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CAREER GUIDE 1st Annual Report / 2005-2006

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CAREER GUIDE for schools

1st Annual Report2005 - 2006


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Artwork:

Vassilis Tzanoglos

Evaggelos Anastasiou

Makis Mazarakos

CareerGuide network is carried out within the framework of the Socrates/Comenius 3 and is co-financed by the European Commission

Contact Number:225936-CP-1-12005-1-GR - COMENIOUS - C3PP

Copyright © 2006 Carrer Guide

All rights reserved.

Reproduction or translation of any part of this work without the written permission of the copyright owners is unlawful. Request for permission or further information should be ad-dressed to the copyright owners.

Printed by EPINOIA S.A.


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CAREER GUIDE for schools

1st Annual Report2005 - 2006

Editors: Sofoklis Sotiriou, Eleni Lampou, Nora Gikopoulou


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Contents

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

1. Aims and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

2. Methodology Of Working Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

3. Activity Report of Working group: “How to find out about yourself” . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

4. Activity Report of Working group: “How to find about the job market” . . . . . . . . . .35

5. Activity Report of Working group: “How to develop your career” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

6. Career Guide schools’ Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

7. Portal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

8. Dissemination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

9. 1st annual Career Guide Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77


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Preface

This annual report documents the Career Guide Network activities of the year 2005 -2006. The aim of the document is to present the main achievements but also the obstacles that came up.

During the first year the main work concerned the organization of working groups and the design of working groups’ research activities. The effort was focused also on building efficient collaboration scheme among the consortium.

Subsequently, on this document, consortium presents the experiences in the Career Guid-ance Network, the objectives, the achievements and the obstacles in this first year.

The Annual Report includes seven main chapters describing the key points and the mile-stones of the project. At the beginning of this volume, the reader will find the main objec-tives of career guide Network and the working groups’ development methodology. At the next chapter, will be presented the achievements at the first year. Specifically, the construc-tion of the Working groups research activities, the schools’ network, the portal and the dis-semination activities are presented. The annual report accomplished with the presentation of the 1st annual conference of “CareerGUIDE for Schools” that took place in Athens.


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1. Aims and Objectives

The main aim of the career guide network is to bridge the gap between school and work. The main contribution of the networks work will be the provision of a real world experience bridging academic and occupational learning and interests. Through a series of proposed methodologies, the network will explore and demonstrate ways that European schools could adopt in order their students to explore possible career pathways that integrate their strengths and interests with classroom and occupational learning. The career exploration journey is a vital part of students becoming citizens with more clearly defined futures hav-ing identified and pursued their potential opportunities. This aim will try to serve the fol-lowing objectives and provide a different perspective in the current situation as described in the previous session.

• To stimulate the effort of bringing career guidance to the education policy front and contribute to the upgrading of teaching and learning career development.Although career development guidance has been explored extensively the last years, most of the work has as a focal point adult population. The proposed network will try to highlight the importance of introducing career guidance from the early years of the educational system since efforts to intervene in the life career process can accelerate or strengthen the acquisition of knowledge, attitudes and skills about self and the world of work.


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• To develop generic skills profiles relevant to key jobs and to create a dedicated web portal, the CareerGUIDE for Schools portal and a series of additional commu-nications (workshops, info-days, conferences) to make this information available. The generic skills profiles which will be included will describe the jobs, setting out the vision, role and life style associated with them. The specific technology areas and tasks associated with each job will be outlined, as well as the level of behavioral and techni-cal skills required to carry out the profiled jobs.

• To explore the best practices on the implementation of career guidance education in Europe through extended surveys. Working groups of the network are going to record and analyze the needs of career-guidance teachers and students in Europe, best career-guidance practices and activities etc. and produce a series of reports which are going to form the basis for developing the “Report on Effective Career Guidance in Schools”. The report could help all those persons who formally or informally take part in the process of educational and career guidance of children.

• To offer specialized support and training opportunities to educators of career guid-ance in schools throughout Europe. Through the CareerGUIDE for Schools portal all school teachers could have access to and familiarize with career guidance resources. Teachers who are interested in the specific thematic area could be informed on various training opportunities offered all over Europe. Additionally, tutors of career guidance will be able to exchange best practices and experiences on the issue of career develop-ment.

• To develop new curriculum guidelines that will assist education and training policy makers and decision makers across Europe to design courses to match the skills profiles and needs of Europe’s industry and meet the aims of the eEurope Action Plan.

• To establish horizontal links between school & society. The proposed network aims at joining the society with school through the integration of various elements of the wider society in the participating school communities. By engaging policy makers and labour market agencies throughout Europe in the CareerGUIDE for Schools portal, automatically society is integrated in the school curriculum.

• To evaluate the application of ICT-based methodologies and practices addressed to career guidance. The function of the network will be based on the use and exploita-tion of the possibilities offered by Information Communication Technologies that will support qualitatively the effort. The same concept i.e. the utilization of ICT will form the basis for indicating new methodologies of good career guidance practice.


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• To promote the European Dimension in career guidance reinforcing long-term mo-bility in Europe. The CareerGUIDE for Schools portal will accumulate information on the issue of career guidance from various European countries offering the opportunity to anyone interested on the issue to gather information in a European level. Users will also have the chance to discuss on the specific topic with people with common interests, from other European countries and explore another country’s culture. Fur-thermore, schools all over Europe, implementing CareerGUIDE for Schools portal, can follow a common approach on educational and career guidance. The CareerGUIDE for Schools workshops which will be held in all participating countries, will also contribute to maximising the European Dimension in career guidance, since professionals from all over Europe will meet each other and offer information about their occupation in their country to school-children and teachers. The workshops will promote career diversity in the extended European community.

• To create the conditions for the network’s sustainability and expansion. The part-nership aims to create a cooperation network open to expansion and development. This by definition will assist the effort of sustaining the networks function after the end of this project. The CareerGUIDE for Schools network will put special effort on utilizing outcomes of other Comenius projects, develop collaboration and include other Comen-ius partners in the Network. In addition, the partnership aims to support further the continuation of the network by own resources and by trying to ensure additional funds from other external resources.

The Consortium of CareerGuide network consists of the following partners:

• Ellinogermaniki Agogi, Athens, Greece

Ellinogermaniki Agogi is an educational organization of private law, officially recognized by the state. It is an institutional member of EDEN (European Distance Education Network) and of STEDE (Science Teacher Education Development in Europe) network.

Ellinogermaniki Agogi was the first Greek educational organization, which applied ODL in secondary level education in the year of 1993. Since 1995, the organization has estab-lished a devoted department, the Research and Development Department for the design, development and implementation of the research activities in education, expanding the collaboration with Universities and pedagogical Institutions across Europe, as it provides the best test bed for research applications.


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• INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France• University of Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France

• Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany

• Newman College of Higher Education, Birmingham, UK


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• Ellinogermaniki Agogi, Athens, Greece• University of Athens, Athens, Greece• ALBA Graduate Business School, Athens, Greece• Orientum- Career Counsellors, Athens, Greece

• Technical University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria

• IPA S.A., Bucharest, Romania

• Institute for Future Studies, Innsbruck, Austria

• Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania• Kaunas Maironis Gymnasium, Kaunas, Lithuania

• Alfa-Omega Communications, Talin, Estonia


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• Newman College of Higher Education, Birmingham, UK

Newman College is a College of Higher Education in the University sector. It provides undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses in initial teacher training and continued professional development for teachers and undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in a range of other areas, including Psychology, Education Studies. All undergraduate pro-grammes include work placement modules and Newman has extensive experience in vocational preparation. Newman College has a long-standing and extensive network of student mobility co-operation through the ERASMUS provision. In addition, the college co-operates through the Teacher Training Agency with the Ministries of Education of France and of Spain. Other educational specialisations include ICT development and application, the provision for children with Special Educational Needs and citizenship education. The University of Leicester validates awards.

• University of Athens, Athens, Greece (will be withdrawn)

• INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France

INSEAD is widely recognised among the world’s top-tier business schools as one of the most innovative and influential. It is the only business school with full-fledged campuses in Asia (Singapore) and Europe (Fontainebleau). Currently, 147 faculty members teach more than 840 MBA students, 6,800 executives and 73 PhD students from over 75 countries. The INSEAD Executive MBA is being launched in autumn 2003. INSEAD’s unique global per-spective and multicultural diversity are reflected in all aspects of its research and teaching. The INSEAD-Wharton Alliance, announced in May 2001, combines INSEAD’s resources with those of Wharton’s campuses in Philadelphia and San Francisco, to deliver business education and research across a Global Learning Network.

• Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany

The Dresden University of Technology (TU Dresden) founded in 1828 does not only rank among the oldest technical universities in Germany but also among the most important ones as far as research is concerned. Having been committed to the natural sciences and the engineering sciences until the reunification of Germany, TU Dresden has developed into an all-around university due to the new faculties of social sciences and medicine. With its alto-gether 14 faculties it now offers a broad scientific spectrum which only few universities in Germany are able to match. The university’s consistent orientation toward competitiveness is also closely linked to its being restructured at the beginning of the 1990’s. Of course, this also includes a commerce-oriented way of thinking and action as well as the xpansion of


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already existing partnerships of science with industry and commerce. Leading commercial enterprises have acknowledged the university’s commitment to practice-oriented teaching and research, among other things, with the foundation of thirteen endowed chairs.

