Perceptions of the General Public on Guidance and Guidance Services Consultative Process Report

Researcher: Dr Claire Hayes Research Assistant: Maeve Murray

GUIDANCE An Integrated Framework 2007 National Guidance FOR LIFE for Lifelong Guidance in Ireland Forum Report Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 i

Foreword

The presentation of this report to Minister The Forum’s agreed national lifelong guidance Mary Hanafin and Minister Micheál Martin framework outlines the knowledge, skills and from the National Guidance Forum marks an competencies that guidance aims to develop among individuals at different times of their lives. The important milestone in the development of implementation of this framework is supported by guidance in Ireland. The National Guidance quality standards for service delivery and appropriately Forum was established by the Department of qualified practitioners. The proposed framework of Education and Science and the Department organisational structures will deliver a coordinated and of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in 2004 comprehensive lifelong guidance service. in recognition of the need to support The timing of this report is opportune following as it individuals’ self-management of their lives, does the announcement at the Finnish EU Presidency their learning and their career paths for their guidance conference in November 2006 that the own fulfilment and to ensure continued European Commission is to support the establishment national prosperity. The Forum brought of a European Guidance Network. The Network will be together key stakeholders from across the representative of national guidance fora and will liaise education and labour market spectrum. The with the European Commission, Cedefop, the result is that for the first time an agreed European Training Foundation, the International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy and cohesive strategy for a national lifelong international agencies, such as the OECD, in guidance service has been developed. developing guidance policy and practice in member states. The implementation of the recommendations Guidance is recognised at national and European of the National Guidance Forum report will enable policy levels as fundamental to lifelong learning that Ireland to participate in the European Guidance supports the development of human potential, social Network, thus providing access to the support of inclusion, employability and economic prosperity. international good practice and strengthening Recent reports on aspects of guidance provision in Ireland’s input into European guidance policy. Ireland by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs1 2 and the Department of Education and Science reveal It has been a great privilege for me to Chair the many strengths, but also significant gaps. The voice of National Guidance Forum and to witness first-hand the the general public in Ireland, captured for the first time members’ dedication to supporting the personal, through the Forum’s consultative process, endorses social, educational and career development of all lifelong guidance provision as a priority area for those living in our country at all stages of their lives. development. This Report is the result of a wealth of expertise in guidance and I am confident that it will enable the The National Guidance Forum’s report provides an Department of Education and Science and the opportunity for the two Departments to move Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to forward in the provision of a guidance service that continue to build on their successful initiative in underpins national priorities in lifelong learning. setting up the National Guidance Forum.

Professor Joyce O’Connor, Chair of National Guidance Forum

1 Phillips, S., Clarke, A., Classon, J. (2006) Careers and Labour Market Information in Ireland: A Study for the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, Dublin: Forfas 2 Department of Education and Science (2006) Review of Guidance in Second Level Schools, Dublin: Government Publications Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Consultative Process sub-committee of the National Guidance Forum acknowledges the valuable contribution made to this document by a wide range of individuals, professional associations and agencies that provided key information on guidance.

MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUIDANCE FORUM

Professor Joyce O’Connor, John Hannon Doreen McMorris President, NCI Association of Graduate Careers Services Department of Education and Science Chair in Ireland (AGSCI) (DES)

Maureen Bohan Colette Hourihane Anne Mills Department of Education and Science National Educational Psychological Irish Universities Association (IUA) (DES) Service (NEPS) Brian Mooney Frank Brennan Marie Kielty Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC) Chartered Institute of Personnel and Institute of Technology Careers Advisors’ Development (CIPD) Network (ITCAN) John Murphy Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) Linda Darbey Kevin Lewis National Centre for Guidance in Association of Secondary Teachers in Luke Murtagh Education (NCGE) Ireland (ASTI) Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA) Richard Donohue Cáit Leyne Consumers’ Association of Ireland (CAI) Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) Cáitlin Ni Bhraonáin Department of Education and Science Mairead Fanning Marian Lyon (DES) Support Teacher, Primary Education N ational Parents’ Council Post Primary (NPCPP) Aisling O’Brien Dermot Finan Irish Association of University and Council of Directors of the Institutes of Kevin Marshall College Counsellors (IAUCC) Technology (CDIT) Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation (IBEC) Mary O’Donnell Eileen Fitzpatrick Private Practitioner, Guidance Counsellor National Centre for Guidance in Patricia McDonagh Education (NCGE) National Association of Principals and Grace O’Grady Deputies (NAPD) Trainers of Guidance Counsellors Mary Gordon Youthreach, Further Education Section, Colette McGrath Deirdre O’Higgins (DES) Joint Managerial Body (JMB) Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) Ken Gorman Joe McGuinness Department of Enterprise, Trade and FÁS Noreen O’Sullivan Employment (DETE) Association of Community and Jennifer McKenzie Comprehensive Schools (ACCS) Lorna Hanniffy Adult Educational Guidance Association FÁS (AEGA) Nessan Vaughan FÁS Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 iii

Contents

i Foreword ii Acknowledgements ii Members of the National Guidance Forum 5 List of Tables

7 The National Guidance Forum 00 8 Background to the National Guidance Forum 8 Remit and objectives of the National Guidance Forum 10 Executive Summary 01 21 Introduction 02 25 Literature Review 26 Definition of Guidance 28 Purpose of Guidance 28 Benefits of Guidance 29 Guidance for Children and Young People 35 Guidance for Adults 41 Training Guidance Practitioners 42 Key Issues in Guidance 43 Policy Documents on Guidance 45 Recent European and International Developments 47 Recent Irish Developments 49 The National Guidance Forum 50 Need for Further Research 51 Summary of the Key Points which Emerged from the Literature

54 Methodology 03 55 Rationale for Research 55 Key Questions 55 Phase One: Questionnaires 58 Phase Two: Focus Groups 04 62 Results of Phase One 80 Summary of Results of Phase One of Consultative Process National Guidance Forum Report 2007 iviv

82 Results of Phase Two 05 83 Focus Group One: People who are not Irish-Nationals 86 Focus Group Two: Early School Leavers 87 Focus Group Three: People who are Unemployed or on a Low Income 91 Focus Group Four: People who have a Physical and/or Learning Disability 93 Focus Group Five: Parents of Preschool and Primary School Children 95 Focus Group Six: Adults with Literacy Difficulties 98 Focus Group Seven: Older Age Group 100 Summary of Themes which Emerged During Focus Groups

101 Discussion 06 103 Limitations of the Consultative Process 104 People’s Views on Guidance 105 Guidance for Children and Young People 107 Guidance for Adults 109 Key Issues in Guidance 07 112 Conclusions and Recommendations 115 Acronyms, References and Appendices 08 121 Final Version of Questionnaire 122 Guidance Questionnaire 125 Libraries which were informed of the consultative process 126 1. Letter to Contact Person Regarding Focus Groups 127 2. Notice for General Public Regarding Focus Groups 127 3. Information on the National Guidance Forum 128 4. Schedule for Focus Groups 129 5. Letter for Participants of Focus Groups 130 6. Focus Group Questionnaire 130 7. Focus Group Consent Form 131 Sample Responses to the Question: ‘How helpful was the guidance you received in school?’ 133 Sample Responses to the Question: ‘How helpful was the guidance you received since school?’ 134 Sample Responses to the Question: ‘How important do you feel these aspects of guidance are (information, counselling, assessment, development, advice, referrals)?’ 136 Sample Responses to the Question: ‘How do you think guidance services in Ireland could be improved?’

National Guidance Forum Report 2007 v v List of Tables

Table Title Page 3.1 Gender and Nationality of Questionnaire Participants 56 3.2 Age of Questionnaire Participants 56 3.3 Age Questionnaire Participants left School and Country in Which Majority of Schooling Obtained 56 3.4 Where Questionnaire Participants live 57 3.5 Current Situation of Questionnaire Participants 57 3.6 Social Class of Questionnaire Participants 57 3.7 Highest Level of Education of Questionnaire Participants 58 3.8 Description of Focus Groups 58 3.9 Gender and Nationality of Focus Group Participants 59 3.10 Age of Focus Group Participants 60 3.11 Age Focus Group Participants left School and Country in Which Majority of Schooling Obtained 60 3.12 Where Focus Group Participants live 60 3.13 Current Situation of Focus Group Participants 61 3.14 Social Class grouping of Focus Group Participants 61 3.15 Highest Level of Education of Focus Group Participants 61 4.1 Level of Satisfaction with Current Situation 63 4.2 Reasons for People’s Level of Knowledge of Guidance Services in Ireland 64 4.3 Opinion of Guidance Services 64 4.4 If Guidance was Available and Availed of While in School 65 4.5 Description of Guidance Available in School 65 4.6 Who Provided Guidance in School 65 4.7 How Often Guidance was Received in School 66 4.8 How Helpful was Guidance in School 66 4.9 Comments regarding Individual Guidance Counsellors in School 67 4.10 Comments regarding the Type of Guidance Received in School 67 4.11 Comments regarding the Timing of Guidance in School 67 4.12 Comments regarding Lifelong Guidance 68 4.13 Comment regarding Guidance Practitioners in Private Practice 68 4.14 Comments regarding Developments in Guidance 68 4.15 Comments regarding Resources 68 4.16 Comments regarding Raising Awareness of Guidance 69 4.17 Comment regarding the Role of Parents 69 4.18 Was Guidance Received Since School 70 4.19 Description of Guidance Available Since School 70 National Guidance Forum Report 2007 vivi

Table Title Page 4.20 Who Provided Guidance Since School 70 4.21 How Often was Guidance Received Since School 71 4.22 How Helpful was Guidance Since School 71 4.23 Sample of Respondents’ Comments Regarding their Experience of Guidance Since School 72 4.24 Level of Importance of Various Aspects of Guidance 73 4.25 General Comments regarding Aspects of Guidance 73 4.26 Comments regarding Information as an Aspect of Guidance 74 4.27 Comments regarding Counselling as an Aspect of Guidance 74 4.28 Comments regarding Assessment as an Aspect of Guidance 74 4.29 Comments regarding Development Programmes as an Aspect of Guidance 74 4.30 Comments regarding Advice as an Aspect of Guidance 75 4.31 Comments regarding Referral as an Aspect of Guidance 75 4.32 How Helpful would Guidance be Now 76 4.33 Reasons for Guidance being Helpful Now 76 4.34 Suggested Sources of Guidance 77 4.35 Advertise Guidance Services Better 77 4.36 Develop Guidance Services at Second Level 78 4.37 Develop Services to include people who do not currently have Easy Access to Guidance 78 4.38 Develop Guidance Services for People who are not Irish-Nationals 78 4.39 Networking and Linking Services Better 79 4.40 The Role of the Guidance Practitioner 79 4.41 Training and Quality Control 79 4.42 General Comments in relation to Guidance Services in Ireland 80 00 The National Guidance Forum Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 8

BACKGROUND TO THE » Urgently harness and proactively manage the NATIONAL GUIDANCE FORUM wealth of existing guidance resources and agree mechanisms for measuring relevant and realistic The National Guidance Forum was a joint initiative of outcomes; the Minister for Education and Science and the » Move from a fragmented provision of guidance to Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, which a cohesive multi-faceted professional, accessible was launched at an international guidance conference service, responsive to the needs of the individual during the Irish Presidency of the European Union in and society. April 2004. In a subsequent letter setting out the mandate of the Forum, the ministers cited the EU In its final report to the ministers, the Forum presents Commission’s definition of the Forum as “an assembly its proposals for a new national lifelong guidance of all the relevant actors concerned with the strategy, the implementation of which will achieve all development of policy, systems and practices for of the above objectives. lifelong guidance” (EU Commission 2004, cited in letter from ministers, June 2004). The term of office of the Membership of the Forum ended in October 2006, with the submission of National Guidance Forum a final report to the two ministers. The National Guidance Forum had an independent Remit and Objectives of the National Chair and 33 members who represented the Guidance Forum Department of Education and Science and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; The remit of the National Guidance Forum was to professional bodies; trainers of guidance practitioners; explore how individuals, at any point throughout their state agencies with a remit for guidance; employer lives, can access quality guidance appropriate to their bodies; trade unions; parents; education management needs; identify collaborative action across the and practitioners from primary, post-primary, further guidance continuum and agree recommendations in and higher education levels, including universities and collaboration with other stakeholders (Letter from the institutes of technology; consumers, and private Minister for Education and Science and the Minister for guidance practitioners (see the list of Forum members Enterprise, Trade and Employment, April 2004). on page ii). All of the groups represented made submissions that informed the proposals made by the The agreed objectives of the Forum were to: Forum in its final report. » Ensure that guidance becomes central to the public policy and planning process in education, the labour market and social strategies; » Develop, communicate and implement meaningful models of guidance that underpin a vision of personal fulfilment, a fair society and sustainable employability; National Guidance Forum Report 2007 9 9

Outline of the work undertaken by the The Steering Group also made links with the two Forum, June 2004-October 2006 ministers to keep them informed of progress. There were four sub-committees of the Forum, each of The Forum met eleven times in the period from June which was charged with a specific task that 2004 to October 2006. During its term of office, the contributed to the achievement of the Forum’s Forum agreed a common vision and definition of objectives. The following reports produced by the guidance across the education, labour market and sub-committees are summarised in the Forum’s report community sectors. The Forum’s vision for the future Guidance for Life: An Integrated Framework for Lifelong of guidance is outlined in its reports. The Forum’s Guidance in Ireland as a background to the Forum’s definition of guidance is as follows: proposals and published in full on the accompanying CDRom. Guidance facilitates people throughout their lives to manage their own educational, training, Guidance in Ireland: Background Scoping Report occupational, personal, social, and life choices so that they reach their full potential and contribute The sub-committee produced a background scoping to the development of a better society. paper on Guidance in Ireland to outline current provision and identify gaps. This scoping paper has In the past two years, the Forum has also: informed the recommendations of the Forum on » Collaborated with the Expert Group on Future policy development and coordination of guidance. Skills Needs to draw up the terms of reference for a Perceptions of the General Public on Guidance and national audit of careers information and Guidance Services: Consultative Process Report dissemination: the outcomes of this study are incorporated into the Forum’s recommendations; The sub-committee undertook a consultative process on behalf of the Forum, to research public perception » Prepared a proposal for the establishment of a and experience of guidance. The outcomes of the National Learning Line; research have informed the Forum’s recommendations » Participated in the EU Joint Actions funded project for strengthening provision to achieve a seamless Developing National Guidance Fora in Six Member guidance service across the lifespan. States (MEDSUI) 2004-2006; » Liaised with the International Centre for Career Quality in Guidance Development and Public Policy on developments The sub-committee produced a quality assurance in guidance at EU level and their implications for framework for guidance that will enable policy makers guidance in Ireland; and providers to ensure that they provide high-quality » Made a submission about funding for guidance services to clients throughout the life cycle. It also under the National Development Plan 2007-2013. proposes structures for evaluating services and quality The Forum proposed measures to address the improvement measures. gaps in current guidance services by enabling the provision of a seamless, quality service that A Competency Framework for Guidance Practitioners maximises resources, with the collaboration of The sub-committee developed a framework of guidance stakeholders. competencies for guidance practitioners, which will influence the future professional education and The National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE) training of practitioners who will provide guidance provided the Forum secretariat. A Steering Group across the life cycle and in a range of different managed the work and strategic direction of the contexts. Forum, co-ordinated the work of sub-committees, represented the Forum in networks with other groups and disseminated the outcomes of the Forum’s work. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 10

