The initial workshops on improving the service standards for career guidance and counselling (CGC) were held in late November 2024 and brought together more than 40 representatives from schools and publicly recognized adult education organizers. These workshops are part of an extensive consultative process with social partners initiated by the Office for Dual Education and the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), aimed at enhancing the quality and consistent application of CGC standards in education.
The Need for Change
Strategic documents of the Republic of Serbia related to education, employment, and youth work recognize career guidance and counselling programs and services as an essential support mechanism for individuals of all ages. Although CGC programs are considered crucial for supporting individuals in their educational and career choices, a study prepared last year at the initiative of the Ministry of Education and the Office for Dual Education and NQF pointed out the general nature of existing standards, which limited their application in various contexts and with different target groups to some extent.
Based on the recommendations made by the study’s authors, the Office for Dual Education and NQF, as part of the "Support for the Development and Establishment of the National Dual Education Model" project supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and Erasmus+ Project, initiated the preparation of a proposal for improved CGC service standards that were presented to workshop participants.
Key Aspects of the Workshops
During the workshops attended by representatives from schools and publicly recognized adult education organizers, the foundational elements for improving the standards, their internal structure, as well as the areas and standards covered by the proposal with examples, were presented. The necessity of creating space for documenting and monitoring CGC activities through the elements of the standards was emphasized as a starting point for evaluating activities in this area, on which the process of improving CGC service quality and standards can be based. Additionally, the question of what the elements of quality support should be, highlighted by the standards, was openly discussed. It was stressed that the standards should consider different categories of youth and adult users and point out the variety of organizational forms through which career guidance and counselling services can be offered and combined.
Workshop facilitators, experts from the Institute of Pedagogy and Andragogy, actively engaged participants through discussions and practical examples. Although the workshops were held online, the interactions helped clarify key concepts and encouraged the exchange of ideas regarding the challenges and possibilities for applying the standards, giving the workshops added dynamism and practical value.
Next Steps in the Consultative Process
"Through these workshops, we want to open space for discussion and idea exchange, but also for concrete suggestions and different perspectives that will help us develop standards that meet the real needs of the system and users," said Dr. Vesna Fabian, Assistant Director of the Office, to the workshop participants.
Following the workshops, the proposal for improved CGC service standards was sent to participants for review, with an opportunity to submit comments. The consultative process will continue in December – two more workshops are planned at the beginning of the month, involving representatives from the youth and labour sectors. The final version of the improved standards will be completed by the end of January 2025, after being aligned with the Working Group for Career Guidance and Counselling.