• University of Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France

The UNIVERSITY LOUIS PASTEUR STRASBOURG (ULP) is the Laboratory of Educational Sci-ences. This institution has two fields of research; the educational multimedia and the adult education. It organizes research seminars. The researchers participate in research pro-grams, international congress and publish their research results in international reviews in education. The laboratory has got 20 members.

The Laboratory of Educational Sciences has participated in several EU programmes on ICT. It is developing also university training in professional guidance for the students especially in the reform of the higher education in Europe (Bologna Process). The objective is to provide to the students information about the professional opportunities. The ERASMUS program, proposed to the students since 9 years, help them to acquire more foreign lan-guage skills and knowledge about the Higher education in Europe and the different Euro-pean cultures. With the Laboratory of Educational Sciences, the University Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg has developed a competence of research in educational multimedia and more particularly in pedagogical usage of the Internet. It has developed several university train-ing’s on pedagogical usage’s of the Internet and notably a diploma on distance education via the Internet, the University Diploma for the Utilisation of Informational and Communi-cational Technology for Education.

• ALBA Graduate Business School, Athens, Greece

ALBA is an educational not-for-profit association of Greek corporations, currently number-ing 50. ALBA’ s mission is to foster a new generation of managers, from Greece, but also from other countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Balkans and Eastern Europe, capa-ble of operating in a global environment, and at the same time equipped with the neces-sary skills for becoming agents and catalysts of change and development in this region. It does so by offering a rigorous postgraduate business education of the highest international academic standards, adapted to the specific problems and circumstances of the not-fully developed economies and societies around Greece.

ALBA has established a well equipped Career Office, which offers a wide range of career services, in order to help students plan and successfully develop their careers. The mission of the Career Office is to provide, on the basis of ALBA’s extensive knowledge of the job market and its close links with the business community, excellent support to assist students


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and alumni in making sound career decisions and help them plan a successful career path. A variety of support services are offered to all students wishing to gain extensive up-to-date information about the job market.

• Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania

Vytautas Magnus University is under the Lithuanian Ministry of Science and Education. The decision to establish the University of Lithuania in Kaunas was made by Lithuanian cabinet of Ministers on February, 1922. The act of re-establishing Vytautas the Great University

Vytautas Magnus university, Department of Education - was re-established in 1991. Its mission is to provide the city, region and the country with a wider access to humanitar-ian culture. It organises a variety of activities, including studies, research and international projects.

• Technical University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria

The Technical University of Sofia, created in 1945 is the oldest higher school for engineer-ing education in Bulgaria. Its more than 55000 alumni have considerably contributed to the development of the Bulgarian industry, energy, transport and communications sectors. Today with 19000 students and 1800 staff TUS is the largest technical university in the country and plays an important role in the national education system. The University has good traditions in international cooperation.

During the period 1991-2001 it participated actively in the EU funded TEMPUS program (more than 60 projects with a total budget of 9 mln. EUR). Now the TUS is very active in the Socrates and Leonardo programs, oriented toward students and professors exchange with EU 15 universities. Besides TUS scientists’ teams are working under several research programs, like COPERNICUS for example. More than 60 bilateral agreements with foreign universities (mostly of them with universities from EU countries) are supporting the inter-national cooperation

• Institute for Future Studies, Innsbruck, Austria

The IFS is a young institution of applied research, which focuses on selected topics of future of education and work. It has been founded by the Association for Flexible Learning in Innsbruck (Austria). Main interests are in the research and public discussion of questions concerning future use of information and communication technologies (ICT), especially in professional world and education. A strong focus is put on ICT support for the combina-tion of different learning contexts (formal, non-formal and informal learning). A major goal


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is the promotion of life-long learning among the population and local, regional, national and European/international policy makers. The Institute investigates actual trends, analyses possibilities and risks in society and examines consequences on professional and private life.

• IPA S.A., Bucharest, Romania

IPA SA is a privately owned company focused on research and design in automation, cur-rently employing about 240 people. Based in Bucharest, it has subsidiaries in the main Ro-manian towns. Founded in 1960 for the formation of the national industry of automation, IPA’s specialists have established direct and permanent relations with most noteworthy companies and institutions in Romania, placed in various sectors: industry, information technology, energy including renewable, transport, agriculture, environmental protection, a.o.

• Kaunas Maironis Gymnasium, Kaunas, Lithuania

Kaunas Maironis gymnasium is one of the oldest schools in Lithuania. It is the institution of local municipality providing curriculum programme across the four year learning areas for higher classes of secondary education.

Kaunas Maironis gymnasium has a specialized programme for students that includes ca-reer guidance services (briefing, counselling, competencies development). Kaunas Mai-ronis Gymnasium is responsible for Modelling of career guidance for secondary schools in Lithuania, local centre of career guidance for pupils, organizer of conferences on career guidance for schools.

• Alfa-Omega Communications, Talin, Estonia

Alfa-Omega Communications is a private company which was founded in January 2000. The company’s core business area is international Public Relations and Communication. Its objectives and mission consist in the provision of customized communication and informa-tion services. Its main expertise is in the fields of business, education, science, technology and social issues.

Alfa-Omega Communications has established constructive relations with the opinion lead-ers, scientists, business leaders, educational and political circles, mass media publications and news agencies. Its expertise includes corporate communication, marketing communi-cation, media relations and organizing of events.


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• Orientum- Career Counsellors, Athens, Greece (new partner)

The ORIENTUM Company was created aiming at providing services in the space of Coun-selling and Vocational Guidance, addressing mainly to students of Secondary Education. Constituted by young persons, specialised in the space of Vocational Guidance and job market, it aims at providing completed projects of counselling of career in the students, helping them in the crucial phase of choice of academic department. The name of the company derives from the Latin “Oriens” (Sunshine) and stands for an effort to help the students for a new beginning in their academic and professional career.

The collaboration of Orientum with the company named KARIERA SA provides career coun-sellors with the capability of combining practically education with job market work and, via the newspaper “Kariera”, it offers the readers’ useful information on subjects of education and labour market.


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2. Methodology of working groups

The working group is the main methodological “unit” of the Career Guide network. As far as the network activities on training and supporting teachers and counsellors are con-cerned, there are three underlying pedagogical concepts:

• To embody career guidance in the school’s curriculum as a wide open process by ex-ploring and adapting the best practices of it

• To establish horizontal links between school & society by bridging the gap between education and labour market

• To adapt and evaluate the application of ICT-based methodologies and practices ad-dressed to career guidance.

According to the proposal the work of the CareerGUIDE for Schools network will mainly be based upon the principles of the collaborative approach. The network consisted of working groups on different sub thematic areas that work independently but meet and reflect to each other periodically, in order to combine and utilise knowledge and research evidence for producing the best of it.

The working groups cooperate implementing practices, activities and techniques. The


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members of the working groups had either face to face meetings or virtual meetings. In those meetings group members recorded progress and concluded on their future actions. The general guidelines, the timeframe of each work that had to be performed as well as the dissemination of the work, were discussed by all partners and each group separately part-ners. Milestones of the first year were the formation of the research activities, the structure of the Portal and the planning of working groups.

The formation was discussed at the kick off meeting (10/2005) and the structure of the Por-tal defined at the second meeting in Dresden (03/06). The final planning and the working groups’ structure defined at the third meeting in Athens (11/06). In addition, several msn working groups meetings took place during the first year, in order to discuss the process of research work. Furthermore, there were two meetings of the working groups’ coordinators, where reorganization’s topics were discussed.

The exact research themes and the respective number of the working groups are deter-mined with the formation of the network. The major outcome of the working group is the “working group report” on the research theme.

Moments of the meetings


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The main objectives of the working groups are:

• To stimulate the effort of bringing career guidance to the education policy front and contribute to the upgrading of teaching and learning career development.

• To develop generic skills profiles relevant to key jobs and to create a dedicated web portal, the CareerGUIDE for Schools portal and a series of additional communications (workshops, info-days, conferences) to make this information available.

• To explore the best practices on the implementation of career guidance education in Europe through extended surveys (“Report on Effective Career Guidance in Schools”).

• To offer specialized support and training opportunities to educators of career guidance in schools throughout Europe.

• To develop new curriculum guidelines


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• To establish horizontal links between school & society.

• To evaluate the application of ICT-based methodologies and practices addressed to career guidance.

• To promote the European Dimension in career guidance reinforcing long-term mobility in Europe

• To create the conditions for the network’s sustainability and expansion.

At the kick off meeting were planned the basic thematic accesses. In accordance with those plans, the work of the progress is organized in two parallel accesses. The first concerns the current status of Career Guidance in Europe. All partners collect relevant information for their country, such as the number of official institutions that provide career counseling and the models of career guidance that each country implements.