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY was also not available at the time of the completion of the consultative process of the National Guidance Introduction Forum and is also recommended as complementary The National Guidance Forum’s agreed definition of to this report. guidance is that it: Summary of the Key Points which Refers to the process of facilitating individuals or Emerged from the Literature groups at any point throughout their lives to develop their capacity for the self-management of their » Guidance has contributed to Ireland becoming a personal, social, educational, training, occupational knowledge economy (IDA, 2006); and life choices in order to grow towards their » Guidance also has an important role to play in potential and thereby to contribute to the helping people cope with the rapid changes in development of a better society. (National Guidance Irish society (e.g. O’Neill, 2005); Forum, 2005, p.4) » Definitions of guidance are broad and include the The Forum was managed by a steering group and following activities: counselling, assessment, undertook to engage in the following four tasks: information, advice, and personal and social development programmes (e.g. Wannan & 1. To set up a consultative process accessing the McCarthy, 2005; National Guidance Forum 2004, views of the general public on guidance; NCGE, 2004); 2. To produce a scoping paper, containing the » There is wide recognition of guidance’s key role in: historical context of guidance in Ireland as well as the views of the stakeholders; (1) Promoting lifelong learning (e.g. Sultana, 2004a; Ireland, 2000a; McNamara, 1998). 3. To identify the competencies required for guidance provision; (2) Strengthening the labour market (Sultana, 2004a). 4. To set out the steps needed to ensure quality assurance in guidance. (3) Developing society as well as the economy (e.g. Jarvis 2005; Unwin 2004; Wannan & Stavrou, This executive summary provides a brief overview of 2004; Watts 2004; Watts & Sultana, 2004). the consultative process along with a summary of its » Guidance is seen as a human rights issue (Sultana, key findings and recommendations. A review of 2004b); guidance in second level schools was commissioned » The Irish guidance counselling service in second by the Department of Education and Science in 2003. level schools has been described as tending to be In order that this consultative process would a ‘compromise between the American model complement rather than replicate that work, the which emphasises personal counselling and the decision was taken not to specifically include second European model which almost exclusively focuses level schools or parents of second level students in on the narrower concept of career guidance’ (Ryan, this consultative process. At the time of this study the 1993, p.63); Report was with the Minister for Education and Science. Therefore it was not possible to incorporate » The Department of Education and Science (2005) its findings in this report, but it is recommended that noted that: the two reports are read in conjunction with each The guidance and counselling process aims to other. help students to develop an awareness and acceptance of their talents and abilities; to The report of another recent study into the availability explore possibilities and opportunities; to grow and dissemination of careers information, carried out in independence and to take responsibility for on behalf of the Expert Group in Future Skills Needs, themselves; to make informed choices about their lives and to follow through on these choices (p.5); National Guidance Forum Report 2007 1111

» The review of guidance in second level schools in » The GTI report (2006) found that students who Ireland has recently been carried out and that used the services most were students who were report has been presented to the Minster for motivated and successful and that despite Education and Science. As it was not available at advances in information technology the majority the time of this report being completed, it of respondents preferred to visit the careers service is recommended as complementary reading to in person to access certain services; this report; » The results of the OECD survey showed that career » The provision of guidance is a statutory guidance for adults within the EU and across requirement for schools under the 1998 Education Europe is narrowly focused on the unemployed Act. The Department of Education and Science (Sultana, 2004); (2005) have published guidelines for second level » There have been several important National and schools on the implications of Section 9(c) of the European policy documents on guidance, e.g.,the Act, relating to students’ access to appropriate National Employment Action Plan, the National guidance; Development Plan (2000-2006), the FÁS Action » The 1998 report on ‘Perceived Needs for Guidance, Plan (1999), and the National Adult Learning Counselling and Psychological Services in VEC Council (2002); ‘The Lisbon Agreement’ (2000); Youthreach Centres, Community Training ‘Increasing Labour Force Participation and Workshops and Senior Traveller Centres’ Promoting Active Ageing’ (2002), and ‘The Paris highlighted the need for training in guidance for 2001 Declaration on Educational, Vocational all staff (NCGE, 2006); Guidance’ (Wannan & McCarthy, 2005; McCarthy, » Many parents felt that the career guidance 2002); provision for their children was inadequate » There are several European programmes in place (NCGE, 1997); to develop and strengthen guidance services » Gordon (2004) researched the particular needs of including the European Employment Services Travellers attending Youthreach/Senior Traveller (EURES) and Ploteus; Community Centres for Education and highlighted » Three key policy reviews of guidance have been the factors affecting young people’s access of recently carried out by the OECD (2004), the World supports (Gordon, 2004); Bank (Watts & Fretwell, 2004) and the European » Important differences exist between school and Union (Sultana, 2004); adult guidance (e.g. Brown, 2004; Clayton et al., » The Resolution adopted by the Council of Ministers 1999; Sampson et al., 1999); of the European Union on ‘Strengthening Policies, » There have been developments in adult guidance Systems and Practices in the field of Guidance provision following the publication of the White throughout life’ highlighted the need for the Paper on Adult Education (Ireland, 2000a), e.g., the development of high quality guidance provision Adult Educational Guidance Initiative; for all European citizens, accessible at all stages of their lives to enable them to manage their learning » A recent report on students’ perceptions of the and work pathways and the transitions therein careers service available in one Irish university (GTI, (Wannan & McCarthy, 2005); 2006) found that 42% of respondents reported never having used the service, in person or online. » While it is recognised in Europe that there are not Reasons for this included the students not enough well trained guidance practitioners to knowing it existed, thinking they did not need it at meet demand (OECD, 2004), Ireland has been that time, and thinking that they did not need it at commended on the emphasis it places on all. Recommendations included increased improving qualifications and the training of advertising and marketing; guidance practitioners (Sultana, 2004); Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 12

» Key issues in guidance include: » Irish and European policy developments in » Identifying client need (Clayton, 2000); guidance have often overlapped and it is significant that John McCarthy was detached by » Making services flexible and responsive to client the Irish Department of Education and Science to need (Whittaker et al 2004; Turner & McGill, establish the International Centre for Career 2002; Sampson, Palmer & Watts, 1999); Development and Public Policy (ICCDPP); » The willingness or otherwise of the individual » Career information, guidance and counselling to engage with formal guidance services services in Ireland were described as ‘diverse, with (Gordon, 2004; Sultana, 2004; Turner & McGill, 2002); long-standing services sitting alongside recent » Quality assurance in guidance (Plant, 2001); initiatives and experimentation’ (OECD, 2002, p.2); » Integrating career information and guidance at » This report noted that there was a: local level (Bezanson & Kellett, 2001). Strong core of committed guidance » The changing nature of work has major professionals in Ireland and that they were implications for guidance policy and practice supported by an extensive framework for (Jarvis, 2005); service delivery, by a national infrastructure for » ICT is seen as having a vital role in an integrated training and by the National Centre for career information and guidance system (Watts, 2001); Guidance in Education (OECD, 2002, p.3). » The potential contribution of parents remains » The OECD (2002) recognised the National Resource untapped and that of employers is not broadly Centres for Vocational Guidance, of which there are recognised and often under utilised (Bezanson & two in Ireland, one in the National Centre for Kellett, 2001). Parents have the most influence, Guidance in Education, and one in FÁS, help to directly or indirectly on the choices made by promote a European dimension to guidance; young people (NCGE, 1997); » Wannan & McCarthy (2005) raised questions » Guidance was a major theme of Ireland’s regarding service users, for example: presidency of the European Commission in 2004, » Is the empowerment of users a stated objective culminating with Minister Dempsey’s of the guidance services or is it implicit? announcement of setting up of the National » Do users tend to be treated as active Guidance Forum during the conference ‘Life-long collaborators in formulating their career goals Guidance: Harmonising Policy and Practice’; and plans, or more as passive recipients of » ‘We are not living in an information age, but in an guidance services? information dump, therefore we need to provide » To what extent do guidance services work high quality information and help people to through and with significant factors in the lives develop the skills to use it’ (Sultana, 2004, p.4); of users and actively involve users in this » An International Centre for Career Development process? (Wannan & McCarthy, 2005, p.15). and Public Policy (ICCDPP) was established in 2005 » Wannan & McCarthy (2005) highlighted how as a resource for policy developers and researchers, quality assurance systems for career guidance in association with social partners and guidance should ensure that ‘individual users are regularly practitioners, to improve career development consulted on their satisfaction with and experience systems that support lifelong learning and of the service’ (p.18); workforce development goals (The Guidance Council, 2006); National Guidance Forum Report 2007 1313

» In the recent report ‘School Matters. The Report of Members also contacted organisations and voluntary the Task Force on Student Behaviour in Second bodies they were associated with to inform them of Level Schools’ (Department of Education and the consultative process and to invite them to Science, 2006), the members described the complete the questionnaire on the Forum website. In changing social context in which schools operate, addition a press release was issued by the National institutional developments, the issue of disruptive Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE). 56 libraries behaviour and how it impacts upon teaching and were contacted by email to inform them of the learning as well as school ethos and community, as consultative process and invite them to distribute well as making recommendations to improve the questionnaires to library users. Twelve organisations current situation. The essential role of parents was were selected at random from the NCGE Database of emphasised as well as the necessity of providing Guidance and Support Services for Young People additional supports for teachers and strengthening which is available on www.ncge.ie and invited to links with support services such as the National distribute questionnaires to their service users. A total Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). of 635 completed questionnaires were returned by the 31st of December, 2005. Methodology The consultative process subcommittee’s brief was: Almost two thirds of respondents were female and the vast majority of the total group (88%) were Irish To undertake a consultative process with the public nationals. 45% of people who completed the so that the experience of the public of guidance and questionnaire were aged between the ages of 16 and their recommendations will inform the Forum’s 30 inclusive, 51% were between the ages of 31 and 60 recommendations for how all gaps identified by the exclusive while 4% of people were 61 and over. Just OECD can be addressed. (NCGE, 2006, p.34) over half of the sample, 54% lived in a city or large town, with 46% living in a rural area or small town. The consultative process was carried out in two phases 54% of the people who completed the questionnaire and was discussed in the context of a detailed review described themselves as employed, 25% were of the literature on guidance. students, 6% worked in the home, 4% were Summary Details of Phase One unemployed, 9% were on a training course, 2% were retired and less than 1% received a disability Following meetings of the National Guidance Forum allowance. and of the consultative process subcommittee, discussions, emails and two pilot studies between Participants’ occupations were classified according to June 1st and September 1st 2005, it was agreed to seek the system used by the Central Statistics Office in the the views of as wide a range of service users and non- 2002 census (Ireland, 2003). The majority of people users, on guidance services in Ireland. A targeted who described their occupation, 48%, belonged to approach was employed to distributing the the Managerial and Technical grouping, with 6% questionnaires, which involved members of the Professional Workers, 18% Non-Manual, 9% were National Guidance Forum actively assisting in Skilled Manual, 8% semi-skilled, and 5% unskilled. The distributing questionnaires to individuals within their 6% who were coded as ‘Other’ were respondents who organisations as well as among the general public, described themselves as working in the home. It is while assisting those with literacy difficulties to important to note however that 34% of the total complete the questionnaire. sample of 635 people did not answer the question on occupation. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 14

Summary Details of Phase Two Summary of Results of Phase One Phase Two involved focus groups with seven targeted of the Consultative Process groups, i.e. people who are not Irish nationals, early The questionnaire designed in Phase One was school leavers, people who are unemployed or who intended to elicit respondents’ knowledge, experience are receiving a low income, people with physical and/ and opinion of guidance services in Ireland, as well as or learning disabilities, parents of preschool and recommendations for how guidance services might primary school children, adults with literacy difficulties be improved. It was distributed in several ways to a and people who were aged 60 years and over. wide range of the general public. 635 people returned completed questionnaires and details of their results 61% of the participants of the focus groups were are contained in Chapter Four of this report and are female and 88% of them were Irish nationals. The discussed in Chapter Six. Some of the findings which category ‘other’ includes people from the rest of emerged from Phase One are presented below; Europe, Africa and South America. 31% of those who however, it is emphasised that these points must be participated in the focus groups were aged between read in the context of the report as a whole, rather 15 years and 30 years inclusive, 48% were aged than taken in isolation. between 31 and 50 years inclusive and 21% were aged 61 years or over. 60% of the focus group participants » Over a third of respondents were ‘positive’ or ‘very left school between sixteen and eighteen years, 30% positive’ about guidance services, with one sixth left before the age of sixteen and 10% left after the describing themselves as being ‘negative’ or ‘very age of eighteen. 58% of participants live in a city or negative’ about guidance services; large town with 42% living in a small town or rural area. » 65% of the sample said that guidance was available In response to the question ‘What is your current while they were in school and 84% of those availed situation?’, 4.5% of the people who attended the focus of it; groups described themselves as students, 3% » This guidance was predominantly associated with answered that they were working in the home, 22% decisions regarding college and careers; were employed, 6% were unemployed, 21% were on a » 56% of the total sample answered the question training course, 23% were received disability allowance ‘How helpful was guidance in school’ and of these and/or attending a sheltered workshop and 21% were 43% said it had been ‘very helpful’ or ‘helpful’ while retired. 27 people (37.5% of the total) described their 26% described it as ‘very unhelpful’ or ‘unhelpful’; occupation. » Many people gave detailed comments on their These were classified according to the social class and experiences of guidance in school which focused occupation list used in the 2002 Census (Ireland, 2003). on a range of issues such as their experience of 4% of people in the focus group sample were individual guidance counsellors, the type of professional workers, 26% were managerial and guidance they had received and when they had technical, 22% non-manual, 30% semi-skilled and 4% done so, their views on life-long guidance and non-skilled. 27% of people reported their highest level private practitioners as well as resources and of qualification as being either the Primary Certificate developments and the role of parents in guidance; or no qualification, 33% had the Group, Intermediate » 78% of the sample described themselves as ‘very or Junior Certificate, 15% had completed the Leaving satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ with their current situation, Certificate, and 19% had obtained either further (e.g. work, study, training etc.); training, certificates or diplomas while 6% had » 21% of people reported having received guidance received third level degrees. since they left school and the vast majority, 78%, said that they had not; National Guidance Forum Report 2007 1515

» Guidance for those who had received it since » Respondents were asked what they would school mostly concerned work and career issues recommend to improve services and their with 10% of respondents describing having suggestions included the following: advertise received counselling; services better; develop services at second level; » 80.5% of the 123 people who answered the develop services for people who do not have easy question ‘How helpful was guidance since school’ access to guidance; develop services for people said that it was ‘very helpful’ or ‘helpful’ with only who are not Irish nationals; networking and better 6% describing it as ‘unhelpful’ and no-one stating linkage of services, the role of the guidance that it was ‘very unhelpful’; practitioner; training and quality control; and some more general comments. » People’s comments regarding their experience of guidance since school focused on the differences Summary Results of Phase Two in guidance since school, the need for additional of the Consultative Process resources and the importance of making guidance accessible; A total of 72 people took part in the seven focus groups. Participation was voluntary, and while it was » Information and counselling were the aspects of explained at the outset of each group that participants guidance which respondents rated most highly, could leave at any time, each person stayed until the while assessment was the aspect they rated lowest; end. The duration of the focus groups ranged from » Development programmes, referral and advice one hour to one hour forty five minutes. Group size also rated highly as important aspects of guidance; ranged from four to fifteen people. In four of the » 58% of respondents said that guidance would be seven focus groups each member was very involved ‘very helpful’ or ‘helpful’ to them now, compared and contributed to the discussion easily and often. In with only 9% who said that it would be ‘very the remaining three groups, (the early school leavers, unhelpful’ or ‘unhelpful’; people with a disability, and the older age group), » Reasons people gave for indicating that guidance some participants chose to remain quiet or to say very would be helpful now included being at a little. While the groups differed in terms of age, current crossroads in their lives, having difficulty in making situation and life experience, there was a marked decisions, stress, as well as some more general consistency among the groups in their view that points; guidance services needed to be made more accessible » 69% of respondents said that they did not know to people at all ages and stages of their lives. It is also where to access guidance services; important to note that some people who were members of one group were also similar in some way » 145 people (23% of the total sample) listed where to those in another group, e.g., a parent who was not guidance could be accessed: 43% said ‘school/ an Irish-national, a person with a literacy difficulty who college’, 11% cited an adult education centre, 8% was retired, and a parent who was unemployed. indicated FÁS, 10% the internet and 10% family Therefore discussions in several of the groups tended members, church members, friends and to have a broad as opposed to a narrow focus. colleagues; Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 16

