The role of guidance and counselling in minimising risk factors to early leaving from education and training in Europe

ABSTRACT

Guidance and counselling are key features in comprehensive strategies aiming to reduce early leaving from education and training (ELET). It may assist students not only in terms of decision-making, but also of managing their transitions within education and training pathways or from education to employment. Minimising the risks of either insufficient information or unrealistic expectations, guidance and counselling may support learners in making informed decisions based on their interests, talents, and future job aspirations as well as prevent dropouts and early leaving. For those who have left education and training early, guidance and counselling may assist them to return and qualify in upper secondary education. The present paper examines how national policies and practices of guidance and counselling in EU Member States support learners at risk and early leavers from education and training. It aims to map and analyse existing policies and practices in both general secondary education and vocational education and training (VET) and identify common trends and patterns. The study draws on data obtained through European research and tools published since 2011 until 2020, the period which marks the adoption of the Council Recommendation for tackling ELET and the completion of the Education and Training 2020.

KEYWORDS:

• Early school leaving
• career guidance and counselling
• learners at risk
• european policies
• vocational education and training

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Cynthia Harrison-Villalba in charge of Cedefop’s project on Lifelong Guidance who critically reviewed the present manuscript and provided constructive feedback for its improvement.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. This indicator was previously named early school leaving (ESL); however, the main aspect implied in this indicator was leaving from ‘school’ and did not recognise that young people can dropout from other forms of education and training. Additionally, the term ‘dropout’ is not a synonym of early leaving, since it refers to interrupting an ongoing course, experienced by different age groups and does not necessarily lead to early leaving. Hence, not all early leavers are necessarily dropouts. In conclusion, the definition of ELET has its particularities and differences with other similar concepts, as well as its variations among countries (Psifidou 2021). The authors use the term ‘early leaving from education and training’ (ELET), unless stated otherwise in policy documents [e.g. early school leaving (ESL) and/or early leaving (EL)].

2. The VET toolkit may be accessed at: www.cedefop.europa.eu/TEL-toolkit.

3. The inventory may be accessed at: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/publications-and-resources/country-reports/inventory-lifelong-guidance-systems-and-practices.

4. Prevention policies aim to reduce the risk of early school leaving before problems start by optimising the provision of education and training in order to support better learning outcomes and to remove obstacles to educational success. Intervention policies aim to avoid early school leaving by improving the quality of education and training at the level of the educational institutions, while compensation policies aim to help those who left school prematurely to re-engage in education, offering routes to re-enter education and training and gain the qualifications they missed (Council of the European Union 2011).

5. Ambassadors tackling early leaving are policy makers, learning providers, experts and other key stakeholders involved in tackling early leaving at national, regional or local level in Europe. They help disseminate Cedefop’s toolkit for tackling early leaving and enrich its resources by sending good practices, news, publications and statistics. Further information may be found at: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/toolkits/vet-toolkit-tackling-early-leaving/ambassadors.

6. CareersNet (CNet) is Cedefop’s network of independent experts in lifelong career guidance and career development supporting the Lifelong guidance project within the Department for Learning and Employability. Further information may be found at: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/events-and-projects/networks/careersnet.

7. Further information on beneficiaries’ profiles may be found at: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/toolkits/vet-toolkit-tackling-early-leaving/intervention-approaches.

8. Further information on the policy objectives may be found at: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/toolkits/vet-toolkit-tackling-early-leaving/intervention-approaches.

9. Information derives from the four countries, namely England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

10. Further information may be found at: http://observatoire-reussite-educative.fr/dispositifs/dossier-PSAD.

11. Further information may be found at: https://vera.ses-bonn.de/.

12. Further information may be found at: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/toolkits/vet-toolkit-tackling-early-leaving/resources/carpo-assistierte-ausbildung-assisted-vet.

13. Further information may be found at: https://www.ncge.ie/ncge/adult-educational-guidance-services.

14. Further information may be found at: https://www.education.ie/en/Learners/Information/Youthreach/.

15. Further information may be found at: http://www.berufsorientierung-nrw.de/start/index.html.

16. Further information may be found at: https://www.educred.ro/.

17. Further information may be found at: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/training-success.

18. Further information may be found at: https://www.bildungsketten.de/.

19. Further information may be found at: https://www.alj.lu/services-et-missions/.

20. Further information may be found at: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/toolkits/vet-toolkit-tackling-early-leaving/resources/carpo-assistierte-ausbildung-assisted-vet.