The second access refers to research activities for “best practices” at the field of the Career Guidance. At the 2nd meeting in Dresden were defined the organization and the working groups’ thematic areas:

WG1 School to Labour Transition

• Personal development

• Career and education guidance

• Special people groups transition

• Skills matching with market job needs

• Other uploads related to school to work transitions in Europe

WG2 Methodologies and approaches (including ICT) in career guidance


• Counselling

• Career skills

• Work placement

• Role playing

• Information giving

• Other uploads related to Methodologies in career guidance


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WG3 Attitudes, perception of students/teachers towards Career guidance

• Attitude/perception of students

• Attitude/perception of teachers

WG4 Career design skills

• Decision making skills and problem solving

• Personality (personal awareness, personal effectiveness skills, self- es-teem, values)

• Collecting and evaluating information skills (collection, planning and organize the information, critical thinking, communication skills)

Following the evolution of the research activities, the consortium decided to change the structure of the working groups as an attempt to make topics less obscure and ambigu-ous and to provide network teachers and counsellors with one more structured and clear methodology for career guidance based on the theoretical and scientific background of career guidance.

In particular the problems that came up were related with the following topics:

a) Some titles weren’t clear and did not refer to a specific content.

b) In some cases consortium noticed there were overlaps at the content.

c) The relation of the content among the working groups was ambiguous

Three working groups created and specialised in different sub-thematic areas. The three working groups represent the three vital steps a student should do in order to achieve a successful career and in general a life path.

The student, at first, recognizes and accepts his personal inner and external traits. Student makes an effort to understand himself, his abilities and his skills, his values and his motiva-tions. This thematic area concerns the Personal Development, one of the most substantive and difficult part of the procedure of career guidance.

After having the “information” for him, student wants to learn information about the sys-tem of education and the labor market. The education that institutions provide, the needs of labor market, the skills required most and the main links regarding labor market tenden-


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WG1 Find out about yourself

• Self

• general and life skills (learning skills and competences, talents, abili-ties)

• coaching(coaching, process, practice, methodology)

• personal, values, interests and motivations

WG2 Find about the job market

• job market

• Skills, experience and knowledge required for different groups of profes-sions

• Marketable and non-marketable professions

• Easy steps how to find out the information about the job market and it’s needs in the countries of project partners

• Proposed methodologies

WG3 How to develop your career

• Career design skills

• Work placement

• transition

cies are topics that included in the second working group.

The last step concerns the matching of personal traits with a specific career and the detec-tion of alternatives choices and career plans. The development of career skills, the steps to make a good decision, the construction of cv and cover letter, the preparation for the 1st interview and the adaptation in new work placements, comprise the topics of the third working group.

Following this structure of content, a teacher or a counsellor can easily approach the field of career guidance and help their students.

The current status of working groups’ organization, presented at the table below:


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The content of working groups is presented in a more detailed way at the lines below:

• Know about yourself: In this working group, the procedure of recognition of the self aspects is the vital thematic. In this framework, practices concerning personal recogni-tion and development were studied and then published in the website (WIKI section). Other parts of the research activities of this working group were self concept, self es-teem, self assessment, a proposed coaching process, practices, methodology on chil-dren’s interests and values.

• Know about the labour market: In this working group, topics concerning labour mar-ket were worked on. Main topics are industry constraints, research on marketable and non marketable professions, providing a methodology for organizing career panels and career days in schools or educational institutes.

• Develop your career path: In this working group, some practices concerning career design skills – especially, problem solving and decision making – are studied and then published in the website. The development of competencies and skills or Role playing games and exercises on: Decision making skills, CV writing, presentation skills, social skills, communication, personal effectiveness, Cultural adaptation skills, learn how to search job vacancies were investigated and published in the website

The work that had done from each partner embodied to the new topics of working groups. In a more specific way

The content of the old working group 1 “school to labor transition” has embodied at working group 3 “How to develop your career” and working group 1“ Find out about yourself”.

The working group 2 has been shared to working group 1 and working group 3.

Working group’s 3 content has transferred to the first access, where the current status of career guidance in each partner’s country can be described. In this section, statistics and researches for attitudes can be referred.

Working group 4 embodied to working group 3 “how to develop your career”, concerning the topic of career decision, and to the working group 2, regarding the topic of informa-tion.

At the tables below, the cross changes are presented:


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WG1 School to Labour Transition


• Career and education guidance

• Special people groups transition

• Skills matching with market job needs

WG2 Methodologies and approaches (including ICT) in career guidance


• Counselling

• Career skills

• Work placement

• Role playing

• Information giving

WG3 Attitudes, perception of students/teachers towards Career guidance

• Attitude/perception of students

• Attitude/perception of teachers

WG4 Career design skills

• Decision making skills and problem solving

• Personality (personal awareness, personal effectiveness skills, self- es-teem, values)

• Collecting and evaluating information skills (collection, planning and organize the information, critical thinking, communication skills)


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WG1 Find out about yourself

• Self

• general and life skills (learn-ing skills and competences, talents, abilities)

• coaching(coaching, proc-ess, practice, methodol-ogy)

• personal, values, interests and motivations

WG2 Find about the job market

• job market

• Skills, experience and knowledge required for different groups of profes-sions

• Marketable and non-mar-ketable professions

• Easy steps how to find out the information about the job market and it’s needs in the countries of project partners

• Proposed methodologies

WG3 How to develop your career

• Career design skills

• Work placement

• transition


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Methodology of research and implementation

Working groups aim to develop training material and best practices and activities, which can be used from counselors at secondary school. In particular aim to create practical and useful exercises and activities that can take place in a classroom, that hold no more than 30’ minutes and counsellor can use them as a session, accomplished in a lot of parts, or as individual practices.

Theoretical background: Each exercise or activity has been based on a specific theory that presented concisely. So consortium declares the aims, the basic axes – key points and the whole concept of the theory.

Links: will be provided a data basis of suggested web counselling platforms

Implementation: best scenarios will be implemented at classroom by researchers. Although, in order to avoid distance problems with school far away located, consortium can train counselors and explain with details the procedure of implementation.

Evaluation: Counselors that will implement exercises will evaluate the activity.


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3. Activity Report of Working group: “How to find out about yourself”

Working group 1 has as a title “How to find out about yourself” and are participating Ellinogermaniki Agogi as working group leader, Newman College of Higher Education (NCHE), Kaunas Maironis Gymnasium (KMG) and ALBA Graduate Business School.

The main aspects of working group 1 comprise of:

Self • analysis of the term “self” and its aspects• self concept, self esteem, self assessment• activities for the self concept

General & life skills • learning skills & competences• talents• abilities

Coaching • coaching• process, practices, methodology

Personal Values, interests & motivations

• children’s interests and values• specification


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Personal Development it’s a hard continuous process, vital part in the procedure of Career Guidance, helping pupils to understand and articulate all aspects of their personality in or-der to make specific plans for a stable future achievement. This process is indeed an open wide plan made by pupils, connecting their emotional, educational and the vocational self aspect.

Actually, it is student’s first step in a long life path, in a path of realizing and acting and it could be embodied in the schools’ curriculum as an open wide plan.

Personal development could be shaped in schools as a curriculum which encompasses any area of learning that promotes students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and helps them to be prepared for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.

For all these reasons above, we regarded the issue of Personal Development, the first step at the career counselling procedure and one of the most difficult parts.

Regarding the research activities, working group1 has already created a matrix with specific practices, in accordance with the appropriate methodology. Most of the activities have been uploaded at the wiki, but partners keep working on this section.

Some representative activities for self concept improving are presented at the next para-graphs:

The Interview This is a great beginning-of-the-year activity. Students will be separated into dyads. Each is paired with someone he does not already know well. Allowing five minutes per interview, the students interview each other. Then standing behind the person he has just interviewed, his hands on that person’s shoulders, each child tells what he has learned about the other, introducing him to the class.

The Journal As a journal entry each student might write a poem, describe a dream, or share something he is pleased about or unhappy about. It is the student’s journal; Teacher entries only if the student says I may. However, teacher does check regularly to ensure that there are at least three dated entries per week.

Designing Self-Collages Using pictures, words, or symbols clipped from magazines that represent things they enjoy doing or own, places they’ve been, people they admire, or careers they desire, students create a collage. They place their names on the back, and teacher post the collages around the room.

Ranking Traits Teacher asks students to rip a piece of paper into ten strips. On each they


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write a word or phrase that describes themselves. It should be assured that no one of students will see what they have written, so a student can be extremely honest. Then the student arranges the traits in order from what he most likes about himself to what he least likes. When done, teacher says, “Do you like what you see? Do you want to keep it? Now give up one trait. How does the lack of that affect you? Now give up another. Give up three. Now what kind of person are you?”

Accentuate the Positive Breaking the class into groups of four to six, students focus on one member at a time. Students in the group tell all the positive things they can about that person. Encouraging compliments that focus on behavior rather than something that can-not be altered or developed like a physical characteristic. No put downs are allowed. Every comment must be positive. One student acts as the recorder. This list is then given to the person for his journal.