Summary of Themes which Discussion of Findings in the Emerged During Focus Groups Context of the Literature » There is a need for guidance to be provided from The Discussion (Chapter 6) draws together the various preschool right up to the elderly; results and themes which emerged through the » Guidance services at preschool and primary school consultative process as a means of making recom- need to be developed and those at second level mendations to the members of the National Guidance need to be strengthened and expanded; Forum by considering key themes which were evident in the literature and which were referred to repeatedly » Guidance services in second level schools need to by people who completed the questionnaires as well be available and to be seen to be available for as by those who participated in the focus groups. students in the Junior Cycle and for those who are These themes are as follows: less academic, as well as for those who intend to go to university; » People’s views on guidance generally; » Guidance services for adults need to be developed, » Guidance for children and young people; expanded, resourced and advertised; » Guidance for adults; » Teachers, employers and parents have a role in » Key issues in guidance: guidance provision; » Quality control; » Guidance services must be confidential and » Access; available for everyone who wants it, irrespective of » Implementing policy; age and financial situation; » Individual responsibility. » People need information and yet acknowledge that information on its own is not enough; The Discussion Chapter addresses limitations of the » Counselling and personal development consultative process, i.e. that other relevant research programmes are important aspects of guidance was not yet available, the limitations of questionnaires for adults, as many people need to build up and the limited range of focus groups. It acknowledges confidence before they can make the most of that given external limitations such as resources and training and career opportunities; time it was reasonable that every group could not be » People are concerned regarding the possible specifically targeted at present and noted that despite financial consequences of engaging in training these limitations the results (Chapters 4 and 5) contain and employment schemes and this may hinder very interesting and important material, which when them from availing of lifelong learning seen in the context of the literature, suggest that opportunities; significant gaps in provision, lack of clarity about guidance and where to access it, and quality assurance » There is a need for guidance services to follow-up issues are matters of concern for people in Ireland. on initial interviews; » Guidance is important for groups such as parents, People’s Views on Guidance people with disabilities, people who are not Irish nationals, people who are due to retire or who Policy makers and service providers agree that have retired, children and adults who have literacy guidance is a key factor in Ireland’s economic difficulties, and people who are unemployed or on prosperity and that it has a vital role in helping people low income; cope with the increasing social difficulties and challenges. Although the vast majority of respondents » Many people who would benefit from guidance to the questionnaires answered that they did not services do not know how to access them and know a lot about guidance services in Ireland, their ‘need guidance to get guidance’; various comments suggest that they know more » People also have a personal responsibility in about what the term guidance refers to and their availing of opportunities which are available to them. experiences of guidance than they realise. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 1717

People appreciated being asked for their opinions and The young people who participated in a focus group the vast majority of people who participated in the had left formal schooling, primarily it seemed, due to focus groups were very positive and enthusiastic consistent behavioural difficulties which resulted in about the consultative process. While some of the their being suspended. From this group of eleven, only comments were critical of the type of guidance three could describe having met a guidance counsellor received, nobody expressed the view that guidance while they were in formal schooling. Of those, the practitioners are not required. On the contrary, many experience of two was negative and seemed to focus people were very clear about the benefits and role of on disciplinary issues, while that of the third was very guidance in helping them access lifelong learning. positive in helping her deal with a family bereavement. Guidance was recognised as having a broader role All of these young people had access to informal than helping people with career choice and several guidance in their Training Centre and were not respondents specifically referred to guidance particularly positive about their experience, citing practitioners as having a role in providing support, concerns over confidentiality as a reason why they promoting positive mental health and thus helping to would not approach that person for help. prevent suicide. The four people with literacy difficulties described the Guidance for Children and Young People severe and long-lasting effects of their experiences in school. Each of these adults was adamant that children Under the Education Act (Ireland, 1998) guidance is should receive as much support and guidance as now seen to be a whole school responsibility and possible to ensure that they could leave school being guidance counsellors have a broad role which includes able to read and write with self-confidence. Many providing counselling support to students, promoting adults, both in the focus groups and in the educational and social inclusion, addressing questionnaires described guidance services in schools educational disadvantage and the prevention of early as being greatly improved since they were at school. school leaving and poor educational attainment (Department of Education and Science, 2005). People made a number of recommendations Participants in both phases of the consultative process regarding guidance services for children and young varied in how positive they were towards their people including: introduce guidance in preschools experience of guidance either as a child or young and primary schools but ensure that children are not person themselves and/or their children’s experience ‘boxed in’ too young; increase the allocation of of guidance. Opinions seemed to depend on factors guidance in schools; involve parents, teachers and such as the individual guidance counsellor, the outside agencies in guidance provision; make the use resources available, whether the guidance counsellor of guidance services compulsory for second level first met students in first year of secondary school or students; ensure that guidance counsellors act only in their final year. The secondary school was professionally and respect the confidential nature of described as being the main setting for delivering their role; and develop all aspects of guidance i.e. guidance services, although the parents of preschool counselling, development programmes, assessment, children spoke highly of an introduction to careers and referral as well as providing more information. that their children were receiving as a result of visits to the preschool by local bin men, Gardaí etc. The type of guidance people received mainly focused on decisions regarding college and careers. There was recognition in some of the questionnaires as well as among the parents in the focus group that parents had a role in providing guidance to their children, and wished to be informed and supported in that role. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 18

Guidance for Adults » The difficulty and reluctance people who have been unemployed for a long period have in A much smaller number of adults (21%) reported that accessing guidance services (Humphries, 2004); they had received guidance since they left school and the vast majority (80%) of these described the » The role that FÁS has in combining a guidance guidance they had received as ‘very helpful’ or ‘helpful’. function and a job placement function This compares with 43% of people who described (OECD, 2002); their experience of guidance in second level as ‘very » The complex needs for people with literacy helpful’ or ‘helpful’. 54% of people had accessed difficulties (NALA, 2005), people with a learning guidance since school from a guidance practitioner disability (NDA, 2005) and older people (Age and/or careers service, while 30% accessed it through Action Ireland, 2006); FÁS or work. There was a very consistent call for » The challenges and difficulties language barriers providing more information and for making it more can create (Ward, 2002); accessible to people. However the adults who » The complex, busy lives many adults have and the participated in the focus groups referred specifically to financial implications of engaging in further valuing an ongoing, supportive and individually training or work programmes (Brown, 2004); tailored guidance service which would help them to » Distinguishing between the differing guidance develop self-confidence and stress management skills needs of adults (Sampson et al. 1999) and tailoring as well as accessing training and/or employment. models to those needs (OECD/EC, 2004); These people spoke about their need for the counselling aspect of guidance to help them come to » The needs, role and contribution of employers terms with their situation, irrespective of whether that (Humphries, 2002); was having recently arrived in Ireland with very little » The importance of having a logo for guidance English, having had a history of reading difficulties, services which would be easily identified having a disability or adjusting to retirement. It was (Brown, 2004). clear that they wanted guidance services to do more Perhaps one of the most stark findings of the than provide information and they wanted to be able consultative process is that while only 9% of the 577 to use those services as often as they needed to, with people who answered the question ‘how helpful the guidance practitioners following up on their would guidance be to you now?’ said that it would be progress. ‘unhelpful’ or ‘very unhelpful’, and 58% said that it There was definitely widespread agreement that the would be ‘very helpful’ or ‘helpful’, 69% of the total provision of guidance for adults needs to be widened sample reported not knowing where to access to include: adults who are employed as well as guidance services. unemployed; adults with financial difficulties, as well A very strong theme which emerged in the as those who are earning a good income; students questionnaires and in the focus groups was people’s who are engaged in higher education; and adults who desire to have more information. While some people have retired as well as those who are working. definitely appreciated the benefits of the other aspects Respondents referred to many of the issues described of guidance, such as counselling, development in the literature, for example: programmes, advice and referral, this seemed to be » Recognising the value and importance of guidance overshadowed by a consistent call for more and more programmes and career management skills information. However, there was also recognition that (Jarvis, 2003); information on its own was not enough. Issues » Difficulties in knowing that guidance services exist concerning information are well documented in the and how to access them (GTI, 2006); literature. Brown (2004) distinguished between National Guidance Forum Report 2007 1919

‘information’ and ‘informing’ and with IT facilities Conclusions and Recommendations increasingly becoming more available, it is important There was a marked consistency among the views of to remember that ‘you can have information at the the many researchers and policy makers in guidance touch of a button and still not be informed’ (Brown, referred to in the Literature Review and among those 2004, p.77). Sultana (2004b) wrote ‘we are not living in of the people who participated in both Phase One an information age, but in an information dump, and Phase Two of this consultative process that while therefore we need to provide high quality information the definition of guidance can be vague and confusing, and help people to develop the skills to use it’ (p.4). the process of guidance clearly involves the following This is consistent with Clayton (2000) who emphasised key aspects: information, counselling, assessment, that the purpose of guidance is to give people the development programmes, advice and referral. skills to make choices, rather than to steer them to lifelong learning. In essence a key finding which emerged in this consultative process is that people ‘need guidance to Perhaps one of the most striking things to emerge get guidance’. As well as developing and from this consultative process is the very high regard strengthening resources in guidance, people in the in which the majority of respondents hold guidance. general public need to be informed, supported and Policy makers and researchers such as Sultana (2004) guided to use these services. This report contains and Jarvis (2005) write about the benefits guidance many suggestions from the participants in the can give to the individual as well as to society and to consultative process as to how that might be done, the economy. The comments of many people in the suggestions such as the following: focus groups demonstrated that while they also considered guidance to be very beneficial, this » Widen guidance provision so that it is available depends on a range of variables such as whether from pre-school to post-retirement; guidance is provided in the first place, if the resources » Ensure that people working in guidance are well are adequate, if the guidance practitioner is trained trained and supported, with proper quality and if the person wanting to receive guidance has assurance procedures in place; sufficient English to ask for what he/she requires. The » Ensure that guidance services are in appropriate benefits for those who did receive guidance and who and convenient locations and that they are well were helped to avail of it were remarkable, particularly resourced; among those people who had a disability, those who » Provide guidance that is individual and suitable to had literacy difficulties and those who were in the the needs of clients in terms of the way in which older age group. guidance is provided, who it is provided by and Key Issues in Guidance the methods used; » Recognise and support the role of parents, The four key issues discussed specifically were: (1) teachers, employers and others in guidance; Training and quality control; (2) Access to guidance services; (3) Implementing policy and (4) Individual » Guide people to avail of guidance services by: responsibility. The Discussion (Chapter 6) concludes by » Informing them of the services through pointing to the challenge for guidance policy makers, advertising widely in a way which will clearly service providers, trainers and practitioners to ensure reach the target groups; that while respecting the right of the individual not to » Helping them access it by providing sufficient engage, guidance services are accessible, well supports; resourced, well run, and available for everyone who » Providing follow-up services if required; needs them, with the recognition that some people » Strengthening links with referral agencies. may need help and support in being able to access appropriate and relevant guidance. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 20

This report noted that these recommendations are not The National Guidance Forum’s agreed definition of new. They are contained in many reports and policy guidance is that it: documents. Yet they are made here by people who are unemployed who have ‘slipped through the net’; Refers to the process of facilitating individuals or people who have literacy difficulties and who were ‘let groups at any point throughout their lives to develop down’ by the formal education system; young people their capacity for the self-management of their who have left the formal school system, people who personal, social, educational, training, occupational are not Irish nationals and who are struggling to and life choices in order to grow towards their understand and be understood; people who have potential and thereby to contribute to the physical and/or learning disabilities who have to ‘fight’ development of a better society. (NCGE, 2006, p.33) to get what they want; parents of children who are Ireland has changed and is continuing to change. The determined to ensure that their children get what they effects of the rapid period of economic prosperity are need; people who have retired and who feel ‘invisible’ visible everywhere. So too are the effects of the and who have to argue that they have a right to increase in social difficulties Ireland is continuing to education too. experience. Guidance is recognised as having a key role in helping people living in Ireland to cope with These recommendations are also made by other transitions, challenges and difficulties. people who were involved in this process – people who are well educated and grateful for the guidance The results of this consultative process clearly show they have received and keen to see it available to all; that people value guidance, want guidance and people who are in higher education and who are recommend that guidance services are developed progressing well in their studies as well as those who and strengthened so that everyone, irrespective of are experiencing challenges; people who are in age, ability or financial circumstances, can be helped employment, earning a good wage, but would like to to be aware of them, helped to access them and consider a career change and do not know how to; helped to benefit from them. People’s enthusiasm and people who are guidance practitioners who recognise willingness to engage with the consultative process what supports and resources are needed to help them demonstrates clearly that members of the general do their jobs well; people who are teachers who see public can become actively involved in ensuring that themselves as having a role in guidance; people who lifelong and lifewide guidance is available and is are employers who see the benefits of guidance to availed of. individuals and to the economy; people who are very negative about guidance services as well as people who are very positive about guidance services in Ireland.

In summary, these recommendations have been made by people who recognise the benefits of guidance and who want guidance services to be developed and resourced. These people are an enormous resource and many of them are already involved locally and nationally in providing ‘informal guidance’ through their participation on national committees and on voluntary helplines. 01 Introduction Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 22

Ireland can now convincingly claim to be a knowledge And yet there is an apparent contradiction. The New economy (IDA, 2006). It meets the four key pillars of a York Times of March 14th 1999 featured a report knowledge economy as set out by the World Bank – with the headline ‘Lost Youth in Ireland: Suicide Rate i.e. an economic and institutional framework; a quality is Climbing’. The article referred to a quote from the education system; a dynamic information Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin that Ireland had at infrastructure; and innovation systems. Its economy that time the ‘fastest-growing rate of youth suicide continues to be strong with employment growth of in the world’ (Clarity, 1999). The Church of Ireland’s 5% in 2005 and an average rate of unemployment of Archbishop of Dublin, the most Reverend Dr. John 4.4%. The Industrial Development Agency actively O’Neill, addressed the Diocesan Synod on 18th promotes Ireland to employers abroad and maintains October 2005. The theme of his address was that one of its main attractions is the fact that ‘Ireland ‘Responsibility towards a new Generation in Ireland’ has the youngest population in Europe with over 40% and while acknowledging that ‘Ireland is changing under the age of 25 years’ (IDA, 2006, p.6). Since the and changing fast’, Dr. O’Neill noted that ‘there is 2002 census Ireland’s population has risen to over four something quite shattering about many of the million people and the IDA document ‘Ireland – Vital statistics in modern Ireland that represent despair, Statistics’ reported that almost one million people are disillusionment and deprivation of one thing or engaged in full time education. It is therefore not another’ (O’Neill, 2005). surprising that: He referred to the growing gap between the rich and poor; the dramatic changes in family structures; the Ireland’s total investment in knowledge (including new ethical issues ‘thrown up by scientific research in investment in public and private spending on higher general and medical science in particular’; the education) increased by an average annual rate of ‘growing impatience with traditional institutional over 10% over the past decade compared with structures, and a lessening of the ties of averages of around 3% by the EU and the OECD. denominational affiliation’; the growth of new (IDA, 2006, p.7) churches and religions and the increase in ethnic In a worldwide Quality of Life Index carried out by the diversity and the changing political climate in Ireland Economist Intelligence Unit Ireland ranked first as and Northern Ireland. Dr. O’Neill suggested that ‘what being the best country to live in, in 2005. This was it is to be Irish must be defined afresh, at least in because it was seen to: common understanding’.

