teachers that also organizes guidance counsellors The Swedish National Resource Centre for guidance is placed within the International Programme Office for

Lärarförbundet - the Swedish Teachers Union E- mail: [email protected] Euroguidance Sweden provides a range of services to practitioners and other professionals in the field of guidance: • answer questions about study and training opportunities in Sweden and abroad

Website: www.programkontoret.se/euroguid ance

Contact: 15

För vägledare (For guidance counsellors) National forum for counsellors on the Internet provided on Utbildningsinfo.se

The JoinIT Network

Education and Training, IPK, which is a national Agency under the Swedish Ministry of Education and Research. The IPK acts as Sweden’s national agency for the Lifelong Learning Programme, and also administers a number of other nationally and internationally funded programmes in the field of education. The Swedish National Agency for Education is responsible for the website Utbildningsinfo.se. The website is publicly funded and without any advertising. The web site consists of different parts including a special section for guidance practitioners. The Swedish Agency for Networks and Cooperation in Higher Education (NSHU) is responsible for a Flexible Guidance Project. JoinIT as well as Vägledningsinfo.se (Guidanceinfo.se) – see above - are parts



• • • •

supply information about projects and international cooperation in the area of guidance show the way to international experience for guidance practitioners themselves produce publications and information material offer education and further training on mobility and international issues report on the international policydevelopment within the field of guidance

euroguidance.sweden@programk ontoret.se

För vägledare (For guidance counsellors) is a section especially developed for guidance practitioners in order to support them in their daily work. The aim of this section is to create a meeting point for those working in different fields of career guidance and willing to exchange information, experiences and knowledge. The forum has approx 18 000 members.

https://www.utbildningsinfo.se/sb/ d/136

Approx. 100 career counsellors are members of the Join IT Network. They cooperate on issues concerning guidance for prospective students and students in higher education.

www.nshu.se http://www.nshu.se/page/780/natv erk.htm

Connected to JoinIT is also a Web Camera Network, where the practitioners arrange thematic meetings through the web camera.

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Working group for annual guidance conference within Higher Education

SYVnätverket inom Riksförbundet Vuxenutbildning i samverkan, VIS Guidance Network within the Swedish Association for Municipal and National Adult Education, VIS Network for the counsellors working in Folk High Schools (the non-formal adult education in Sweden)

of this project. NSHU has been given notice of closure in 2009 and after that it is unclear what will happen to the different parts of the project. One guidance counsellor from each University in Sweden forms a working group together with the University that arranges the conference of the year. The Swedish Association for Municipal and National Adult Education is a non-profit organization independent of party politics, working for a continual, critical review and renewal of adult education in Sweden.

The working group plans the annual conference for study counsellors within Higher Education Institutions, which is normally organised in May each year at different Universities. The conference gives an opportunity for student counsellors around Sweden to meet and discuss current topics. It is also an event for competence development and information about developments in the area of Higher Education. VIS has a branch for guidance practitioners in adult education.

Study counsellors at Uppsala University call together the working group. For further information, contact: euroguidance.sweden@programk ontoret.se

VIS website: http://www.rvux.se/index.asp

New website during 2008: http://www.visnet.se/

The aim is to be a meeting point for those responsible for career guidance in the 148 Folk High Schools in Sweden, they meet in a forum/digital conference and arrange an annual conference (approx 50 career counsellors).

The Swedish National Council of Adult Education www.folkbildning.se The Information Service of the Swedish Folk High Schools www.folkhogskola.nu For further information, please contact: [email protected]

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