Thumbprints Each student places his thumb on an inkpad and make a thumb print. Be-forehand I photocopy the five general fingerprint patterns shown in the encyclopaedia, so students can identify their type of print. Teacher discuss the fact that each fingerprint is spe-cial because it is totally unique. Then each student creates an animal using the thumbprint as the body. The students place this in their journals.

Create a “Me” Commercial Each student write a two- to three-minute television com-mercial. The topic is why someone should hire him. The commercial depicts the student’s special qualities. After they work on these, students present their commercials in front of the class. Another variation is for a group of five to create a commercial for each one and then present this in front of the class.

Drawing Self Portraits – Life Trees Using a small mirror, students draw themselves. Stu-dents can use black or colored pencils, but any medium could be used. The picture does not have to be exact, but it should be representative of that student. These portraits also go into the journals. An optional variation is to divide the shape for the face down the center lengthwise. Half the face can be a depiction of how the student sees himself, and the other how he thinks others see him. This is accompanied by a journal entry that describes how the student sees himself versus how he thinks others see him. Instead of the self portrait, students can draw a tree, depicting self. This can be the tree of their life.

These activities are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many other activities through which a teacher can help her students build a positive self-concept. These types of activities hope-fully give students the strength to withstand the pressures of the pack; they hopefully en-able students to resist that pull to metamorphoses into who they’re not.


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In additional, working group 1 presents some indiacating links, relevant with the topic of per-sonal development.

Personal development curriculum

Qualifications & Curriculum authority - U.K.

Career Development Activities

America’s Career Resource Network

Elementary - Personal/Social Development: “Mak-ing Choices”

High School - Personal/Social Development: “Man-aging Hassles”

State of Michigan

Personal Development Planning

University of Cardiff

Personal Development Planning

University of Northampton

Career & Personal Development

Canterbury Christ Church University

Personal and social education

Health Promoting Schools

Personal and social education

Singapore Ministry of Education

Personal and social education - Curriculum Guide-lines

National Curriculum Online - U.K.

Standards and Quality in Personal and Social Edu-cation in Wales

Education and Training in Wales

Ten Activities to Improve Students’ Self-Concepts

At the lines below, working group1 presents an activity referred to personal development sec-tion. The exercise created from the wg1 part-ners and implemented at the secondary school at Ellinogermaniki Agogi. As far as we have videotape the procedure of implementation, a demo is available for the consortium and the network of schools. At the paragraphs below are presented the theoretical background, the description of the exercise and the findings.

Johari Window Theory

The “iceberg exercise” has been based on the Johari‘s Window theory. The Johari Window is a widely used model for understanding and training self-awareness, personal development, improving communications, interpersonal rela-tionships, group dynamics, team development and inter-group relationships.

The Johari Window actually represents infor-mation - feelings, experience, views, attitudes, skills, intentions, motivation, etc - within or about a person - in relation to their group, from four perspectives, which are described below. Johari Window terminology refers to ‘self’ and ‘others’: ‘self’ means oneself. ‘Others’ mean other people in the person’s group or team.

The four Johari Window perspectives are called ‘regions’ or ‘areas’ or ‘quadrants’. Each of these regions contains and represents the informa-tion - feelings, motivation, etc - known about the person, in terms of whether the informa-tion is known or unknown by the person, and whether the information is known or unknown by others in the group.

The Johari Window’s four regions are as fol-lows, showing the quadrant numbers and commonly used names:


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johari window four regions

1. what is known by the person about him/herself and is also known by others - open area, open self, free area, free self, or ‘the arena’

2. what is unknown by the person about him/herself but which others know - blind area, blind self, or ‘blindspot’

3. what the person knows about him/herself that others do not know - hidden area, hid-den self, avoided area, avoided self

4. what is unknown by the person about him/herself and is also unknown by others - unknown area or unknown self

Open/free self Blind self

Hidden self Unknown self

The aim in any group should always be to de-velop the ‘open area’ for every person, because when we work in this area with others we are at our most effective and productive and the group is at its most productive too. The open free area, or ‘the arena’, can be seen as the space where good communications and coop-eration occur, free from distractions, mistrust, confusion, conflict and misunderstanding.

The elements of each region can be informa-tion, feelings, sensitivities, fears, manipulative intentions etc.

By telling others how we feel and other infor-mation about ourselves we increase the open area, through the process of ‘disclosure’, which enables better understanding, cooperation, trust, team-working effectiveness and produc-tivity.

Iceberg exercise

• We write in the board a series of human traits or we give pupils a photocopy with all these traits plus 6 cartels to each one. Then students choose 6 traits that describe themselves and write them on the 6 car-tels. We assure students that no one will see what they have written, so a student can be extremely honest.

• Then students arrange the traits in order from what they most like about themselves to what they least like. When done, we ask, “Do you like what you see? Do you want to keep it? Now give up one trait. How does the lack of that affect you? It isn’t obligato-ry for all students to answer the questions. 5-6 opinions can be heard. We also try to clarify students’ movements, facial expres-sions even their glance.

• Afterwards, we suggest students to give up another trait and next to give up three. Now we ask them ‘’what kind of person are you?” After giving up six of the qualities, we could hear all comments students have circularly in order to clarify their feelings. We recommend them to regain all traits one by one, if they feel like. This exercise ends up when children obtain all traits they really want or think they need.

Findings:

As the implementation completed, we saw great tension as students decided, which traits they will give up. We heard comments about how incomplete the student felt without those traits, and we saw great relief, and a new un-derstanding of the importance of those traits, as they are regained.


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4. Activity Report of Working group: “How to find about the job market”

The working group 2 has as a title “Find about the Job market”. The participants at this group are Vytautas Magnus University, as coordinator, IPA, ORIENTUM and Newman Col-lege of Higher Education.

Theoretical approach

For many human beings a profession becomes “foundation of life” (F.Nietzsche) and, therefore, professional choice becomes one of the most important decisions in humans’ lives. If this decision is right, then a human being is able to actualize and develop himself by feeling an important part of a society and conversely, the wrong decision may cause personal dissatisfaction of life, inadaptability and other negative factors. Not long ago the choice of profession was a single act in a person’s lifetime, but nowadays it is becoming a continuous process… And therefore, “person’s continuous preparation for vocational life and further career designing are strategically important for the social integration of all age group and functioning of the labor market system.

The concept of “labor market” in its’ initial meaning meant the place where human work-


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force was bought and sold, as the human workforce was un-separated from human body. In different stages of the development of economy, the proportion between physical and mental workforce became unequal. First of all, for a long time till almost the end of XIX cen-tury, human being embodied the source of physical energy in manufacturing as there were no other kinds of energy source. Therefore, working abilities of human being were usually assessed according to physical strength. Eventually, physical strength of human being was replaced by steam force, electricity and other sources of energy. Then the main functions of workforce were absorbed by mental and spiritual features of human being.

Nowadays the workforce is incorporated into the economical activity through the relation-ship of hiring. The main subjects of those relationships are:

• employers (private persons, organizations, state),

• hired employees (owners of workforce),

• institutions and organizations intermediating in labor market (labor market ex-changes, employment offices, learning centers, professional unions).

Labor work relationships can not be treated as purchase or selling of workforce, as con-temporary labor market solves not only economical, but also crucial social problems. Here could be mentioned rational application of human resources, citizens’ employment by struggling with un-employment, establishment of new working places, registration and financial support of unemployed, instructions and re-qualification of human beings search-ing for jobs, etc.

1. Job market needs

According to scientists, there are some key strategies developed for job-search success. Those strategies can help manage many factors that influence a successful job search:

1.1. Making the research

If there is any company you would be very interested to work in or any jobs that fit your interests, abilities and educational background, just start making the research on your own: go for interview, read newspapers, ask familiar people for different information in such way checking out everything for yourself. You simply should avoid preconceived notion that company or job of your dream is a lost case.


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1.2. Exploiting unemployment

While you are unemployed and searching for job, take an advantage to enter internship, apprenticeship, volunteer position, extra classes, etc. of your interest. In such way you will stay motivated and moving on the right pathway to dream-job.

1.3. Marketing yourself

Distinguish yourself from other job applicants by showing what competencies and strong motivation for job you have. Combination of key competencies (analytical skills, commu-nication skills, interpersonal skills, leadership skills, ICT skills, flexibility, foreign languages, etc.) with professional knowledge should be the main focus referring for job-search suc-cess.

1.4. Combining own interests with growth fields

Try to find possibility and combine your future professional choice with growth fields, namely, the job market fields which currently are developing quickly and lack qualified workers. By getting involved in job market areas of your interest that apparently have growth potential, you can apply gain experience at once moving with the market.

1.5. Target industry changes

Use the advantage of growing employment opportunities that have emerged as a response to technological and economical changes in the job market. There are three main types of such opportunities: small business (working in a small company), contingency work (part-time, temporary, contract employment) and self-employment (starting own business).