Successfully combine the most desirable elements of He cautioned that many people were at risk in the the new (the fourth-highest GDP per head in the face of prosperity and focused particularly on young world in 2005, low unemployment, political liberties) people, a large proportion of whom suffer from with the preservation of certain elements of the old, mental health difficulties, quoting statistics that there such as stable family and community life. (IDA, has been a 26% increase in suicides in the previous ten 2006, p.15) years, with the highest number of these being in the 15-25 year age group. He encouraged his audience to focus on their own values and to consider how best to help the young people in their dioceses to discover theirs. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 2323

This contradictory picture provides a background for The National Guidance Forum’s agreed definition of the consultative process of the National Guidance guidance is that it: Forum. There are many reports which back up the IDA’s description of Ireland as being the ‘best’ country Refers to the process of facilitating individuals or to live in. Similarly there are many reports which exist groups at any point throughout their lives to develop to back up Dr. O’Neill’s description of many people their capacity for the self-management of their within Ireland being at risk, in so many ways. Guidance, personal, social, educational, training, occupational carried out by professional guidance practitioners in and life choices in order to grow towards their second level schools, higher education, adult potential and thereby to contribute to the education and the workplace, continues to play an development of a better society. (National Guidance important role in Ireland’s prosperity. It also has a vital Forum, 2005, p.4) role in helping people cope with a wide range of The National Guidance Forum is managed by a transitions from pre-school to old age and with steering group and undertook to engage in the challenges that many people face such as poverty, following four tasks: unemployment, disability, learning difficulties, illness To set up a consultative process accessing the and retirement. Guidance practitioners draw on their 1. views of the general public on guidance. training, their experience and the various resources available to them to do their work. It is not easy, even 2. To produce a scoping paper, containing the impossible, to separate the counselling component of historical context of guidance in Ireland as well as guidance work from the careers aspect as many the views of the stakeholders. people need supportive counselling to make career 3. To identify the competencies required for guidance based decisions. provision. 4. To set out the steps needed to ensure quality Nationally and internationally policy makers are assurance in guidance. committed to supporting guidance practitioners. In its country note on Ireland, the OECD review of Career The Forum intends to make practical recommenda- Guidance Policies recommended the creation of an tions to policy makers, trainers of guidance counsellors, Irish Guidance Forum on a permanent basis, in which guidance practitioners and management bodies on all key players would be able to participate (OECD, mechanisms for strengthening guidance provision. 2002). The establishment of the National Guidance Forum was announced by the then Minister for This document reports on the consultative process Education and Science, Noel Dempsey T.D. in April which was carried out in two phases. In Phase One, 2004. It was established to enable lifelong and lifewide 635 members of the general public completed guidance to become a reality through a seamless questionnaires designed to ask people about their continuum of service provision by the various experiences of guidance, opinions of guidance providers. The National Guidance Forum is chaired by services in Ireland and what they would recommend Professor Joyce O’Connor and is made up of 34 to improve services. Phase Two involved focus groups members with representation from guidance policy with seven targeted groups, i.e. people who are not makers, guidance practitioners in the education and Irish nationals, early school leavers, people who are labour market sectors, trainers of guidance counsellors, unemployed or who are receiving a low income, employers, trade unions, education managers, parents people with physical and/or learning disabilities, and consumers (NCGE, 2006). parents of preschool and primary school children, adults with literacy difficulties and people who were aged 60 years and over. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 24

A review of guidance in second level schools was Chapter Two of this report provides an overview of the commissioned by the Department of Education and vast literature on guidance as a means of providing (1) Science in 2003. In order that this consultative process a context to the consultative process and (2) a would complement rather than replicate that work, platform from which to interpret the findings which the decision was taken not to specifically include have emerged from it. Chapter Three sets out the second level schools or parents of second level methodology employed and gives summary details of students in this consultative process but instead to the gender, age, educational background and consider the findings of that review in this report. As occupational status of the research participants. the report is currently with the Minister for Education Chapters Four and Five contain the results of Phases and Science it was not possible to incorporate its One and Two of the consultative process, which are findings in time for the completion of this report, but discussed, in the context of the literature, in Chapter it is recommended that the two reports are read in Six. Chapter Seven contains the Conclusion and conjunction with each other. Recommendations arising from this work. This is followed by the References and Appendices, which The report of another recent study entitled ‘Careers contain a copy of the questionnaire and letters and Labour Market Information in Ireland’, carried out employed in the research. on behalf of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, was also not available at the time of the completion of the consultative process of the National Guidance Forum and is also recommended as complementary to this report. 02 Literature Review Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 26

Guidance is pivotal to individual’s self-management of These choices may be categorised into three separate their lives (Fitzpatrick, 2006). However, as the actual but interlinked areas: personal and social, educational, term ‘guidance’ can be confusing and misleading, this and career. While recognising that guidance provision chapter focuses first on how the term guidance has in schools involves a range of guidance and been defined in the literature. It then considers the counselling activities and services, and that terms purpose and benefits of guidance in general before ‘guidance counselling’ and ‘guidance and counselling’ moving to look at guidance provision for children and are frequently used, the NCGE document ‘Planning the young people and guidance provision for adults. School Guidance Programme’ used the term ‘guidance’ These are considered separately as the literature clearly for consistency, stressing that it encompasses a broad distinguishes between the different needs and issues range of activities to help students make choices concerning guidance for these populations. Various including: counselling, assessment, information, advice, references have been made to the training of educational development programmes, personal and guidance practitioners and a summary of these are social development programmes and referral. The followed by an overview of some of the key issues in White Paper on Adult Education (Ireland, 2000a) guidance. This section leads to a consideration of referred to a ‘range of activities designed to assist recent international, European and Irish developments people to make choices about their lives and to make in guidance before looking at specific policy transitions consequent on these choices’ (p.156). documents which exist on a national, European and international area. The chapter concludes with an More recently guidance has been recognised as ‘the overview of the National Guidance Forum, the need right of all citizens to a set of interrelated services for further research and a brief summary of the key which should accompany decision-making throughout points which emerge from the literature. the lifespan’ (Sultana, 2004a, p.8) and as a human rights issue (Sultana, 2004b). In acknowledging that guidance is defined in various ways across Europe, DEFINITION OF GUIDANCE Sultana described how: In 1996 the National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE) issued ‘Guidelines for the Practice of Essentially, the term is used to refer to a set of Counselling and Guidance in Schools’. This document interrelated activities that have, as a goal, the referred to guidance as encompassing information, structured provision of information and assistance counselling, assessment, referrals, and advice. In a later to enable individuals and groups, of any age and at document NCGE described guidance in the any point throughout their lives, to make choices on educational context as referring ‘to a range of learning educational, training and occupational trajectories experiences provided in a developmental sequence, and to manage their life paths effectively. (Sultana, designed to assist students to make choices about 2004a, p.24) their lives and to make transitions consequent on these choices’ (NCGE, 2004, p.12). National Guidance Forum Report 2007 2727

In the United Kingdom guidance services are Wannan and McCarthy (2005) gave the following frequently described under the umbrella term definition of guidance as that which was adopted in ‘Information, Advice and Guidance’ with the term the Council Resolution on ‘Strengthening Policies, ‘guidance’ being distinguished from the other two as Systems and Practices for Guidance throughout Life’ in being a more in-depth activity, conducted by a May, 2004: trained advisor. Brown (2004) pointed to what he described as ‘increasing concern about official use in Guidance refers to a range of activities that enables England of ‘Information, Advice and Guidance’ (IAG) as citizens of any age and at any point in their lives if guidance were not an umbrella term’ (p.76). (lifelong) to identify their capacities, competencies and interests, to make meaningful educational, Brown distinguished between ‘information’ and training and occupational decisions and to manage ‘informing’ and explained that ‘you can have their individual life paths in learning, work and other information at the touch of a button and still not be settings in which these capacities and competencies informed’ (Brown, 2004, p.77). He described are learned and/or used (lifewide). Guidance is information as a ‘mere commodity’ which ‘is, by itself, provided in a range of settings: education, training, static’. employment, community and private. (Wannan & McCarthy, 2005, p.11) Traditionally there has been a tension in distinguishing Clayton et al. (1999) examined access to vocational between guidance on personal issues and educational guidance for people at risk of social exclusion in Italy, or career guidance (e.g. Sultana, 2004a). Sultana used Ireland, United Kingdom, Finland and the Czech the term ‘guidance’ to refer to both educational and Republic. They described the counselling component occupational guidance throughout his 2004 report as being particularly important and effective for ‘adults ‘Guidance policies in the knowledge society: Trends, who lack confidence in their abilities and experiential challenges and responses across Europe: A Cedefop learning either to re-enter the labour market or to synthesis report’. The OECD on the other hand, uses change the types of work they are currently doing but the term ‘career guidance’ and explains how it: with which they are dissatisfied’ (p.346). Hansen (2006) Tries to teach people to plan and make decisions has developed a model of guidance called ‘Integrative about work and learning. Career guidance makes Career Life Planning’ which she described as ‘a means information about the labour market and about to help shape the direction of our lives, empower educational opportunities more accessible by others, manage change and contribute to the larger organising it, systematising it and making it society and common good to diversity within available when and where people need it. (OECD, community’ (p.4). 2003, p.15) As outlined in the Introduction, the National Guidance Forum’s agreed definition of guidance is that it:

Refers to the process of facilitating individuals or groups at any point throughout their lives to develop their capacity for the self-management of their personal, social, educational, training, occupational and life choices in order to grow towards their potential and thereby to contribute to the development of a better society. (National Guidance Forum, 2005, p.4) Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 28

PURPOSE OF GUIDANCE The document ‘Improving lifelong guidance policies and systems - Using common European reference The value of the guidance process has been tools’ (Wannan & McCarthy, 2005), listed the principles recognised nationally and internationally, in the of guidance provision as focusing on the centrality of educational, economic and commercial sectors. In the citizen (e.g. his/her right to independence, 2005 a document, ‘Guidelines for Second Level Schools impartiality, confidentiality, equal opportunities and a on the implications of Section 9(c) of the Education holistic approach), enabling citizens to be empowered Act (1998), relating to students access to appropriate and actively involved as well as improvising access and guidance’ was published by the Department of assuring the quality of provision for citizens. This Education and Science. This noted that: document emphasised the importance of citizens having access to lifelong guidance provision The guidance and counselling process aims to help throughout their lives to help them make meaningful students to develop an awareness and acceptance educational and occupational decisions and to help of their talents and abilities; to explore possibilities them manage their learning and work choices. and opportunities; to grow in independence and to take responsibility for themselves; to make informed choices about their lives and to follow through on BENEFITS OF GUIDANCE those choices. (Department of Education and There is national and international consensus that Science, 2005, p.5) guidance is of enormous benefit to the individual and The word ‘guidance’ was used in this document to to society as a whole. Sultana (2004a) described how describe the activities provided by the guidance and guidance is seen by governments as a mechanism to counselling services as set out in the Education Act support public policy in the following three specific 1998. It highlighted the value of guidance and areas: counselling in responding to challenges posed by 1. It promotes lifelong learning goals by ensuring an significant changes which have taken place in adequate knowledge and skills base to meet the economic and social structures in Ireland and which challenges of high ability societies in economic ‘have important implications for the education globalisation. Guidance can make a contribution to system and for the students who are its principal attaining such goals by helping the educational focus’ (Department of Education and Science, and training system become more efficient, and by 2005, p.5). developing tighter links between the world of Guidance has also been recognised as having an learning and the world of work, both within important role for people who have left the formal national contexts and across Europe second level educational sector as there is now wide 2. It can help address a whole range of labour market consensus that career development is an on-going issues – it can improve labour market outcomes process over an individual’s lifetime and is a ‘lifelong and efficiency and it can support economic and life-span process that addresses paid work as well development goals. as unpaid work and other life roles and it requires 3. It has a role to play in helping governments attain active involvement by the individual’ (Curriculum social equity and inclusion, by mobilising resources Corporation, 2003, p 15). Guidance is recognised as to reintegrate marginalised and at risk groups into having a key role in promoting this lifelong learning education, training and work. (e.g. Ireland, 2000a; Sultana, 2004a; McNamara, 1998). Clayton (1999) emphasised that the purpose of (Sultana, 2004a, p8) guidance is to give people the skills to make choices rather than to steer them to lifelong learning. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 2929

Many others have also testified to the vital role GUIDANCE FOR CHILDREN guidance plays in developing individual potential, AND YOUNG PEOPLE society and the economy. These include Wannan and Stavrou (2004); Watts and Sultana (2004); Watts (2004, In Ireland and across Europe the secondary school has 2002, 1999); Jarvis (2003); Hughes et al. (2002) and traditionally been one of the main settings for Unwin (2004). The following quote reiterates what delivering guidance services and is the place where many others have said in similar ways: young people are most likely first to come across formal guidance provision. The various research Mastery of career management skills cannot be left studies carried out across Europe have found that little, to chance. It needs to be part of mainstream primary, if any, educational or occupational guidance was secondary and post secondary education offered at primary school level, with few European programmes, employee training and development countries reporting the presence of formally programmes and remedial programmes for adults established guidance services at ‘primary’ school in career transition. Acquisition of these skills (Sultana, 2004a). increases likelihood of workplace success, and success in relationship, family and community. An The OECD report found that: investment in helping more citizens master these In all countries, including Ireland, evidence shows skills will provide a multifaceted return on that young people obtain much of their career investment, add relevance to the learning experience information from those that they know or are and benefit both individuals and society. (Jarvis, introduced to (family, friends, local employers, 2003, p.3) visiting speakers) or from experience (work The Department of Education and Science referred to experience, part-time jobs, industry visits) yet often the National Development Plan 2000-2006 (Ireland, their information sources are not systematically 2000b) which states that the provision of guidance incorporated into career development policies. and counselling in second level schools is vital to (OECD 2002, p14) enable each pupil to gain the maximum benefit from In 1993 Dr. Liam Ryan’s report ‘Counselling the the education system (Department of Education and Adolescent in a Changing Ireland: A National Survey of Science, 2005, p.5). It also pointed to other Government Second Level Schools in Ireland’ was published. This policy statements such as ‘The New Deal’ (Department was followed in 1997 by the publication of the of Education and Science, 1999b); Learning for Life: research carried out by Dr. Peter McKenna, Dr. Gerry The White Paper on Adult Education (Ireland, 2000a); McNamara and Ms. Terry Barrett into Principals’ and the Commission on the Points System perceptions of guidance services in post primary (Department of Education and Science, 1999a) in schools. In 2005 the Department of Education and highlighting the major preventative role guidance Science published guidelines for second level schools plays in helping people at risk to stay within the formal on the implications of Section 9 (c) of the Education education system, and in helping children and young Act 1998, relating to students’ access to appropriate people obtain the support necessary for successful guidance. The report ‘School Matters: The Report of access and learning. The next section presents an the Task Force on Student Behaviour in Second Level overview of some of the key documents which refer Schools’ was published by the Department of to guidance for children and young people. Education and Science, 2006. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 30

