Jennifer McKenzie - Director, NCGE
University of Limerick - ESRC Seminar Series
9th June 2011
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Agency of Department of Education and Skills
Remit to advise and inform on policy
Develop and support practice
Provide CPD
Euroguidance Centre for Ireland
Represent DES / Ireland at International level
ELGPN designated representative
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Post Primary
Post Leaving Certificate / College of Further Education
Adult education - Literacy / Community / Second
Chance Education
Higher education - IoTs / Universities / HETAC
NOT employment Sector – not HR / Career coaching /
Employment Agencies
Guidance facilitates people throughout their
lives to manage their own educational,
training, occupational, personal, social, and
life choices so that they reach their full
potential and contribute to the development
of a better society (NGF 2007)
The definition of guidance as referring to a continuous process
that enables citizens at any age and at any point in their lives to
identify their capacities, competences and interests, to make
educational, training and occupational decisions and to manage
their individual life paths in learning, work and other settings in
which those capacities and competences are learned and/or
used. Guidance covers a range of individual and collective
activities relating to information-giving, counselling,
competence assessment, support, and the teaching of decisionmaking and career management skills
(EU Council Resolution 2008)
Guidance in schools refers to a range of learning experiences
provided in a developmental sequence, that assists students to
develop self- management skills which will lead to effective
choices and decisions about their lives. It encompasses three
separate, but interlinked areas of personal and social
development, educational guidance and career guidance …
Counselling is a key part of the school guidance programme,
offered on an individual or group basis as part of a
developmental learning process and at moments of personal
crisis ... Counselling in schools may include personal counselling,
educational counselling, career counselling or a combination of
these. (DES 2005)
Professional
Identity – role
Experiences and Workshop and other EU experiences
Guidance Counsellor
Career Guidance Teacher
Adult Education Guidance Co-ordinator /
Counsellor
Career Development Adviser
Careers Adviser
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Qualifications
Competence
Supervision / reflective practice
CPD
Boundaries / referral
Membership of professional body
Code of Ethics / Standards
Record keeping
One to One
 Group work
 Appropriate
 Follow up
 Feedback / Client Voice
 Referral
 Advocacy
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EU
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Lifelong guidance integrated into lifelong learning
Quality assurance
Access
Co-ordination and co-operation
Career management skills
National
o National Centre for Guidance in Education – policy, support, cpd
o Education Act 1998
o DES Circular ppt 12/05
o DES Guidelines – Whole School Guidance Planning
o White Paper on Adult Education
o DES Circular 07/2004
o National Guidance Forum Report 2007 - Quality Guidelines/Competency Document
Local / Regional
o VEC Education Plan / School Plan
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Strategic
Integrated
Co-ordinated
Feedback
Innovating systems change
Advocate / broker
Communication
Quality assurance systems
Short training course/Certificate in
“Guidance”
 Therapy
 Role existing in isolation or vacuum
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Within the Lifelong Guidance Framework …
Focused / Accredited CPD programme, Post
Qualification
Integration into education sector requires team
approach – with co-operation with and guidance
awareness for education providers / teachers /
lecturers
Research in Guidance Counselling – effectiveness /
outcomes / evidence based practice
Quality Assurance System
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Guidance Counsellor as Lifelong Learner
CPD leading to Higher Skills Development (expand
abilities, broaden career & deepen knowledge)
Research – Evidence Based Practice
ICT - Skills and Use in Guidance Provision
Career path for Guidance counsellor- academic,
management, policy development, research,
supervisor, cpd delivery………
Thank You
Jennifer McKenzie
NCGE
www.ncge.ie
Email: Jennifer.McKenzie@ncge.ie
Useful Links
Department of Education and Skills, Guidelines for Second level Schools on
the implications of Education Act 1998, Section 9 (c) page 8
http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/pp_guideliines_second_level
_schools_9c.pdf
DES circular on Guidance Provision in Second Level Schools.
DES Circular ppt 12/05
http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/ppt12_05.doc
Planning the School Guidance Programme (2004)
http://www.ncge.ie/reports/Pl_Sch_Gui_prog_leaf.pdf
EU Council Resolution 2008
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/educ
/104236.pdf
Useful Links
Government’s White Paper on Adult Education, Learning for Life
(Department of Education and Science, 2000)
http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/fe_adulted_wp.pdf?la
nguage=EN
Pay and Conditions for Adult Education Guidance Counsellors and
Adult Guidance Coordinators
DES Circular 07/2004
http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/fe70_04.doc
National Guidance Forum's Final Report Guidance for Life: An
Integrated Framework for Lifelong Guidance in Ireland 2007
http://www.nationalguidanceforum.ie/documents/NGF_Guidance_
for_Life%20final.pdf