1.6. Relocate

Follow three steps of relocating in order to extend job opportunities and reduce future costs: determine job growth areas (by region, state, city or town), evaluate own options (what are the job opportunities in own fields of interest, are there places to enter extra classes, are there interested places to stay in leisure time, etc.) and calculate the cost of liv-ing (what is the housing, what kind of public transportation system exist, etc.).

2. Skills, experience and knowledge required for different groups of professions

Different groups of professions require different skills, experience and knowledge of em-


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ployee who should be aware of the main content of profession which is based on under-standing of:

2.1. Profession’s:

• history and development (observation and analyzes of origin, development and disap-pearance of different professions);

• need and perspective (labor market constantly designs the need of certain professions which might be perspective or not);

• cohesion with other professions (different groups of professions have certain common relationship, therefore, it should be known what skills, experience or knowledge are required for group of professions or one particular profession);

• educational institutions (institutions offering to acquire skills, knowledge for a certain profession).

2.2. Content of work implemented according to the profession:

• external content of work (information about tasks being implemented in the work-place, their priority and following results);

• internal content of work (knowledge and ability essential for active participation in chosen professional field);

• nature of wok (in which surrounding the activity is implemented, for instance, inside or outside the building, etc.).

2.3. Human being in work process:

• moral-characteristic features (combination of personal moral-characteristic features and work requirements promoting additional motivation for improvement of qualification, new knowledge and quality of work).

• psycho-physiological features (description of certain requirements set for particular professions, for example, speed of reaction, coordination of motion, concentration of attention, good memory, etc);

• medical and psychological contraindications (personal features blocking full-fledged


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professional activity, for example, certain disorder of vision, audition, verbal expression or allergy, claustrophobia, et.).

2.4. Economical-social peculiarities of profession:

• working conditions (duration, shift work, part-time work, holidays, etc.);

• geography of profession (spread and need for certain profession in different areas);

• incomes (general incomes foreseeing future perspectives for rising);

• career opportunities (ability for professional development);

• social security (provided social assurance different for certain professions).

3. Marketable and non-marketable professions

To succeed in the global marketplace, a person needs specific profession which is consid-ered to be marketable, meaning, being in labor market need, flexible, able to compete in the system of markets’ expansion where new professions appear and old ones disappear.

4. Easy steps how to find out the information about the job market

Trying to find out the most essential information about the job market the following refer-ences should be provided for all being interested:

• links to the websites at national level (representing project partners’ countries) and international level (sharing broader information);

• references to scientific literature.

5. Proposed methodologies

Useful tools encouraging find out more about the different jobs could be the following:

• Career days organized in different educational environments aiming at meeting rep-resentatives of different companies by revealing what kind of employers for different activities they need.

• Career panels organized in different environments (educational or work place) aiming at meeting representative of particular profession. In this case listeners are given oppor-tunity to ask all the questions helping to reveal the essence of a profession they might


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be going to choose.

• Visits to labor organizations or educational institutions in order to see practically the everyday and ordinary conditions while accomplishing certain activity.

• Mass-media (information about different jobs obtained by TV, radio, etc.).

• Literature (scientific, fiction, newsletters, newspapers, magazines, etc.).

• Role-play (short repetition of true-life scenes by imitating certain behavioural stere-otypes observed in different professions. The natural experience by role-plying reveals deeper cognition of unfamiliar things).

• Video material (recorded video material describing peculiarities of certain profession).

Referencies:

1. “Job market strategies”, Job Smart by Princeton Review Publishing L.L.C.

2. Jovaiša T., Oreniene R. “Vocational Counselling in the Contex of Human Resource Develop-ment”, Vocational Education: Research and Reality, 2003, No. 7, 48-62 p.


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5. Activity Report of Working group: “How to develop your career”

At the working group 3 are participating ALBA Graduate Business as working group leader, INSEAD University, Kaunas Maironis Gymnasium (KMG), Ellinogermaniki Agogi (EA), Uni-versity of Luis Pasteur (ULP), Newman College of Higher Education, (NCHE), Technical University of Sofia (TUS), Alfa – Omega Communications (A&O) and Orientum-Counselors. Working group 3 has as a title “How to develop your career” and comprises the aspects below:

Carrer design skills

• Development of competencies and skills identified in WG1• Role playing games and exercises on: Decision making skills, CV

writing, presentation skills, social skills, communication, personal effectiveness, Cultural adaptation skills, learn how to search job vacancies etc

Work Placement • Methodologies, practices


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Transition • Guidelines and exercises/games for getting prepared for the school to University transition

• Guidelines and exercises/games for getting prepared for potential career change in the future (adaptation skills on labour changes, or changes on personal interests etc)

• Encouragement to higher education methods (e.g AIM higher program etc)

• Methodologies, practices

The research’s activities of the working group 3 “How to develop your career” have been parted into three sections, the career design skills, the work placement and the transition. At this report are presented a brief theoretical background, specific techniques and activi-ties and some typical relative links.

A. Career design skills

The first step conducted was to find the definitions of Career Design Skills, namely the definition of the most important concepts. After a bibliographical research, we defined that Career Design Skills refer to what we do with success. They are comprised by knowledge and abilities that a person needs in order to succeed in the career path he/she has chosen and function efficiently in his/her career. Skills are all the organized patterns of behavior acquired through training and practice and Career is the effort that a person makes in order to develop his/her personality, knowledge and experience so as to succeed in the work field. It was decided that the main focus of this WG should be the collection of career design skills taught at school but also throughout a person’s lifetime. It was considered necessary that each member of the working group was assigned to one research topic.

Particularly the research topics explored were:

Decision making skills:

1. Define the Problem

2. Gather Information

3. Boundaries

4. Develop Alternatives

5. Weigh Alternatives


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6. Implement the solution

If results are not what you expect, review your options and alternatives.

Decision making techniques

There are many techniques that can help students to make the best decisions possible with the information you have available. We have selected the techniques more useful and suitable for high school students. Using them, you will be able to predict the likely consequences of decisions, work out the importance of various factors and choose the best possible decision.

• Facing equally attractive alternatives (Buriden’s Ass)

This technique of decision making is used when two or more equally attractive alternatives are faced.

List all the negative points of each alternative.

Choose the alternative with less negative points.

• Grid Analysis/Measured Criteria

This method is most effective where there are two or more good alternatives and many factors to be taken into account.

List all alternatives.

List the factors that are important for making the decision. Lay these out in a table, with options as the row labels, and factors as the column headings.

Score each alternative for each of the important factors in your decision. Use a scale from 0 (poor) to 3 (very good). Note that you do not have to have a different score for each op-tion (e.g. if none of them are good for a particular factor in your decision, then all options should score 0).

Now multiply each of your scores by the values for your relative importance. This will give them the correct of each alternative.

Add up the total scores for each alternative. Select the alternative with the best score.


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• Decision Tree Technique (Simplified)

Decision Trees provide a highly effective structure within which you can lay out options and investigate their possible outcomes. They also help you to form a balanced picture of the risks and rewards associated with each possible course of action.

You start a Decision Tree with a decision that you need to make. Draw a small square to represent this towards the left of a large piece of paper.

From this box draw out lines towards the right for each possible solution, and write that solution along the line. Keep the lines apart as far as possible so that you can expand your thoughts.

At the end of each line, consider the results and write them down.

Challenge to see if there are any solutions or outcomes you have not considered. If there are, draw them in. If necessary, redraft your tree if parts of it are too congested or untidy. You should now have a good understanding of the range of possible outcomes of your decisions.

Now you can work out which option has the greatest worth to you. Estimate how much you think it would be worth to you if that outcome came about. Assign a score to each outcome (score scale: low, medium, high).

Estimate the probability of each outcome. Assign a score to the probability of each out-come (score scale: low, medium, high).

Now estimate the cost of each option (score scale: low, medium, high).

When you have calculated these decision benefits, choose the option that has the largest benefit, and take that as the decision made.

Should I implement the decision? (PMI-Plus/Minus/Implications)

Draw up a table with 3 columns: ‘Plus’, ‘Minus’, and ‘Implications’.

Underneath ‘Plus’, write down all the positive results of taking the action. Underneath ‘Mi-nus’ write down all the negative effects. Underneath ‘Implications’ write down the implica-tions and possible outcomes of taking the action, whether positive or negative.

By this stage it may already be obvious if the decision should be implemented. If it is not, consider each of the points you have written down and assign a positive or negative score


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to it appropriately. The scores may be quite subjective.

Add up the score. A positive score shows that an action should be taken, a strongly nega-tive score that it should be avoided.

• Getting a rounded view of the situation (Six Thinking Hats technique)

This technique is used to look at decisions from a number of important perspective and helps you to get a more rounded view of a situation. If you look at a problem with the ‘Six Thinking Hats’ technique, then you will solve it using all approaches. Your decisions and plans will mix ambition, skill in execution, public sensitivity, creativity and good con-tingency planning. Each ‘Thinking Hat’ is a different style of thinking. These are explained below:

You focus on the data available (past experiences, observed or reported events etc) and see what you can learn from them(white hat).