21. Further information may be found at: https://www.innove.ee/en/rajaleidja-network/.

22. Further information may be found at: https://document.environnement.brussels/opac_css/elecfile/DEP%20Expair%20EN.

23. Further information may be found at: https://education.gov.mt/en/resources/News/Pages/News%20items/The-Prince%E2%80%99s-Trust%E2%80%99s-xl-Programme.aspx.

24. Further information may be found at: https://neba.at/jugendcoaching/warum-jugendcoaching.

25. Further information may be found at: https://www.orienta4yel.eu/.

26. Further information may be found at: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2018-14204.

27. Further information may be found at: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/sv/toolkits/vet-toolkit-tackling-early-leaving/resources/integrated-pedagogical-system-integralt.

28. Further information may be found at: https://www.dge.mec.pt/teip.

29. Further information may be found at: https://www.neba.at/jugendcoaching.

30. Further information may be found at: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/toolkits/vet-toolkit-tackling-early-leaving/resources/vera-prevention-training-dropout.

31. Further information may be found at: https://www.lehre-statt-leere.at/.

32. Further information may be found at: https://sites.google.com/view/stay-tuned-report/contact.

33. Further information may be found at: https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/unternehmen/ausbildungsbetriebe/einstiegsqualifizierung-arbeitgeber.

34. Further information may be found at: https://curriculum.gov.mt/en/Curriculum/Year-9-to-11/Documents/curric_f3_f5/syllabus_pscd_f5.pdf.

35. Further information may be found at: https://www.philips.nl/a-w/about-philips/duurzaamheid/werkgelegenheidsplan/over-wgp/philips-employment-scheme.html.

36. Further information may be found at: https://berufsbildendeschule.bildung-rp.de/schulformen-und-bildungsgaenge/berufsvorbereitungsjahr-bvj.html.

37. Further information may be found at: https://www.bmas.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2016/bmas-und-ba-unterstuetzen-zukunftsstarter.html.

38. Further information may be found at: https://education.gov.mt/en/education/Pages/GEM16plus.aspx.

39. SEC exams stand for the Secondary Education Certificate Examination in Malta. Further information be found at: https://myexams.gov.mt/matsec-examinations/.

40. Further information may be found at: http://www.segundaoportunidade.com/.

41. Further information may be found at: https://www.ltl.lu/download/120/brochures-menje/3959/que-faire-apres-la-5e-de-lenseignement-secondaire-general.pdf.

42. Further information may be found at: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2018-14204.

43. Further information may be found at: https://www.vdab.be/mijnloopbaan.

44. Further information may be found at: https://www.perscol.fr/ressources/plan-daction-tous-mobilises-pour-vaincre-le-decrochage-scolaire/.

45. Further information may be found at: https://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=16265&langId=en.

46. Further information may be found at: https://mye2o.org/.

47. Further information may be found at: https://www.guidingcities.eu/en/.

48. Further information may be found at: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/toolkits/vet-toolkit-tackling-early-leaving/resources/pluginnovation.

49. Further information may be found at: https://careersportal.ie/.

50. Further information may be found at: https://www.orienta4yel.eu/.

51. In this context, case management may be considered as an individual-centred and outcome-focused approach that supports individuals in obtaining and managing the resources and services that they need. For instance, case management may provide the necessary ‘infrastructure for effectively delivering the appropriate mix of services that has proven to be effective in identifying education, employment, and training needs’ (YouthBuild 2010: 132).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Irene Psifidou

Psifidou Irene is a doctoral comparative education specialist by training, her current job as Expert at Cedefop’s department for learning and employability is to apply robust scientific research and principles in the development of evidence-based EU education and training policies. She is currently leading the Agency’s team on VET for Youth managing projects on the professional development of VET teachers and trainers and tackling early leaving from education and training. Irene created Cedefop’s VET toolkit for tackling early leaving and coordinates its European virtual community of ambassadors.

Nikolaos Mouratoglou

Mouratoglou Nikolaos is a pedagogue, career counsellor and adult educator and he is currently completing his PhD in ICT in Education. He is external teaching and research associate of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, while in the past he provided research support in Cedefop in the Department of Learning and Employability. His main research interests entail pedagogy and ICT, educational policy, career counselling and career guidance. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6653-7810

Alexandra Farazouli

Farazouli Alexandra is a research trainee at the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training in the Department of Learning and Employability. She holds a Master’s Degree in International and Comparative Education from Stockholm University with a specialisation in education policy. Her main research interests entail education policy, educational planning, early school leaving and Vocational Education and Training.