A consistent theme throughout these reports is the Ryan (1993) described how: important role that guidance has in second level schools, as well as the ongoing need for support and The Irish guidance counselling service tends to be a funding. As each of these reports is influential in compromise between the American model which describing the importance of the provision of emphasises personal counselling and the European guidance for children and young people, they are model which almost exclusively focuses on the described in some detail below. Additional research narrower concept of career guidance. (Ryan, 1993, reviewing guidance at second level has recently been p.63) completed and a report has been presented to the He noted that this compromise in the Irish system was Minister for Education and Science. well illustrated in the varying time guidance counsellors spent on the following four tasks: career As this was not available in time for consideration as guidance (40%), personal counselling (21%), classroom part of this Literature Review, it is recommended that teaching (28%), and other official activities (8%). the findings and recommendations of that research Guidance counsellors in small-town and rural schools are considered as additional reading material to this reported carrying a much higher teaching load than report on the consultative process of the National their counterparts in cities and larger towns and Guidance Forum. explained how this left them very little time to do ‘Counselling the Adolescent in a Changing counselling. Ryan noted that the role and work of the guidance counsellor had ‘changed dramatically’ in the Ireland: A National Survey of Second previous twenty-five years and referred to the marked Level Schools in Ireland’, Ryan (1993) increase in numbers of students entering and staying This survey was carried out by Dr. Liam Ryan in 1992, at in second level schools as a reason for some guidance the request of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors of counsellors to report that there were ‘a lot of Ireland (IGC), to examine the changing needs of disaffected and disinterested children in school who counselling in second level schools in Ireland in the have no great commitment to what they are doing’ 1990’s. A questionnaire was circulated to all members (Ryan, 1993, p.65). There was also an ‘explosion in the of the IGC, which was 565 at that time. The response range and number of available post-second-level rate was 61% and the final analysis was based on 320 courses’, generating considerably more information for returns. A detailed report on this work was published guidance counsellors to keep up to date with. One of in 1993 and described the social context of the time, the guidance counsellors who responded to Ryan’s along with the problems of adolescents as described survey described himself as ‘an overworked, under- by the guidance counsellors, the role and work of the funded and unappreciated information processor’ guidance counsellor, and the summary and (Ryan, 1993, p.65). conclusions of the work. Ryan (1993) presented the problems of adolescents under seven sections, i.e. problems which were home-related, sexually related, emotionally related, school-related, crime-related, health-related and religion-related. He referred to school as having ‘taken on the character of being an oasis of stability between an increasingly insecure and unstable family life and an equally uncertain and uninviting marketplace’ (p.79). National Guidance Forum Report 2007 3131

Perhaps this is not surprising given that: Ryan noted that:

Even at the level of career guidance alone, and To most in the profession, however, counselling leaving aside teaching duties and the possibility of means much more than that and, even though the personal counselling, the general complaint is that broader role is still-defined, they are convinced that there are just too many people to deal with, too the role of career guidance and personal counselling many problems banging on the door, too much cannot be separated. (Ryan, 1993, p.69) unfinished business everywhere. Organising career In practice, most guidance counsellors agreed that it talks, career exhibitions, arranging mock-interviews, was impossible to separate the roles of career conducting aptitude tests, visits to the school by guidance from counselling, as a student might go to a employers and business-men, keeping several notice- guidance counsellor to discuss subject-choice or boards up to date, practically running a library career-choice, but move quickly to discussing a serious service and a video store, helping to coordinate the personal issue. This led to a situation where ‘the real pastoral care system, keeping in touch with all the issue appears to be not so much should the school new training courses offered by FÁS and Teagasc confront these problems, but that no time is allocated and similar groups.’ (Ryan, 1993, pp.66, 67) to counselling in the school programme’ (Ryan, 1993, While students and their parents require information, p.70). respondents to Ryan’s survey pointed out that students have to be trained to find and use the Dr. Ryan’s research also looked at guidance counsellors’ relevant information, and so many students preferred perceptions of support from their principals, the guidance counsellor to do it for them. In 1983 the colleagues and from the Department of Education Guidance Counselling Service was greatly curtailed as and Science and found that 63% of respondents a result of educational cutbacks. Ryan described how reported that their principals were supportive of their schools coped with this and how the counselling work. It was clear that school principals vary, with aspect of guidance was affected. He noted that there some seeing the need for both careers information were mixed opinions as to what the counselling and a pastoral care counselling presence in the school, dimension in schools should entail, with some while the majority were reported as seeing the need guidance counsellors seeing that this: only for career information and not understanding the latter. There was also a lack of understanding about Should be very much related to education and the nature of the guidance counsellor’s role from other should concentrate on study-guides, on improving members of the school staff. In general the students’ skills and confidence, on discipline and Department of Education and Science’s level of relationship with teachers, and in general very much understanding, recognition and support of the complement the career-guidance role. (Ryan, 1993, guidance counsellors was viewed as low, with specific p.69) criticisms focusing on the lack of resources, the poor back-up service available to counsellors, the paucity of in-service training on all aspects of the work, especially that of career guidance and no updating or research on aptitude testing (Ryan, 1993, p.75). Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 32

In the last paragraph of his report, Ryan (1993) ‘staggering’, and noted that only 13% had said they cautioned that if guidance counsellors ‘go greatly had got a lot of help. However it is encouraging that beyond their resources, then nothing is done well and the overwhelming majority of students and providers even priorities get lost’ (p.80). when asked to rate the desirability of having a guidance service, saw it as very desirable or desirable. ‘Principals’ Perceptions of Guidance In their introduction section McKenna et al. noted Services in Post Primary Schools’, that: McKenna, McNamara and Barrett (1997) The focus of the research was primarily on the The publication of McKenna, McNamara and Barrett’s experience and perception of the principals as work is particularly interesting given that is was carried indicated in the responses to the questionnaire and out just five years after Ryan conducted his research. recorded in interviews. It must be emphasised that These researchers described how: perceptions are just that – views, feelings and opinions and the outcomes of this study should be In the Irish context it might be argued that existing seen in that context. (McKenna et al., 1997, p.4) research gives us a good deal of information regarding the historical development of the It is clear from Ryan’s (1993) and McKenna et al.’s (1997) guidance service, the role of the guidance counsellor research that guidance in schools was not viewed as in schools in terms of the types of work undertaken, sufficiently supported by respondents. While guidance the division of time, and to an extent the type of services were affected as a result of educational student problems encountered. What is by and large cutbacks in the early 1980’s, provision of guidance in missing from the research to date is rigorous schools is now enshrined in the Education Act of 1998 evaluation of the effectiveness of the guidance as a statutory requirement for schools. A recent service, in terms of achievement of goals; the nature document from the Department of Education and and extent of training of counsellors and adequacy Science is entitled ‘Guidelines for Second Level Schools of support services. (McKenna et al., 1997, p.12) on the Implications of Section 9 (c) of the Education Act 1998, relating to students’ access to appropriate They noted that: guidance. Also notable by its absence is any significant research aimed at eliciting the perceptions of the guidance Guidelines for Second Level Schools service held by categories of people with close on the Implications of Section 9 (c) relationships to and expectations of that service – of the Education Act 1998, Department school principals, other school staff involved in of Education and Science (2005) guidance related activities, other school staff, This document noted that: parents and pupils. (McKenna et al., 1997, p.12) McKenna and his colleagues worked to rectify that Guidance in schools refers to a range of learning gap and reported that from their sample of 274 post experiences provided in developmental sequence primary students and 25 adult education providers that assist students to develop self-management 58% of students said that the only significant guidance skills which will lead to effective choices and they had received was information, while many decisions about their lives. It encompasses the three students said they had received no guidance at all. separate, but interlinked areas of personal and This contrasted with the reports of the guidance social development, educational guidance and providers which were more positive. McKenna et al. career guidance. (Department of Education and described the finding that 66% of students reported Science, 2005, p.4) getting no help in making decisions on the key questions of course and institution choice as National Guidance Forum Report 2007 3333

It described counselling in second level schools as a This document noted that ‘counselling should be ‘key part of the school guidance programme, offered available when necessary, on an individual and/or on an individual or group basis as part of a group basis, to assist students in their personal and developmental learning process and at moments of social, educational and career development’ (p.10), personal crisis’ (Department of Education and Science, and described guidance counsellors as being qualified 2005, p.4). The Department noted that: to provide counselling support to students. Guidance counsellors were recommended to refer cases where Counselling has as its objective the empowerment of students required personal counselling over a students so that they can make decisions, solve protracted period of time to relevant outside agencies. problems, address behavioural issues, develop coping strategies and resolve difficulties they may be Guidance counsellors were also seen as having a role experiencing. Counselling in schools may include to play in promoting educational and social inclusion, personal counselling, educational counselling, in addressing educational disadvantage and in the career counselling or combinations of these. prevention of early school leaving and poor (Department of Education and Science, 2005, p.4) educational attainment. This document noted that: The Department of Education and Science’s 2005 The Education for the Persons with Special guidelines highlighted that guidance in second level Educational Needs Act (2004), provided for the rights schools is a whole school responsibility. The document of people with special educational needs to avail of pointed to the importance of school guidance and benefit from an appropriate education which planning in identifying student needs, and described should take place, wherever possible, in an inclusive guidelines for schools in choosing educational environment.’ (Department of Education and programmes and providing appropriate guidance for Science, 2005, p.11) students. Guidance was seen to contribute to the area of personal and social education by facilitating It advised that such students’ particular needs should students to: be addressed within the school’s guidance programme. Students who are not Irish nationals and » Recognise their own talents and achievements and adult students were seen as particular groups of to identify their strengths and weaknesses; students who might require guidance, and the » Develop coping strategies to deal with stress, guidance counsellor in turn might require particular personal and social issues and the challenges supports to meet their specific needs. posed by adolescence and adulthood; » Cope with the demands of school programmes, ‘School Matters: The Report of the Task study and examinations; Force on Student Behaviour in Second » Organise the management of time for school, Level Schools (Department of Education study, sporting and leisure activities; and Science, 2006) » Establish good patterns of decision-making and to This report referred to the ‘wealth of evidence to learn how to make informed choices; indicate the centrality of the role of parents in » Make successful transitions from primary to second influencing their children’s adaptation to and progress level and from second level to further or higher in school’ (p.132). It noted that the 1998 Education Act education, training or directly into employment. and the 2000 Education Welfare Act enshrined parents (Department of Education and Science, p.10) as partners with full negotiating rights and recommended that ‘schools and parents ensure that at all times they work in ways that promote genuine collaboration in the best interest of the young people whose progress and well-being both aspire to achieve’ Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 34

(p.132). In the report the members of the Task Force Additional Reports on Guidance described the changing social context in which for Children and Young People schools operate, institutional developments, the issue While parents have long been recognised as having of disruptive behaviour and how it impacts upon the most influence, directly or indirectly, on the teaching and learning as well as school ethos and choices made by young people, a study commissioned community. by NCGE in 1997, ‘Careers Information Materials in Irish The report summarised various school initiatives which Schools – Consumers’ View’ found parents to be are currently in operation and noted how ‘the Task intimidated by the whole career guidance process. Force was struck in the course of its work by the While some of the parents claimed that the career plethora of initiatives that are in operation across guidance system was not user friendly, many felt that government departments and non-statutory the career guidance provision for their children was organisations aimed at offering some kind of inadequate (NCGE, 1997). educational provision to young people’ (Department A 1998 report ‘Perceived Needs for Guidance, of Education and Science, 2006, p.109). While Counselling and Psychological Services in VEC acknowledging the initiatives that already have official Youthreach Centres, Community Training Workshops recognition such as Youthreach and Youth Encounter and Senior Traveller Centres’ indicated that almost 90% Projects, the report noted that ‘many initiatives that of respondents reported the need for the provision of the Task Force learned about do not have official counselling for trainees, two-thirds reported the need recognitions, and are operating unilaterally on an ad for referral to psychological services and just over one- hoc basis, drawing their funding from various sources’ third the need for the provision of vocational guidance (p.109). Among their recommendations, the members (NCGE, 2006). of the Task Force recommended ‘that there be increased collaboration between schools and those Gordon (2004) carried out a survey of guidance and agencies and individuals with specialist expertise in counselling and psychological service provision in catering for the needs of children and their families’ Youthreach, Community and Senior Traveller Training (p.148) and noted specific areas in which the school Centres for Education. Its aims were to establish how guidance counsellor has responsibility in developing the guidance, counselling and psychological support links with outside agencies such as the National services were being organised and delivered and to Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). obtain the evaluation and comments of the key stakeholders about these services. The particular As part of the Empowerment of Students Action Plan needs of Travellers attending Youthreach/Senior the report recommended that ‘students should Traveller Training Centres were noted – in particular receive guidance in the skills of conflict resolution ‘the need for the often strong influence of their culture and/or restorative practices so that issues that cause to be understood and taken into account by dissent may be brought to a swift and satisfactory practitioners working with them (Gordon, 2004, p.32). resolution’ (Department of Education and Science, This report highlighted the factors affecting young 2006, p.121). people accessing supports and drew attention to the fact that ‘provision of support services is not a simple matter as there is an issue about the willingness of people experiencing distress to access the professional services around them (Gordon, 2004, p.32). The report referred to the study by Friel and Coulter (2004) which had found that those most in need of help tended to be the least inclined to seek help. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 3535

The report concluded that the task for stakeholders guidance counsellors and school principals to was to find a model that can ‘recognise and distinguish strengthening guidance services for children and between the varied needs of the learners in centres young people. and identify and develop the range of supports and forms of expertise that are required’ (Gordon, 2004, The next section describes the guidance needs of p4). Appendix 4 to this report contained a list of adults and how these are being met nationally and reports and evaluations subject to the provision of internationally. guidance, counselling and psychological services to young people participating in the Youthreach GUIDANCE FOR ADULTS programme. These included the Task Force Report (1998); Walshe (2000); Conboy (2000); O’Sullivan (2002) Important differences exist between school and adult and Friel and Coulter (2004). guidance, e.g.,in adult guidance the role of the professional must be negotiated, with adults needing In 2000 the report ‘Reaching Out: The Provision of a more holistic approach (Clayton et al. 1999). The Guidance and Support Services by Programmes/ term ‘adult’ is used in this report to refer to individuals Projects for Early School Leavers and Young People at who are over the age of eighteen. This covers a wide Risk in Ireland’ was carried out by Sarah Ryan and range of people including students who are engaged published by NCGE. This detailed what existed at the in higher level education, adults who are unemployed, time in terms of guidance provision and looked at those who are on a low wage, adults who are in full- practitioners’ views on the needs and characteristics time or part-time employment, adults who have views of the young people they support; and what special needs, adults who are not Irish nationals, adults they (the practitioners) felt contributed to or limited who are in prison and adults who have retired. While it success in working with these young people (NCGE, is not possible in this Literature Review to cover all of 2006). The research showed a definite need for certain these areas in detail, this section explores the specific guidance elements in the provision of a guidance needs of adults in general as well as looking comprehensive guidance service for early school at research which has been carried out with some leavers, particularly the need for access to distinct groups, i.e. those in higher education, adults psychological and other specialist services. Another who are unemployed or on low income, adults with key finding in the report was the need for training in literacy difficulties and adults who are not Irish guidance for all staff. nationals. The report carried out on behalf of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs entitled ‘Careers Other Irish reports which looked at guidance for and Labour Market Information in Ireland’ was children and young people include the ‘Assessment published after the consultative process had been for the use of Information Technology in Guidance in completed. That report will add to the literature on Post-Primary Schools’ (NCGE, 1998); the ‘Audit of research on adult guidance in Ireland and it is strongly Guidance’ (NCGE, 1999-2000); ‘Customer Satisfaction: recommended that this Literature Review is read in Post-Primary Guidance Counsellors’ (NCGE, 2002); and conjunction with that report. ‘Assessment Testing: Findings of a Survey on the Training Needs of Guidance Counsellors in Post- Brown (2004) in his paper ‘Opening the door to Primary Schools’ (NCGE, 2003). These reports, along opportunity: Adult guidance holds the key’ described with the other reports referred to above, testify to the the difficulties which emerged in devising a logo ongoing commitment from the Department of which would clearly identify a service or an institution Education and Science, the National Centre of which offered guidance to adults. He noted that ‘those Guidance in Education, and service providers such as involved in this work today still lack an accepted logo or branding’ (Brown, 2004, p.72). Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 36