You look at problems using intuition and emotion. Also you think how other people will feel about each alternative (red hat).

You look at the negative points of each alternatives. You try to see why it might go wrong. You try to minimize these points (black hat).

You look at the positive points and the benefits of each alternative(yellow hat).

You try to develop new and more creative solutions (green hat).

It stands for process control. This is the hat worn by people chairing meetings (blue hat).

• Deciding whether to make a change (Cost/Benefit Analysis)

See how much the change will cost to make.

Calculate the benefit you will have from this change.

Work out the time it will take for the benefits to repay the costs.

It is clear that for career decision making the estimated value of the costs and the benefits are quite subjective


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Decision making risks

As decision makers estimate the possible outcomes of their decisions they often think about risk, which is the possibility of an undesirable result. This attitude towards risk varies from person to person and, even for a specific person, may vary over time.

• Advice on Risking

Decide whether the risk is necessary or desirable. Spend some careful thought be-fore acting, so that you will not end up taking unnecessary risks.

Risk for the right reasons and when you are calm and thoughtful. Don’t take a risk because you are angry, hurt, depressed, desperate, or frightened.

Have a goal. When you take a risk, have a clear purpose in mind so that you will know, after the fact, whether you succeeded or not.

Determine the possible costs as well as the benefits. List all the positive expected effects of a successful outcome and all the negative expected effects of an unsuccessful outcome.

Try to make an accurate estimate about the probability of each case.

Dismiss extremely remote or unrealistic possibilities. For example, in the decision, Shall I eat a sandwich? there are risks like dying of poisoning, but these should not normally enter into the risk evaluation because they are highly if not extremely improbable.

Goal Setting

Developing one requires conscious projection into the future in order to bring clarity to the direction you should take now. This section provides information to design and write your goals so that they will become real.

“SMART”: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely

Specific: A goal is specific when you know exactly what is to be achieved and accom-plished. A simple goal is easier to understand. Imagine your goal as specifically as you can. Ask: Who, where, what, when, how...specifically?

Measurable goals are quantifiable. Think of the evidence that will let you know you have achieved it. For example, words like better or faster are not quantifiable. “Increase my course grades by 10%” provides a clear measure for a goal.


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Achievable goals are self-maintained; the achievement of the goal is up to you alone.

Realistic goals are practical and possible. Realistic goals are a balance between what is hard and what is easy to achieve.

Timely goals mean that they are scheduled. There is a finite duration to your effort, a deadline. For example, “by the end of June” is more specific than “toward the end of June”. However, the most precise statement is: June 30, 20XX.

Related links

http://www.managementhelp.org/prsn_prd/decision.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_Making

http://www.virtualsalt.com/crebook5.htm


http://mentalhelp.net/psyhelp/chap13/chap13o.htm

http://www.cdm.uwaterloo.ca/step3.asp

http://www.businessballs.com/problemsolving.htm

http://www.decision-making.co.uk/

http://career.berkeley.edu/Plan/MakeDecisions.stm

http://www.time-management-guide.com/decision-making-skills.html

http://www.studygs.net/problem/index.htm

http://www.career.fsu.edu/student/current/choose_a_major/career_decision_guide/index.html

http://www.pertinent.com/articles/communication/kareCom12.asp

http://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/daweb/lexicon.htm

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_OO.htm

Problem solving skills

Here are some guidelines that will help you analyze, define, and solve problems in an or-derly way. Problem solving is a recursive process; you must continually go back and forth between steps and do some parts again. Similarly, you might not always proceed in exactly this order. Thus, these guidelines are not meant to be rigid and absolute.

The problem is investigated, broken into sub problems, terms are defined. A determination


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is made about the nature of the problem. Some research is made into whether or not it has been met in the past, and if so, how.

Steps:

1. State what the Problem is.

Does it have multiple aspects? If so, what are they? This should include a written descrip-tion of the problem in the clearest way it can be put. The statement might begin with the problem as given. The problem should always be stated in your own words.

A useful aspect of any definition or problem statement is to state what the thing is not. By clearly identifying what is not the problem, you’ll clarify what it is.

2. Clarify the Problem.

A. Define the key terms of the problem. (What is an X?) Use synonyms. Continue to define in more and more general or specific ways. This kind of definition allows the breaking of the problem into attributes, components, and general features.

B. Articulate the assumptions being made about the problem and describe the way a solution would have to work. Assumptions can be tricky because they tend to be au-tomatic and submerged; not consciously made. This articulation step in the problem solving procedure involves the conscious listing of all assumptions that can be identi-fied. The listing is without prejudice or judgment or hostility. Just list as many as can be thought of.

C. Obtain needed information. Research into past approaches to the problem or to similar problems will help you get new ideas as well as gain understanding of the na-ture and environment of the problem itself.

3. Explain the Problem.

A. Discuss the problem with someone else. Explain it carefully. Listen to your own ex-planation. Discussion has two important features. First, it enables you to get informa-tion, suggestions, and ideas. Secondly, discussing your problem with someone allows you to see what you really think.

Explain why the problem is a problem. What are its negative or undesirable features? By explaining why the problem is problematic, you discover more about its nature and whether it really is a problem. Next, by explaining in detail the negatives of the prob-


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lem, a set of more specific targets can be identified, thus better lending themselves to being solved.

B. Look at the problem from different viewpoints. Remember that your view of reality is only one view. By imaginatively taking on the viewpoints of various other people affected by a particular problem, you can sometimes discover solutions that you as yourself would never think of.

C. Ask a series of clarifying whys. By asking “why” of every statement of the problem, possible solution, or identified goal, clearer definitions are made.

4. Put the Problem in Context.

A. What is the history of the problem? Knowing where it came from can help focus your efforts toward a solution to try or away from a solution not to try. If a particular solution has been tried already and met with a sensational disaster, you might not want to try it first again.

B. What is the problem environment? What are the surrounding contexts? Are there as-sociative factors that helped cause or perpetuate the problem? Have there been similar problems and solutions that may be useful in solving this one?

An understanding of contributing or perpetuating factors will help you to take steps to prevent a problem from coming right back once you solve it. Similarly, studying how similar or analogous problems have been solved may lead you to a shortcut solution to this one.

C. List the constraints of the problem. What limitations are imposed, what is required, what must be observed in solving the problem? Constraints are simply requirements to keep in mind, part of the problem’s basic dimensions. Writing them down helps to keep them in the foreground as you work toward solutions. And, of course, occasionally the identified constraints turn out, upon listing and examination, not to be necessary after all. They can be eliminated or worked around.

What is a Problem?

One of the creative thinker’s fundamental insights is that most questions have more than one right answer and most problems have more than one solution. In keeping with this insight, we will offer more than one definition of a problem, in hopes of filling out its mean-ing as fully as possible. Different definitions yield different attitudes and approaches.


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1. A problem is an opportunity for improvement. Note that problems need not arrive as a result of external factors or bad events. Any new awareness you have that allows you to see possibilities for improvement brings a “problem” for you to solve. This is why the most creative people are “problem seekers” rather than “problem avoiders.”

2. A problem is the difference between your current state and your goal state. A problem can result from new knowledge or thinking. When you can identify the difference between what you have and what you want, you have defined your problem and can aim toward your goal.

3. A problem results from the recognition of a present imperfect and the belief in the pos-sibility of a better future. The belief that your hopes can be achieved will give you the will to aim toward the better future. Your hopes challenge you, and challenge is another defini-tion of a problem.

Related links

http://www.coping.org/relations/problem.htm


http://www.mediafrontier.com/Article/PS/PS.htm

B. WORKPLACEMENT

At the table below are presented some of the main links, relevant with the topic of work placement. The research activities are on progress.

SCADPlus: Guidelines for employment policies (2005-2008)

Match your skills with their needs - JobDig

Labor Market Research

CARP - About The Skills Match Jobs & Employment Program

Job Search Process

Job Surveys and Occupational Outlook

Matching The Right Skills To The Job

Matching Programmes and Services to Local and Regional Needs

Romanian Market Job Assesment 2004-2005


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C. TRANSITION

The notion of Transition from school to work has been identified in the following situa-tions:

1. High School – Work (career guidance): The transition phase of students after they finish high school before they enter the job market

2. High School – University – Work (education and career guidance): The transition phases of students before they enter a higher educational institute and after that, before they find a job

3. High School – Work – University – Work (specialization in education, possible master degree, possible career change): The different transition phases the students have to face like when they finish school and find a job and then, when they decide to go to a higher educational institute and find a new job afterwards (often in other job topics)

The research topics identified existing in the 3 aforementioned situations were the follow-ing:

• Personal Development

o School, VET

o coaching

This topic refered to the identification of personal skills and competences that require development in order to get prepared for the job market

• Career and Education guidance

o Job Search (Career offices, schools, Universities)

o Career path counseling (external consultants, agencies)

o Orientation to education (Education guidance)

o Career change (VET, consultants)

This topic refered to all the consulting services that a student may require in order to pursue a job career. These services may be provided in the school or by externals coun-selors in all three transition situations diagnosed above.