His paper was based on a keynote talk given at the Brown concluded his paper by describing guidance Conference of the Adult Educational Guidance as ‘the key to developing a system of lifelong Association of Ireland in October 2003 in which he learning which is genuinely and equally accessible addressed three questions: to all citizens at all stages of their journey through the serial transitions that are a part of life, learning, » What is the distinctive nature of work with adults work and leisure.’ (Brown, 2004, p.81) in the arena of education, training and work? » What are the barriers to participation for adults in Humphries (2002) also wrote about the role of transition? guidance for workers within the United Kingdom. He referred to recent research and publications which » What is the nature of guidance? ‘sought to point out that many of the adults considered In addressing the first of these questions Brown noted to have poor basic skills have adapted to their situation that ‘put simply, the adult client is not just a chrono- and perform well in the occupations or employment logically older version of a young person’ (Brown, 2004, of their choice’ (p.2) but stressed how ‘such individuals p.73). Emphasising the various responsibilities adults are often unable to participate successfully in further face both in the personal and financial domains, which training and development’ (p.2). He also reported on tend to grow as people age, Brown described how: the work of the National Adult Learning Survey which has ‘found that a large proportion of low-skilled adults, An adult who is moving between education, training, and particularly those who have been away from non-working (including retirement), voluntary learning for more than ten years, are highly reluctant activities and leisure does so amidst the messy reality to participate in learning, with many indicating a lack of a life cluttered with responsibilities to and for in confidence, time or interest’ (p.4). Humphries people, homes, benefits and taxation. The transitions advocated that: faced by our adult clients are complicated with multi- faceted challenges. Moreover, our work in adult Whilst opening up access to learning through guidance encompasses work with all adults of almost entitlements, encouragement advice and support are every age, economic status and aspiration, and essential supply-side measures; we will not succeed involves the clarification of options at all educational unless we also address what is in many ways a more levels and modes of study. (Brown, 2004, pp.73-74) intractable problem – motivating low-skilled adults to seek formal learning opportunities. (Humphries, 2002, p.4) Brown described in detail various barriers to adults participating in learning under four key headings: the According to Humphries research evidence suggest impact of the education system; the impact of the that the following elements contribute most markedly labour market; social and cultural norms; individual to succeeding in persuading adults to re-engage in issues. He described his view of access for adults as: learning: » Successful promotion is most effective when close Being ways of entry and re-entry to learning to the community or workplace; programmes for education, training and work (including formal and informal learning) which cross » The best encouragement comes from friends, all barriers. Ways and methods of access which treat peers, recognised exemplars or trusted mentors, learners as equal irrespective of background in terms not learning evangelists; of age, financial or benefit position, nationality, » Practical evidence of the economic return for the religion, politics, gender and special needs. (Brown, time spent in learning adds significant value; 2004, p.76) » Funding is secondary to motivation – it is a necessary but not sufficient condition. (Humphries, 2002, p.4) National Guidance Forum Report 2007 3737

Humphries also acknowledged the needs, role and Interesting findings were reported by Whittaker, contribution of employers which he described as Gallacher and Crossan (2004) in their review of the paramount. Some sectors are experiencing skills research on ‘Learner perceptions of information, advice shortages, a trend which seems set to continue over and guidance’. Their overall aim in carrying out the the next number of years. Therefore, it is necessary review was to summarise the findings from research that strong links be established between those and development work in relation to the needs of providing guidance to adults and with employers, and adult learners in Scotland who were looking for that attention be particularly given to those people information, advice and guidance on learning, and the who have the lowest skills and the lowest levels of extent to which they perceived current guidance prior learning. While many large organisations are services as meeting their needs. They found that a lack aware of training and guidance Humphries noted that: of knowledge of educational opportunities was a major barrier to participation in learning and that Small firms also need information, advice and people who had returned to learning had more guidance on occupational change and training – information about local learning opportunities than and that in many cases, the individual owner- those who did not return to learning. They presented manager may themselves be a critical client for evidence testifying that providing guidance services is personal guidance and development. (Humphries, not enough. Instead they emphasised that ‘people 2002, p.7) need to know how to access them, what help they Key questions have been raised such as: can provide and the services must be provided in a form which is suited to the needs of the people who Is the empowerment of users a stated objective of » are using them (Whittaker et al., 2004, p.7). the guidance services or is it implicit? » Do users tend to be treated as active collaborators Later in their review these researchers referred to the in formulating their career goals and plans, or more work of McGivney (2000b) who had concluded that as passive recipients of guidance ‘services’ wisdom/ conventional approaches to publicity do not work advice/assistance? very well with groups who do not traditionally » To what extent do guidance services work through participate. The Scottish Executive (2001) suggested a and with significant actors in the lives of users and range of publicity and that it should be located in actively involve users in this process? places where people were most likely to see it. (Wannan & McCarthy, 2005, p.15) Adults who are Engaged The document ‘Improving lifelong guidance policies in Higher Education and systems: using common European reference tools’ Many of the universities, colleges and higher (Wannan & McCarthy, 2005) highlights how quality education colleges in Ireland have separate careers assurance systems for career guidance should ensure and counselling services, although the careers services that individual users are regularly consulted on their typically employ a broader view of career counselling satisfaction with, and experience of the service’ (p.18). such as that advocated by Borgen and Amundson Several organisations do consult with their service (1997). Writing about models of adolescent transition, users such as the GTI (2006) study into students’ Borgen and Amundson suggested that a career satisfaction with a university careers service and Ward counselling needed a broader view to: (2002) work into language and literacy needs among asylum seekers in Ireland, which are referred to below. Recognise the developmental needs of young people, the influence of social and economic changes and the importance of basing intervention strategies on personal and career competence, all within a context of diminishing and changing opportunities for choice. (Borgen and Amundson, 1997, p.2) Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 38

In April 2006 GTI Specialist Publishers surveyed over personal skills they needed for work’ (p.2). This was 2,500 students attending universities in the United seen in part because many students did not access Kingdom, and in May 2006 they surveyed 150 students the services as well as due to many students accessing attending Irish universities (GTI, 2006). Their results information on line as opposed to visiting the careers demonstrated that students’ perceptions of the service in person. The authors of this report described services available may differ to the reality of what is as encouraging the fact that over two-thirds of available. The authors of this report described how students who did use the career services felt ‘that they careers services in higher education offer the resources had developed organisational/planning, presentation necessary to help students research particular sectors and problem-solving skills as a direct result of their and organisations they wish to join, but find that often, course or contact with their careers service’ (GTI, the motivated, successful students are the ones who 2004, p.2). use their services most. 42% of the UK respondents and While only 15% of the Irish respondents to the GTI The authors of this survey concluded that: service reported never having used their university It is encouraging that three of the top four skills that careers services either in person or online, a students feel are key to getting a job with a graduate significantly higher number - 42% of the UK employer – communication, problem solving, and respondents – reported never having used the service. organisation and planning – are also three of the The main reasons given for this were not knowing top four skills they feel they have developed as a where the service was, not thinking it was necessary direct result of their course or contact with their yet, having insufficient time and not thinking they careers service. (GTI, 2004, p.9) needed it. These findings are supported by research which was In considering how careers services can help students carried out by Whittaker et al. (2004) who, while make the best use of the wide range of help available, acknowledging that the information needs of learners the GTI researchers stressed the importance of careers vary greatly, listed several questions to be addressed services marketing themselves to students and to help adults avail of learning opportunities. These advertising their presence on campus. The majority of included the need to know what was available, where students who responded to the survey reported and when, as well as practical issues such as transport. preferring to go online to find out about careers One of the key factors to emerge was the financial events, to find graduate vacancies, look into further implications of participation in further learning. study, and to research their career options and choose Clayton and McGill (1999) recommended the need for a career. However there was ‘still a marked preference improved guidance services for adults who are for accessing certain services in person’ (GTI, 2006, homeless. p.10) and the majority of students reported preferring to visit the careers service in person to get help with Adults who are Unemployed preparing for interviews, or for help with curriculum or who are on Low Incomes vitaes, job, or work experience applications, consult in- Clayton et al. (1999) referred to the need for the long- depth careers information and identify and improve term unemployed to be motivated which can take their employability skills. time. Sampson, Palmer and Watts (1999) wrote a report The results of the UK survey are very similar to those entitled ‘Who needs guidance?’ for the Centre for from a 2003 survey into students’ perceptions of Guidance Studies. In it they noted that in the field of University Careers Service in the UK (GTI, 2004). Of the adult guidance, UK Government policy at that time almost 2,500 students and recent graduates who was based on a distinction between three groups of responded, ‘just 40% of them felt that their careers adults: (1) those whose ‘straightforward need is for service had helped them develop and understand the basic and unmediated - but comprehensive – information about learning opportunities’; (2) those National Guidance Forum Report 2007 3939

who ‘also find it useful to talk through with an adviser acceptance that this focus needs to be widened to what is available locally, how it relates to employment include groups such as the employed as well as older opportunities and where they can go for further help’ adults who are reaching retirement. Sultana (2004) and (3) those who ‘have a need for a more tailored described the benefits this would have in encouraging service, which may include an in-depth guidance Europe’s older workers to extend participation in the interview’. They proposed that the needs of the first labour market as well as helping them to manage two groups should be met free of charge, but that more flexible transitions to retirement. services for the third might involve some payment. Turner and McGill (2002) referred to two evaluations The 1987 Labour Services Act (Ireland, 1987) requires for low paid workers carried out in the UK between the Irish Training and Employment Agency (FÁS) to April and August 2002 and emphasised the provide or arrange for the provision of guidance, importance of guidance being convenient for those advice and information regarding choice of career and who seek it in terms of its mode, timing and location. employment and to assist in and coordinate the They acknowledged however that certain parts of the provision of such services by other agencies. The low-paid workforce were less inclined to take up OECD recognised that the day to day work of front line opportunities for guidance, even when they were FÁS staff can combine a guidance function and a job encouraged to do so. Sargant (2000, 1997) has pointed placement function (OECD, 2002). It also noted that a out that national surveys in the UK have consistently Local Employment Service (LES) was established in indicated a persistent ‘learning divide’ between the 1995 as a separate service to tackle pockets of ‘learning rich’ and the ‘learning poor’. The former are persistent unemployment through smaller, more relatively well qualified and able to take advantage of approachable offices. further learning opportunities, while the latter tend not to participate at all. Turner and McGill (2002) Following the publication of the White Paper on Adult recommended that consideration be given to how to Education (Ireland, 2000a) pilot adult educational make guidance ‘life-wide’ and ‘life-deep’ as well as ‘life- guidance services were established by the Department long’. They advocated that careful consideration be of Education and Science to provide support to adults given to the best way of presenting the concept of who are enrolled in the Vocational Training guidance to people who are unfamiliar with it. Opportunities Scheme, in literacy programmes and in community education programmes. In 2006 an Schizophrenia Ireland published its Pre-Budget 2006 additional target group was added, i.e. recipients of submission to the Minister for Finance, Mr. Brian funding of the Educational Finance Board and their Cowen (Schizophrenia Ireland, 2006). In it they quoted children. Career guidance is also available to prisoners, figures from the Central Statistics Office that only 22% normally as part of pre-release programmes by of people with a mental illness are employed in Ireland, professional guidance counsellors, co-ordinated by the while referring also to findings from the National Vocational Educational Committees, with less Disability Authority’s 2005 report ‘Disability and Work’ structured guidance also being provided by other that 90% of people with mental health problems want professionals such as probation officers, chaplains and to work. One of Schizophrenia Ireland’s suggestions to teachers (OECD, 2002). change this was for the Government to provide funding for interventions to improve access to Sultana (2004) commented that the results of the employment. It also called on the Government to OCED survey showed that career guidance for adults evaluate the ‘Back to Work’ scheme in consultation within the EU and across Europe more generally is with people with mental illness in order to improve narrowly focused on the unemployed. There is wide incentives for people with mental illness to return to work. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 40

Comhairle, in its 2005 pre-budget submission referred Ward (2002) referred to the role of guidance in to FÁS and Community Employment schemes as supporting asylum seekers and other minority having a key role to assist women, particularly lone linguistic groups. She referred to the White Paper on parents, in returning to or entering employment. It Adult Education (Ireland, 2000a) and to the Adult noted that they have also become ‘a key route to Educational Guidance Initiative (AEGI) which was set employment for people with disabilities and others up in 1999 and which is described below in further distant from the workplace’ (Comhairle, 2005, p.4). This detail under the heading ‘Recent Developments in organisation asked that: Guidance’. Ward noted that ‘language barriers can make guidance sessions difficult for learners with Social welfare strategy should ensure that social limited English skills and unfamiliar with educational welfare measures are flexible enough to support terminology’ (p.88). Among her recommendations are work in the home when children are young and the following: provide incentives to return to employment and » All information on courses and guidance issues is education at a later stage. (Comhairle, 2005, p.4) translated into key languages and key interpreters Adults who are Not Irish Nationals provided where needed; » Ethnic Minority Outreach Workers are trained to Whittaker et al. (2004) identified minority ethnic deliver basic guidance to minority linguistic groups groups as often having difficulty in accessing guidance within the community. These posts need to be services in the UK. Ward (2002) conducted a study of filled by bilingual black and ethnic minorities; language and literacy needs among asylum seekers in Dublin. Noting that the number of asylum seekers » Guidance Officers receive specific training to arriving to Ireland had increased from 39 applications deliver sessions to minority linguistic groups taking in 1992 to 10,325 in 2001, the researcher used account of linguistic, cultural and emotional issues; questionnaires and focus groups to compile a profile » Time is allocated for learners in existing facilities in of the asylum seeking population in Dublin, to adult learning centres even if they are only part- evaluate current language/literacy provision for time learners; asylum seekers and other minority linguistic groups » The adult education sector receives a capital and to assess language and literacy needs with a view injection for the provision of open learning centres. to formulating an integrated community-based (Ward, 2002, p.85) approach. She referred to the work of the National Adult Literacy Association (NALA) and described the The Annual Report 2005 of the Adult National Adult four basic principles underpinning the Adult Literacy Literacy Agency (NALA) noted that about 23% of the schemes in Ireland. These centred around the role of total number of literacy students in VEC’s throughout adult literacy work as covering much more than Ireland took part in English for Speakers of Other reading and writing skills and encompassing aspects Languages classes (ESLO). NALA directly supported of personal development – social, economic and this group through training, designing and providing emotional; the necessity of adult literacy workers materials, hosting a conference and developing recognising and respecting the adult status of the materials for a website. Such work is vital, particularly learners; the need for adult literacy learners to become given that the number of adults with literacy active not passive learners and the need for adult difficulties in Ireland is increasing, rather than literacy provision to establish links with other existing decreasing. educational activities and to initiate new developments in continuing education, in line with learning as a life-long process. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 4141

Other Guidance Needs for Adults The National Disability Authority (NDA), the independent statutory advisory body on disability The NALA website www.nala.ie, the National Disability which works, on behalf of the State, to promote and Authority website www.nda.ie and Age Action Ireland help to secure the rights of people with disabilities, http://www.ageaction.ie contain excellent material on found that at least one in ten people experiences the work these organisations are doing to support disability (NDA, 2005). While improvements are evident, adults who have literacy difficulties, disabilities and/or the NDA identified gaps such as those in provision of are older. NALA’s 2005 Annual Report summarises a services for people with intellectual disabilities, mental wide range of training, activities, projects and research health, personal assistants and education for people which the organisation continues to be involved in to with special needs. support the needs to adults who wish to improve their literacy and numeracy. Over 6,465 telephone queries Age Action Ireland is a national non-governmental were answered and over 500 people visited the Dublin organisation concerned with the rights and needs of office. The main aim of its research work in 2005 was aging and older people. Its website contains its to influence Government policy and to maintain a flow mission statement and highlights various projects it is of relevant and timely information about the Agency’s involved with. As with adults in general, the guidance work (NALA, 2005, p.36). needs for older adults are many and varied and while agencies and organisations may not have Comhairle reported that 66.5% of people who are ill or professionally qualified guidance practitioners have a disability are considered at risk of poverty, employed, the majority offer informal guidance. compared to 21.9% for all households (Comhairle, 2005). This organisation was established in 2000 with the primary function of providing information, advice TRAINING GUIDANCE and advocacy in the broad area of social services. It PRACTITIONERS described in its Pre-budget Submission, 2005 that the McCarthy (2004, 2001) highlighted that there were main issues of concerns to users of Citizens Information wide variations both between and within countries in Services were: the extent and nature of the training required to 1. Challenges faced by families. practice as guidance counsellors. The OECD and the 2. Issues relating to people with disabilities; European Communities noted that there were not enough well trained career guidance practitioners to 3. Entitlement to the medical card; meet demand and made several suggestions for 4. The effective enforcement of employment policy development (OECD/EC, 2004). These included: legislation protecting employee rights and the problems faced by migrant workers on the work » Building clear objectives and outcomes for career permit scheme; guidance programmes within overall education, training and employment policies and using these 5. Housing, in particular, the problems experiences in to guide the development and monitoring of the private rented sector and access to the training programmes for career guidance Disabled Person’s Grant for home adaptations. practitioners. 6. The difficulties experienced by asylum seekers Creating national training and qualifications under direct provision. » pathways to enable career guidance practitioners to progress from non-expert to expert roles. » Developing high quality training programmes that combine classroom-based learning with practical skills development and on-the-job experience. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 42

» Developing targeted training for those who work KEY ISSUES IN GUIDANCE with career guidance practitioners such as teachers, Many writers, researchers and policy makers have youth workers, community workers and social drawn attention to a number of key guidance issues. workers. Sampson, Palmer and Watts (1999) stressed that » Using distance learning and ICT to make training identifying client need was an important issue in all more accessible. career guidance provision. Clayton (2000) addressed » Ensuring that recruitment policies for publicly the barriers people who are at risk of social exclusion funded career guidance services pay attention to face in her paper ‘Vocational Guidance and Learning the knowledge and skills required for the job. in Lifelong Learning’. While acknowledging the (OECD/EC, 2004, p.45) importance of lifelong learning for people wishing to gain, change or progress in employment, she The OECD and the EC also recommended that: illustrated how those who were most in need of » Policy makers undertake a study of projections of education and training were the least likely to supply and demand for career guidance personnel participate in it, often because they were prevented for the next fifteen years. from doing so by their life circumstances. Therefore a » Work with tertiary education institutions and career key issue in guidance provision is how to make guidance practitioners to develop a competency services flexible and responsive to client need framework for all of those who provide career (Sampson et al., 1999). These researchers presented a guidance. model which distinguished between people with high, medium and low levels of readiness for career » Make sure that this framework includes the decision making and suggested a range of services competencies needed to deliver government including self-help services, brief-assisted services to policy goals and that it covers all relevant settings individual case-managed services. in which career guidance is provided and all categories of staff. A third issue which has been identified is the » Use this framework to develop modular and cross- willingness or otherwise of the individual to engage sectoral training programmes. with formal guidance services. Sultana (2004) distinguished between the ‘soundness’ of information Sultana (2004b) commended Ireland on the emphasis given by professional guidance services from it places on improving qualifications and training for information provided by other, more informal sources, guidance practitioners, noting that in many other such as family and peer networks. However while countries training is insufficient, not skills based, and highlighting the increasing importance of ‘self-help’ as often with no training in ICT. He emphasised that ‘it a mode of guidance provision he stressed: should no longer be assumed that a degree in psychology is sufficient’. However, he also described That professionally provided information is more training arrangements as being ‘old fashioned and ill- valid, objective, reliable and comprehensive, or to adapted to support more innovative delivery systems’ put it more simply, that it corresponds more closely (Sultana 2004b, p.5). to reality, does not necessarily mean it is of use to clients. Indeed research presents us with quite a different picture, alerting us that informal sources tend to be more influential than formal ones, with young people and adults alike. (Sultana, 2004a, p.69) National Guidance Forum Report 2007 4343

Research demonstrates that an individual’s ability to Learning a Reality’, the ‘European Report on Quality receive and use information depends on a number of Indicators of Lifelong Learning’ (2002), ‘Future Concrete factors including the extent to which it connects to Objectives for Education and Training Systems in the recipient’s prior experience and frameworks of Europe’ (2001), ‘Action Plan for Skills and Mobility’ relevance and the extent to which such information is (2002), ‘New European Labour Market’ (2001); ‘Report perceived to be useful in solving or at least addressing of the High Level Task Force on Skills and Mobility’ present problems or queries (Sultana, 2004a). (2001); ‘Increasing Labour Force Participation and Promoting Active Ageing’ (2002), ‘Joint Employment POLICY DOCUMENTS ON GUIDANCE Report’ (2001), ‘Modernising Public Employment Services to Support the European Employment In 1997 McKenna, McNamara and Barrett reported on Strategy’ (1998), ‘Joint Statements of the European secondary school’s Principals’ perceptions of the Public Employment Services (PES) on their Role in the guidance service in Irish post-primary schools. They Labour Market’ (2002), ‘A New Impetus for European quoted Prior (1991) who noted that: Youth’ (2001) and the ‘Science and Society Action Plan’ (2002). Taking these reports as a whole, The European It is one of the more surprising characteristics of the Commission report noted - that they emphasised the career guidance literature as a whole how little essential role guidance services have in making attention is paid to policy issues…this is perplexing lifelong learning a reality. given that policy decisions, implicit or explicit, constitute the basis for any careers guidance service The Board of Directors of the International Association delivery and for determining the amount of funding for Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG) available to careers guidance providers. (McKenna, adopted the Paris 2001 Declaration on Educational McNamara & Barrett, 1997, p.225) and Vocational Guidance in September 2001. This A lot has changed. The European Council in Lisbon in Declaration highlighted that quality educational and March 2000 outlined its aspiration for the European vocational guidance is a continuous process and is not Union to become the most competitive and dynamic a single intervention. It stated that: knowledge-based society in the world by the year Each person – regardless of gender, education, race, 2010 (Sultana, 2004a). The Education Council and the religion age or occupational status should have free Commission agreed a common framework at and easy access to educational and vocational European level to assist with the modernisation guidance so that their individual capabilities and process, which became known as the Education and skills can be identified and developed to enable Training 2010 work programme. them to undertake adequate education, vocational This consists of three interrelated strands and the training and employment, to adapt to changing provision of lifelong guidance services for European individual and social life situations and to citizens was recognised as an integral element of all participate fully in the social and economic life of three (Wannan & McCarthy, 2005). their community. (IAEVG, 2001) The Declaration referred to the needs of special target The European Commission (2002) summarised recent groups, e.g., persons with disabilities and social policy developments at European Union level in the disadvantages and noted that they should be unpublished report ‘Recent Policy Developments in provided with career counselling that uses appropriate Lifelong Guidance at European Union Level’. Some of methods and counselling that takes into account their the documents referred to include: ‘The Memorandum particular needs and communication requirements. It on Lifelong Learning’ (2000), ‘The Lifelong Learning emphasised the necessity for educational and Communication’ (2001), ‘Communication on Lifelong vocational guidance providers to meet recognised Learning’ (2001), ‘Making a European Area of Lifelong quality standards of counsellor training and service Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 44

delivery and for educational and vocational guidance Fretwell, 2004). Policy reviews of guidance have been services to guarantee impartiality and confidentiality. carried out by the Organisation for Economic Two years later the General Assembly of the IAEVG Cooperation and Development (OECD, 2004), the approved a report entitled ‘International Competencies World Bank (Watts & Fretwell, 2004) and the European for Educational and Vocational Guidance Practitioners’. Union (Sultana, 2004a). Together these reviews covered 36 countries and the core documents can be The emphasis on developing policy in this area has found at the following websites: www.oecd/els/ continued over the past three years – in Europe, in education/careerguidance and www.hrdc-drhc.gc/ Ireland and in the world as a whole. European guidance2003. These documents have proved to be programmes such as Comenius, Leonardo da Vinci helpful reference points for policy makers and and Socrates have contributed to this, as have practitioners. networks such as the Euroguidance network and the European Employment Services (EURES). The former In 2004 the ‘Career Guidance – A Handbook for Policy- aims to assist European mobility in education and Makers’ was published jointly by the OECD and the training and to promote a European dimension in European Communities to ‘make suggestions for national guidance systems, while EURES is a labour improving guidance for young people and adults as market network of Public Employment Services and well as for broadening access to services and for partners aimed at facilitating the mobility of workers strengthening systems development’ (Wannan & in the European Economic Area. McCarthy, 2005, p.4). The handbook contains a range of policy options and good examples of policies to McCarthy noted in his 2002 report that the meet national, regional and local needs across Euroguidance network at that time had fifty specialist education, training and employment sectors. It was centres operating in twenty-five countries, while developed as a response to the gaps in national career EURES has a network of over five hundred advisers. guidance services which the three major reviews had EURES (http://europa.eu.int/eures/index.jsp) links all identified. These included (1) ‘major gaps’ between public employment services in the EU and European how services are organised and delivered and some Economic Area stages and was developed with EU key public policy goals; (2) limited access to services, funding to facilitate worker mobility by ensuring that particularly for adults; (3) inadequate or inappropriate information about skills shortages and surpluses for training and qualification systems; (4) poor co- each country and region was more transparent and ordination between key ministries and stakeholders; more accessible (OCED/EU, 2004). Another initiative is (5) insufficient evidence base to allow proper steering ERA CAREERS which is a portal targeted at researchers of services by policy makers with inadequate data in all stages of their careers that provides information being available on costs, benefits, client characteristics about research jobs, fellowships and grants or outcomes and (6) insufficient use made of ICT and throughout Europe. The website for this portal is other cost-effective ways of meeting clients needs http://www.europa.eu.int/eracareers. The European more flexibly. Union has supported the development of Ploteus as the European Union’s internet portal of learning The aim of the handbook was to ‘help policy makers opportunities (Sultana, 2004a). Further details of within OECD countries and the European Community Ploteus are contained at the following website address: to develop effective policies for career guidance in http://www.ploteus.org/ploteus/portal/home. education, training and employment (OECD/EC, 2004, p.6). It covered four broad policy themes (1) Improving While public policy has been described as not being career guidance for young people; (2) Improving of immediate and intrinsic interest to most career career guidance for adults; (3) Improving access to development practitioners, it is now higher on the career guidance and (4) Improving the systems that public political agenda than ever before (Watts & support guidance. The Youthreach Programme in National Guidance Forum Report 2007 4545

Ireland is included in the report as an example of RECENT EUROPEAN AND effective responses to career guidance for young INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS people at risk. In addressing the need for career guidance for unemployed adults the OECD and the Many researchers, practitioners and policy makers European Community acknowledged that while many agree that the changing nature of work has major groups of unemployed adults have different character- implications for guidance policy and practice (e.g. istics and problems (for example older workers, IAEVG, 2001). Jarvis (2003) described a ‘paradigm shift’ women returning to work after child rearing, ethnic and noted that security no longer lies in employment minorities and people with disabilities), often the but in employability. In a more recent document career guidance available to them does not cater for (Jarvis, 2005) he referred to the ‘Blueprint for LifeWork their distinctive needs. They noted that: Designs’ which he explained identifies core career management competencies with associated In providing career guidance services to unemployed performance indicators at four developmental levels adults, despite significant progress in modernising across the lifespan. Details of this can be found at the PES (Public Employment Services) in many www.blueprint4life.ca countries, insufficient use is made of more cost- effective delivery methods such as outreach-working Developments in the information and communication through professionals, one-stop shops, self-service, technologies have contributed to experts in guidance ICT, or services of differing intensity to reflect policy such as Professor Tony Watts considering the different levels of need. (OECD/EC, p.23) role of ICT in an integrated career information and guidance system (Watts, 2001). Other international The document ‘Career Guidance – A Handbook for experts such as Professor Peter Plant and Professor Policy-Makers’ listed the computer programme Lynn Bezanson have concerned themselves with ‘Careers World’ as among the examples of effective issues such as quality in careers guidance (Plant, 2001) responses as to how provision of career information and integrating career information and guidance at can be improved. It explained that this ‘is a widely local level (Bezanson & Kellett, 2001). Their work is very used career information product that was developed beneficial and has influenced international policy in Ireland by the private sector with financial support through the OECD. from the Department of Education and Science’ (OECD/EC, 2004, p.43). ‘Careers World’ is available on Bezanson and Kellett (2001) referred to the importance the internet at http://www.careersworld.com. The stakeholders have to a coherent career information Handbook is very comprehensive and addressed and guidance system and noted that many may be issues such as training for people working in guidance, ‘playing less influential roles than is ideal’ (p.34). They ensuring the quality of career guidance and assessing explained that this was likely to be the case for parents its effectiveness. Its final section contained the features and employers, as while parents may be ‘active of a lifelong guidance system and the appendix catalysts for career development and lifelong learning’ included on-line resources for career guidance policy they often require information and understanding makers, common aims of lifelong guidance provision, about how to do it effectively. Bezanson and Kellett some common criteria used to assess the quality of (2001) refer to the potential contribution of parents as career guidance and the key features of a lifelong being untapped. Similarly, they described the guidance system. involvement of employers in career information and guidance as not being broadly recognised and often under utilised. They proposed the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development (www.career- dev-guidelines.org) for consideration by those interested in developing similar guidelines. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 46