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• Special People groups transition

o Disabilities, special needs

o Role of School and University

The transition from school to work of people with special needs requires more careful and focused activities. In this topic specific methodologies and practices were identi-fied.

• Skills Matching with Market Job Needs

o Job Market assessment

o Personal assessment

Transition WG focused on what is done in EU countries and by whom concerning these three different situations.

Each topic covered geographical regions (from all consortium countries), educational lev-els (all levels), training of experts, agents (organizations focusing on transition). Research findings covered methodologies addressed to people until 28years old (transition from University studies to Work)

Each WG member covered at least one of the research topics mentioned above. Each part-ner assigned to one topic. Any material found during research was uploaded to the wiki web site public to the whole team. An example is presented below:


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Austria: Moehlenhoff + Partner GmbH

Denmark: IKU/Institut for Karriereudvikling

Finland: HRM Partners oy

France: Excelia

Germany: Moehlenhoff + Partner GmbH

Ireland: TRANSITIONireland

Italy: Corium

Norway: Tennebo & Partners

Poland: Bigram SA

Portugal: Power-RH

Sweden: Antenn Consulting AB

Switzerland(French): Von Rohr & Associates S.A

Switzerland(German):Moehlenhoff + Partner AG

The Netherlands: Slooter & Partners

United Kingdom: Chiumento

When a partner found material that belonged to another topic other than the one he/she was assigned to, the material was forwarded to the partners who were responsible for the specific research topic directly.

In case a partner found material which belonged to another WG, he/she sent the material via e-mail to the WG leader.


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6. Career Guide schools’ Network

In accordance with the proposal, each partner will create his/her own national network of schools that will implement original practices and activities.

During this activity the partnership design and implement network management proce-dures and tools, including progress monitoring; carry out regular network level evaluation; co-ordinate regular meetings of the collaborating partners; and implement quality control procedures. Regular communication among the partners will be ensured throughout the whole duration of the network.

Special efforts will be made by the administration boards to ensure the sustainability of the network after the end of this project and to expand its synthesis by establishing coopera-tion with other institutions and networks that focus on the network’s thematic area.

Career Guide schools’ network consisted of about forty schools or educational institutes at the moment.

The leaflet and the invitation letter have been sent by all partners to schools or educational institutes, in order for the network to be expanded.

The members of the network will enjoy the following benefits:


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• Access to the CareerGUIDE web portal with info on career guidance

• Information exchange with other professionals and schools across the European Union

•An opportunity to publish and to publicise their own work, activities and concerns

• Invitations to national and international conferences

• Immediate access to fellow professionals who share their interests and endeavours

• CareerGuide for schools newsletter

The Career Guide Web Portal is the main tool for the network’s communication and coop-eration. It includes data on policies and good practice in Career Guidance in schools within the European Community. In addition, it offers support and useful resources to teachers for implementing Career Guidance in schools and new curriculum guidelines are available as they are developed.

At the lines below, the network of school is presented:

UK - Oaks Collegiate

• Bartley Green School

(Technology & Sports College)

• Bournville School

(Business Enterprise College)

• Frankley Community High School

• Hillcrest School and Community College

• Lordswood Boys School

(Sports College and Sixth Form Centre)

• Harborne Hill School

• St Thomas Aquinas Catholic School

(Maths and Computing College)

• Selly Park Technology College

• Selly Oak School


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France

• Lycée Polyvalent Emile Mathis - Schiltigheim• Lycée Professionnel Aristide Briand Schiltigheim• Lycée Général & Technologique Jean Monnet Strasbourg• Lycée Général & Technologique Jean Monnet Strasbourg• Lycée Polyvalent Marguerite Yourcenar Erstein• Lycée professionnel Jean Geiler Strasbourg• Lycée Général & Technologique Henri Meck Molsheim

Romania

• Faculty of Psychology and Sciences of Education, Special Education Department, in Romania

• Romanian Society for Lifelong Learning, in Romania

Bulgaria

• The National Resource Center for Vocational Guidance of Sofia, in Bulgaria• High School of Tourism “P. K. Javorov”, Dobrich, in Bulgaria• Secondary Technical school “Dr Nikola Vassiliadi”, Gabrovo, in Bulgaria• PGMET, an Educational Institute in Bulgaria• IKOFEN, an Educational Institute in Bulgaria• Hristo Botev School (SOU) Ivaylovgrad, in Bulgaria• Centre of Training Firms – Ministry of Education and Science in Bulgaria (3 sectors)

Greece

• National Centre for Vocational Orientation, (EKEP) in Greece

• Career Office of Ellinogermaniki Agogi School, in Greece

• Career Office of General High School of Karnidi, in Greece

• Career Office of General High School of Astros, in Greece

• Career Office of General High School of Kiato, in Greece

• High School of Kerasochori Evritanias, in Greece

• Centre of Career Counselling and Guidance of Zakinthos, in Greece

• Centre of Career Counselling and Guidance of Karditsa, in Greece


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France

• Lycée Polyvalent Emile Mathis - Schiltigheim• Lycée Professionnel Aristide Briand Schiltighe-

im• Lycée Général & Technologique Jean Monnet

Strasbourg• Lycée Général & Technologique Jean Monnet

Strasbourg• Lycée Polyvalent Marguerite Yourcenar Erstein• Lycée professionnel Jean Geiler Strasbourg• Lycée Général & Technologique Henri Meck

Molsheim

UK - Oaks Collegiate

• Bartley Green School (Technology & Sports College)• Bournville School (Business Enterprise College)• Frankley Community High School• Hillcrest School and Community College• Lordswood Boys School (Sports College and Sixth Form Centre)• Harborne Hill School• St Thomas Aquinas Catholic School (Maths and Computing College) • Selly Park Technology College• Selly Oak School


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Greece

• National Centre for Vocational Orientation, (EKEP) in Greece

• Career Office of Ellinogermaniki Agogi School, in Greece

• Career Office of General High School of Kar-nidi, in Greece

• Career Office of General High School of Astros, in Greece

• Career Office of General High School of Kiato, in Greece

• High School of Kerasochori Evritanias, in Greece

• Centre of Career Counselling and Guidance of Zakinthos, in Greece

• Centre of Career Counselling and Guidance of Karditsa, in Greece

Romania

• Faculty of Psychology and Sci-ences of Education, Special Edu-cation Department, in Romania

• Romanian Society for Lifelong Learning, in Romania

Bulgaria

• The National Resource Center for Vocational Guidance of Sofia, in Bulgaria

• High School of Tourism “P. K. Javorov”, Do-brich, in Bulgaria

• Secondary Technical school “Dr Nikola Vassili-adi”, Gabrovo, in Bulgaria

• PGMET, an Educational Institute in Bulgaria• IKOFEN, an Educational Institute in Bulgaria• Hristo Botev School (SOU) Ivaylovgrad, in Bul-

garia• Centre of Training Firms – Ministry of Educa-

tion and Science in Bulgaria (3 sectors)


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7. PORTAL

The network’s web Portal is the main tool of the network’s function and aims to serve both communicational and working needs of the working groups. The platform provides direct access to communication, information and professional support.

At the Kick off meeting presented the Career Guide web Portal characteristics and structure. The presentation included an illustration and definition of virtual learning communities and communities of practice as well as description of the central elements which constitute them. More specifically, clarified the topics below:

- Number & Type of users

• project group: provide CG info

• Externals: network members (CG teachers & organizations): read, communicate

• visitors

• 2nd level: students


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- Tools

a) Project related Information

• Official website with “new annotation”

• Documents, links, etc.

• News incl. schedule

• Project Contact data

• Search engine (website & documents)

• Public request form

b) Communication (for registered)

• Mail

• Forum

• Chat

• Document rating / feed back

• Blog / wiki

c) Personal Information

• Contact Data

• Interests

• schedule

• ID

d) Access to Evaluation tools

• Questionnaire

• results

e) Management Tool

• Roles: admin, superuser, user


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The final address ( www.careerguide.eu) and the main structure of the portal presented and confirmed at the 2nd meeting. All menus and submenus were presented together with their specifications and structure. The portal has a public space and a restricted one. The public space include all main menus of the portal (network info, career guidance is-sues etc), whereas the restricted space include the partners communication and network’s evaluation.

Working group leaders and work package leaders are responsible for the content of both the public and the restricted area.

In accordance with previous construction of working groups’ activities, there were 4 private forums, one for each working group, where only partners could have access.

As far as the working group activities reorganized in a different way, there were some changes at the structure of Portal.

The main communication amongst partners takes place through wiki at the moment. Ac-cording to the technical future plan report, the structure of the portal has been completed and will be ready in next months.


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Status Report of the CG Web Portal (Functionality Profile)

Since May 2006 the network’s web portal is accessible under www.career-guide.eu. Its de-sign is based on a combination of a web-based content management system (CMS) with a forum-like communication tool. After first testing and a re-design in July 2006 the network partners delivered extensive content.

1. Structure:

Fig.1: Front page (In-troduction to the “Ca-reerGuide for Schools” Network)

The structure of the Website is organized into six main categories that are listed below with the following sub topics:

1 Home Career Guidance, Aims, Methodology, Activities, Partnership, Download leaflet, New: 1st Conference

2 Thematic Areas Theme 1: Know about yourself, Theme 2: Know about the Job Market, Theme 3: Develop Your Career

3 Public Forum Public Forum, Wiki Career Guide

4 Comenius Action Socrates Programme, School Partnerships, Training of School


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Education Staff, Comenius Networks

5 European Dimension Vocational Training Programme, Joint Actions, Leonardo da Vinci Valorisation activities, Employment Programmes, EQUAL initiative, Social Inclusion Programmes, Career Guidance in Europe

6 Contact Become a Member, Login, Imprint, Sitemap

2. Communication Management:

The main focus of the CG portal is the communication and information support for an in-ternational network. Currently the web portal comprises of two different communication tools, (A) a public forum for posting messages that are related to Career Guide objectives (open for all) and (B) an external communication tool with the main function to support the internal CG consortium to collaboratively assemble the knowledge that is used to build the Career Guide set of services.

2.1. Public Forum (http://www.career-guide.eu/?pid=807)

Fig 2: Posting a message


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Fig 3: Message Board (Included message title, message text, date of the message)

2.2 Wiki Application for the consortium (http://www.calt.insead.edu/Livin-gLab/CareerGuide/Wiki/)

The Wiki application allows users to post messages and to upload educational material to the career guidance sector. A first experience of using this portal was that the inclusion of Wiki as tool is highly suitable for the consortium.

Fig 4: Wiki Ap-plication (Front Page)3. Informa-tion Management (Content Manage-ment System)


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3. Information Management (Content Management System)

The content management system supports the creation, management and publishing of the corporate information of the Career Guide website. It is a specified area to let registered users easy and quickly upload documents and create the web content. It also provides the opportunity to manage the structure of the site, the appearance of the published pages, and the navigation.

Fig. 5: Log in to Backend (protected administration interface)

The authoring environment provides a non-technical way of creating or updating web content, without any knowledge of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). It is designed to work like any word processing program (for instance MS Word).

Fig 6: Easy-to-use authoring envi-ronment


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Fig 7: Site Tree

The CMS also allows managing the structure of the site. That is, where the pages go, and how they are linked.

4. User Management

The User Management allows the super user to create or delete users, i.e. to submit new members of the network and to equip them with the necessary access rights of the CG web portal. After the creation of new users one can manage them by providing users with different authorisations. Future steps of development include (among other things) the improvement of the rights management system.

Fig 8: List of registered User


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Fig 9: Add new User

5. Language

The Career Guide Web portal offers two different languages (English and German). After the click on the flag, one can read the menu and the complete contents in the desired lan-guage. One of the next steps of development will be the integration of other languages, for instance French and Greek.


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8. DISSEMINATION

As far as dissemination is concerned, the Career Guide network makes use of all available dissemination channels. The dissemination strategy includes specific measures for the dis-semination of the products and the outcomes of the network.

The main activities of the dissemination are the development of concrete and specific dis-semination plan, the development of the website, the presentations to conferences, Press Releases, the production and distribution of promotional material and products of the network (CD-ROM, leaflets and posters), provision of access to CareerGuide for Schools Web Portal to the wider educational community, organization of CareerGuide for Schools Conference and the distribution of the “Report on Effective Career Guidance” to policy makers. The aims of all the above-mentioned activities are: (a) to stress the importance of career guidance in schools, (b) to promote a European dimension in career guidance and (c) to support the network’s sustainability and expansion.

According to the aims of proposal, the main outputs are:

• Development of the Network’s Web site

• Dissemination material (CD-ROM, leaflets and posters)


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• CareerGuide for Schools Conference

The specific dissemination actions that have accomplished include:

• Development of the project’s web-page and provision of access to the web educa-tional portal.

The network’s partnership intends to provide access to educational and academic institu-tions and individual researchers that focus on career guidance. In this way the network’s research outcomes are going to be more widely known and used while in parallel this will serve the network’s intentions for sustainability and expansion.

• Presentation of the project and its anticipated outcomes in conferences, seminars and workshops

During the first year the following presentations of career guide project took place by all partners:

22nd of September 2006, Romanian Society for Lifelong Education organized in Buchar-rest, the International Seminar “Today’s Young Adults Integration in European Society of Tomorrow”. IPA SA presented one paper related to “Career Guide for School” Network

26th ,27th of January 2006, Graz, Austria, Valorisation Conference, Flyers, Handouts – Conference Participants, members of other projects, policy makers, researchers

23th of June 2006, Innsbruck, Austria, transnationale Konferenz „Jugendliche stützen – er-reichen – aktivieren. Chancen für Beratung und Orientierung“, Conference - Guidance for younger people, Leaflets - educational and occupational guidance councellors

8th, 9th of June 2006, Innsbruck, Austria, Microlearning Conference, Leaflets, Handouts – teachers, students, researchers

8th, 9th of June 2006, Hall, Austria, BildungOnline, Leaflets, Handouts – teachers, pupils, counselors

• Production of leaflets in all partners’ languages

By the meeting in Dresden (3/2005) had already been published the leaflets, translated to all partners’ languages. The main points of the leaflet’s text concern the definition of Career guidance in general and the clear aims of Career Guide Network, the methodology and the main planned activities.


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Leaflets have been distributed to the schools of the network, to national and private coun-selling organisations and to all participants by the 1st annual Conference.

Figure 1: The leaflets are translated in all languages. In the figure, there is the English, German and Greek leaflet.

• Production of other material

For the conference’s needs, had been produced invitations, programmes, posters and cer-tifications of attendance. Photos of material

According to the proposal, consortium also produced a career guide pencil, in two col-ours.

• Organization of the first annual conference, 4th November 2006, in Athens

Two of the most important dissemination’s activities had accomplished on November of 2006. The first annual Conference of Career Guide Network and the two press releases promoted the Career Guide network and attracted a lot of people at the field of career counseling.

• Press Releases

Two press releases created for the Conference, the first one for invitation and the second


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one after the Conference. Press releases were published on several newspapers in the field of economy, and labour market. Apart from the newspapers, press releases were pub-lished on specific sites that address to teachers and counselors.

Figure 2: The press releases in EXPRESS, HERALD TRIBUNE – Greek edition, and DAILY FAX Newsletter for the 1st Career Guide Conference


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9. 1st annual Career Guide Conference

The first International Conference titled ‘’Career Guidance: A European Dimension’’ was organized by Ellinogermaniki Agogi and hosted in the premises of ALBA Graduate Business School. Over 120 European and Greek scientists, teachers and counselors specialized in Career Guidance Thematic and Labor Market participated in the conference. As Mrs Chrys-oula Kosmidou-Hardy, the responsible for Career Guidance Sector in Pedagogical Institute of Greece, mentioned ‘’teachers should encourage children on active research’’. Addition-ally, Mr Nikitas Kastis, the Deputy Director General of Lambrakis Foundation highlighted the importance of life and labor skills while the representators of Ellinogermaniki Agogi and ALBA underline the importance of Personal Development and Emotional Intelligence in children’s awareness. Finally, the employability and job market’s needs were discussed by career counselors of Orientum. At this moment, the steps of Career Guidance seem a little bit suspended. However, Career Guidance’s future is assigned positive as the Education will turn its eyes over this sector.

The target group was teachers and counsellors from Greece and Europe. The dissemina-tion plan was included an attractive invitation and poster that had been sent via e-mail or post. A far as we wanted to reach teachers and counselors at schools, we contacted at first with the offices which have the authority for schools at specific geographic region. Through these offices the invitation forwarded to all schools. An easy completed registra-


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tion form had been uploaded to career guide portal, in order to measure, more or less, our participants.

All participants took a portfolio that included conference’s programme, leaflet of career guide network, a career guide pencil and a certification of attendance. Proceedings have been uploaded to Portal and will be sending to all participants by the end of year. We had had about 180 registrations forms and about 130 participants! Apart of the great participa-tion, it is worth to be mentioned that we had from the counsellors an excellent feedback for the quality of the conference.


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Epilogue

The Career Guide Network has covered the first year and at the moment has established strong basis that comprise a real pledge for the future action and success. At the one hand, working groups’ thematic areas have been stabilized, the methodology for research activi-ties have been defined and all partners have started to implement exercises at the schools of network. At the other hand, via the portal and all the others dissemination activities, such as leaflet, the conference and the press releases, career guide network has been disseminat-ed to counselors working at the public and private sector. The same time, the consortium ascertained day by day the great interest in the field of career guidance and the teachers’ – counselors’ desire to participate at Career Guide network. Under these circumstances, we plan our future actions very carefully, in order to be accorded to scientific and practical requirements as well.


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