In 1975 the European Centre for the Development of with having shown innovation in areas such as adult Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) was established. This is guidance, Sultana focused on areas which need to be the European Union’s reference centre for vocational improved such as coordination of services across education and training and provides information on government portfolios, monitoring of client, delivery and analyses of vocational education and training mechanisms, training and addressing gaps in provision systems, policies, research and practice. CEDEFOP has of guidance. created guidance web pages to promote broad dissemination of the results of the work of the In his Ministerial address Mr. Noel Dempsey described Commission’s expert group on lifelong guidance: the three recent reviews of guidance as providing: (www.trainingvillage.gr/etv/Projects-Networks/ An evidence base for the future direction of guidance Guidance/). policies throughout the European Union. In Guidance was a major theme of Ireland’s presidency of particular they confirmed the need for guidance the European Commission in 2004. A two-day informal services to become embedded in curriculum and meeting of the European Ministers of Education and training and to be available to all people throughout the Commission of the European Union was held in their lives, so that every individual can be enabled to April 2004. The theme of this meeting was ‘The develop self-management skills which can be Importance of Guidance throughout Life in Supporting applied to his or her life, personal, social and and Furthering the Lisbon Agenda’. This was followed economic. (Dempsey, 2004, p.6) by a conference, hosted by the Department of Three workshops were run concurrently as part of the Education and Science and NCGE, which was entitled ‘Lifelong Guidance: Harmonising Policy and Practice’ ‘Lifelong Guidance: Harmonising Policy and Practice’. Conference and summaries along with the recom- The proceedings (NCGE, 2004b) make very interesting mendations arising from them are contained in the reading. The Ministerial address was delivered by the Proceedings of the Conference (NCGE, 2004). Some of then Minister for Education and Science, Mr. Noel the various recommendations made include the Dempsey, during which he announced the following: establishment of the National Guidance Forum as a The need for greater resources to reflect the joint initiative between his Department and the » importance of guidance in society. Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, which would be chaired by Professor Joyce O’Connor. » Guidance to be offered as an integrated and holistic service. Professor Ronald Sultana described the European » Guidance to be offered from an early age in an Guidance Agenda and summarised the key outcome appropriate form. from the reviews of the World Bank, the OECD and » Guidance to be presented as a citizen’s entitlement CEDEFOP. In presenting the key issues and challenges and not merely a tool for a more efficient labour he explained that ‘we are not living in an information market. age, but in an information dump, therefore we need Guidance to be resourced and available to all to to provide high quality information and help people » ensure social cohesion and participation to develop the skills to use it’ (Sultana, 2004b, p.4). In throughout life. his address he advocated that more emphasis be put on career management programmes and quality » Careers services/practitioners engage in a critical assurance and spoke about the need for national review of the ways in which they communicate forums so as ‘to articulate a vision and develop a with users so as to understand their priorities, strategy for guidance, along with an enhanced needs and perspectives. international cooperation and exchange of ideas and » In communicating with users guidance expertise’ (Sultana, 2004b, p.4). While crediting Ireland National Guidance Forum Report 2007 4747

practitioners identify concrete, meaningful Irish and European policy development in guidance outcomes using language that is open, direct, and have often overlapped and it is significant that John non-bureaucratic and avoids jargon. McCarthy, former Director of the National Centre for » Through ongoing communication with users Guidance in Education was detached by the Irish guidance practitioners engage in constant Department of Education and Science to establish the clarification of roles and functions and recognise ICCDPP. The first newsletter of the Centre (June 2005) the changing nature of these roles. can be found on the following website address: www. guidancecouncil.com/policymakers/documents/ » That international indicators and benchmarks on Policy%20Points%2001.pdf guidance are developed, while respecting national differences and networking at EU level. » That the Adult Educational Guidance Initiative be RECENT IRISH DEVELOPMENTS nationally available Since the National Centre for Guidance in Education » That social welfare funding should be available for was established in 1995 much of its work has ‘focused adult learners on providing innovative support to strengthen and » That local services be developed for adult learners develop guidance provision’ (Fitzpatrick, 2006, p.1). Its on the basis of feedback from the guidance publication to mark ten years in existence ‘NCGE in services. Support of Guidance: Policy and Practice 1995-2005’ » That basic guidance postgraduate programmes (NCGE, 2006), provides an excellent overview of many must include a module on adult guidance and of the recent developments it has been involved with, modules on special needs. including the area of adult educational guidance, guidance programme planning, research, training, (NCGE, 2004b, pp11-12) social inclusion, European collaboration, conferences In 2005 an International Centre for Career and the National Guidance Forum. Development and Public Policy (ICCDPP) was established as a resource for policy developers and Professor Tony Watts presented a report at the researchers, in association with social partners and National Institute for Careers Education and guidance practitioners, to improve career development Counselling (NICEC) in 1999 and noted that networks systems that support lifelong learning and workforce spanning education and employment authorities were development goals. It has three main aims: at that time underdeveloped (Watts, 1999). McCarthy and Coyle (2000) prepared a thorough overview of 1. To promote career development internationally as career development services in Ireland for the an integral part of public policies for education, International Symposium on Policy for Career training, employability and social exclusion Development Services in Canada in May 1999. In their 2. To promote and support international transfer of paper they described the delivery of career guidance knowledge and best practice in order to in Ireland as being strong in the education sector but strengthen public policies, systems and practices relatively weak in the labour market area and for career development acknowledged that most initiatives relating to 3. To promote methods and resources for evidence-based guidance had been developed on an ad hoc basis policy-making in the field of career development with the drive for change coming mainly from through international collaboration. practitioners. (The Guidance Council, 2006) Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 48

Ward and Kelly (1999) described one of the main This report credited the 2001 Guidance Enhancement difficulties of access for users of any guidance and Initiative as having been an ‘important step in moving counselling provider in Ireland as being ‘the confusion towards a tailoring of guidance resources to policy and lack of cohesion of services on offer’ (p.143). They priorities’ (OECD, 2002, p.18). noted that the delivery of guidance and counselling in Ireland at that time was via many providers and that The National Centre for Guidance in Education the structure of guidance and counselling facilities for produced a document in 2004 entitled ‘Planning the the socially excluded involved a system of School Guidance Programme’. In the introduction, Mr. unstructured services lacking a cohesive strategy and Ed Riordan, Chairperson of NCGE, referred to guidance being funded in the short term in many instances by being widely recognised as an essential part of the FÁS, the National Training and Development Agency. learning process. Schools are required under the They made a number of recommendations regarding Education Act (Ireland, 1998) to ensure that students the provision of a dedicated adult guidance and have access to appropriate guidance, and they have counselling service, both within and outside the responded to this by developing school guidance education sector. programmes. These have been defined as ‘the specific set of learning experiences which a school provides in In 2000 the White Paper on Adult Education ‘Learning response to the guidance needs of its students’ (NCGE, for Life’ was launched. Minister Willie O’Dea referred to 2004, p.8). the ‘growing realisation that education must be lifelong if we are to have an inclusive and democratic In September 1999 the Department of Education and society which can adapt successfully to meet new Science launched the Adult Educational Guidance challenges (O’Dea, 2000, p.9). The White Paper Initiative (AEGI) which was intended to pilot adult acknowledged the need to invest in guidance and educational guidance in the adult literacy, VTOS and made specific recommendations such as putting in adult and community educational fields. In 2006 the place a National Adult Guidance and Counselling recipients of funding from the Educational Finance Service. It also made clear that refugees are entitled to Board and their children were included as a fourth the same access to education and training as Irish target group. Mernagh (2006) noted that the AEGI nationals. service is currently available in 25 local communities and described the nature of the service as including: The OECD (2002) report on guidance described career » The provision of a coherent information base information, guidance and counselling services in which can be self-accessed by learners, allied with Ireland as ‘diverse, with long-standing services sitting a help-line; alongside interesting recent initiatives and experimen- » Initial consultations with a trainer advisor to help tation (OECD, 2002, p.2). It noted that there was a clarify needs, indicate appropriate pathways and/or ‘strong core of committed guidance professionals in referral; Ireland and that they were supported by: » More specialised support such as counselling An extensive institutional framework for service (career, educational) and assessment. delivery, by a national infrastructure for training and This service is free to all citizens and Mernagh noted by the National Centre for Guidance in Education, that it provides a range of professional services, advice, an agency of the Department of Education and information, guidance and support to assist adults to Science. (In addition there is a National Resource reach their full potential as learners, to make good Centre for Vocational Guidance that helps to career choices and to progress on to further study, promote a European guidance dimension within training or employment. FÁS, the Irish Training and Employment Agency. (OECD, 2002, p.3) National Guidance Forum Report 2007 4949

The specific findings of the international reviews of promote adaptability to changing circumstances in guidance policies carried out between 2001 and 2002 the labour market and the individual’s life, as well as by the OECD, CEDEFOP and the World Bank in relation retention in education and training, by assisting to Ireland were that while guidance was fairly well people to self-manage their own personal, career and developed in the areas of schools’ resources, training lifelong learning paths. arrangement, qualification and innovations, there are gaps in the areas such as coordination, policy steering, The establishment of the National Guidance Forum in input monitoring, accountability mechanisms, delivery 2004 has been described by its Chairperson, Professor mechanisms, training, provision and weaknesses in Joyce O’Connor as marking ‘a significant step in the career information (Sultana, 2004a). The adult development of a quality lifelong and lifewide guidance pilot programmes described above were guidance service for all those living in Ireland’ (NCGE, reported by the OECD as being ‘among the most 2006, p.34). Professor O’Connor noted that: interesting recent development in career information, Already the benefits are in evidence through the guidance and counselling in Ireland’ (OECD, 2002, p.16). Forum’s proposal to the Department of Education One recommendation that emerged as a result of and Science and the Department of Environment, these reviews was that a National Forum for guidance Trade and Enterprise for a strategy to develop a policy and systems development be set up. It was National Learning Line and funding for gaps in proposed that this would include ‘both government guidance provision under the National Development and stakeholder representatives, as well as key partners Plan 2007-2013. (NCGE, 2006, p.34) in service provision, in order to help focus and develop The Members of the Forum work on one of four agendas and to steer policy making’ (OECD/EC, subcommittees to address the gaps in guidance 2004, p.54). identified in the OECD report and to contribute to the achievement of the Forum’s overall objectives (NCGE, THE NATIONAL GUIDANCE FORUM 2006, p.34). The function of the scoping paper subcommittee is: The OECD commented that whilst the Irish guidance community is a ‘wide community with many common To outline what guidance is currently available in interests and needs, it is a surprisingly fragmented one Ireland, where the gaps are in provision, and as a for such a small country’ (OECD, 2002, p.14). The result, make recommendations based not only on various developments at national, European, and the Irish experience, but also on current international levels and the political priority attached developments in the European Union, where to guidance provided the background to the setting applicable. This document will inform the recom- up of the National Guidance Forum in June 2004. Mr. mendations of the Forum in relation to policy Raimo Vuorinen from the Institute for Educational development and coordination of guidance. Research, Jyvaskyla, Finland, described the National (National Guidance Forum, 2005, p.4) Guidance Forum as ‘a good example of concrete action resulting from evaluation’ (Vuorinen, 2004, p.5). The quality assurance subcommittee is working: The ‘Resolution on Guidance’ as agreed by the Council of the European Union during the Irish EU Presidency To produce an agreed quality assurance framework 2004 recognised guidance as underpinning lifelong for guidance that will establish appropriate learning, social inclusion, labour market efficiency and accountability mechanisms, inform the training economic development. It highlighted its role in needs of guidance providers, enable policy makers building self-confidence by empowering people to and providers to design appropriate delivery make decisions and avail of learning, work, civic and mechanisms for lifelong and lifewide guidance personal opportunities. Guidance was seen to provision and review guidance inputs. (National Guidance Forum, 2005, p.4) Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 50

The competencies subcommittee is: Sultana (2004a) noted that the collection of qualitative indicators (i.e. client satisfaction with the guidance Developing an agreed framework for core service offered) tends to be rare and among his competencies for guidance providers. This conclusions noted the following: framework will have implications for the training » The importance for all providers and stakeholders and professional development of guidance providers, to jointly take stock of the strengths and weakness for the development of appropriate models of of their overall provision, to jointly plan, implement delivery and for the provision of appropriate and sustain the reforms that are required by the guidance across the lifespan and in a range of new guidance paradigm. different contexts. (National Guidance Forum, 2005, p.4) » That the paradigm shift to lifelong guidance requires sets of new and advanced skills from the Finally, the consultative process subcommittee’s brief is: different providers and that the pre-service and in- service training of guidance workers – professional To undertake a consultative process with the public so and paraprofessional – has to be both broader, and that the experience of the public of guidance and their deeper. recommendations will inform the Forum’s recommen- dations for how all gaps identified by the OECD can » That services must be strongly monitored to be addressed. (National Guidance Forum, 2005, p.4) ensure quality. (Sultana, 2004a, p.107-109)

NEED FOR FURTHER RESEARCH McCarthy (2004) described the client as being ‘the This Literature Review demonstrates that there is major stakeholder in the guidance systems’ and that widespread national and international recognition he/she ‘therefore should be the main focus’ (p.9). The regarding the benefits of guidance for everyone, final two sentences in the ‘Proceedings of the young and old, and that several policy documents Conference Lifelong Guidance: Harmonising Policy have been published and key organisations set up to and Practice’ (NCGE, 2004b) stated that: support guidance practitioners and stakeholders. Statistics are used to help policy makers. Very few Indeed the Chairperson of the National Guidance statistics are being collected in the area of guidance Forum, Professor O’Connor, has described the Forum and where they are collected they are very primitive. as ‘an example of the excellent outcomes that result (NCGE, 2004b, p.12) from the collaboration of stakeholders’ (NCGE, 2006, p.34). The most obvious gap which exists in the The consultative process of the National Guidance current national literature on guidance is the views, Forum worked to fill the gap which was identified perceptions, opinions and recommendations of above regarding the perceptions of people who use, people who use guidance services, as well as those as well as those who don’t use guidance services. This who do not. Literature Review provides the context in which the Consultative Subcommittee undertook its consultative Bezanson and Kellett (2001) pointed out that ‘too little process and concludes with a summary of the key is known about the impacts of career information and points which emerged from the literature. The guidance services on the quality of transitions people following three chapters describe the methodology make into and out of learning and work’ (p.37). They used and the key results that emerged from the advised an enhanced applied research agenda that consultative process. These are discussed in the would compare models of delivery as well as research context of the literature in Chapter 6 with Chapter 7 on the outcomes of career information and guidance containing the conclusions and recommendations services. Many others have also written about the which emerge as a result of the consultative process. importance of formal as well as informal evaluation of guidance services including Clayton (2000) and Sultana (2004). National Guidance Forum Report 2007 5151

SUMMARY OF THE KEY » The provision of guidance is a statutory POINTS WHICH EMERGED requirement for schools under the 1998 Education FROM THE LITERATURE Act and the Department of Education and Science (2005) have published guidelines for second level » Definitions of guidance are broad and include the schools on the implications of Section 9(c) of the following activities: counselling, assessment, Education Act, relating to students’ access to information, advice, personal and social appropriate guidance. development programmes (e.g. Wannan & » The 1998 report on ‘Perceived Needs for Guidance, McCarthy, 2005; National Guidance Forum 2004, Counselling and Psychological Services in VEC NCGE, 2004). Youthreach Centres, Community Training Workshops » There is wide recognition of guidance’s key role in: and Senior Traveller Centres’ highlighted the need » Promoting life-long learning (e.g. Sultana, for training in guidance for all staff (NCGE, 2006). 2004a; Ireland, 2000a; McNamara, 1998) » Many parents indicated that the career guidance » Strengthening the labour market (Sultana, provision for their children was inadequate 2004a). (NCGE, 1997). » Developing society as well as the economy (e.g. » Gordon (2004) researched the particular needs of Jarvis 2005; Unwin 2004; Wannan & Stavrou, Travellers attending Youthreach/Senior Traveller 2004; Watts & Fretwell, 2004; Watts & Sultana, Community Centres for Education and highlighted 2004). the factors affecting young people’s access of » Guidance is seen as a human rights issue (Sultana, supports (Gordon, 2004). 2004b). » Important differences exist between school and » The Irish guidance counselling service in second adult guidance (e.g. Brown, 2004; Clayton et al., level schools has been described as tending to be 1999; Sampson et al., 1999). a ‘compromise between the American model » There have been developments in adult guidance which emphasises personal counselling and the provision following the publication of the White European model which almost exclusively focuses Paper on Adult Education (Ireland, 2000a), e.g., the on the narrower concept of career guidance’ (Ryan, Adult Educational Guidance Initiative. 1993, p.63). » A recent report on students’ perceptions of careers » The Department of Education and Science (2005) services available in one Irish university (GTI, 2006) noted that: found that 42% of respondents reported never having used the service, in person or online. The guidance and counselling process aims to Reasons for this included the students not help students to develop an awareness and knowing it existed, thinking they did not need it at acceptance of their talents and abilities; to that time, and thinking that they did not need it at explore possibilities and opportunities; to grow all. Recommendations included increased in independence and to take responsibility for advertising and marketing. themselves; to make informed choices about their lives and to follow through on these » The GTI report (2006) found that students who choices. (p.5) used the services most were students who were motivated and successful and that despite » The report on guidance in second level schools in advances in information technology the majority Ireland has recently been carried out and the of respondents preferred to visit the careers service report has been presented to the Minster for in person to access certain services. Education and Science. As it was not available at » The results of the OECD survey showed that career the time of this Report being published, it is guidance for adults within the EU and across recommended as complementary reading to this Europe is narrowly focused on the unemployed report. (Sultana, 2004a). Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 52

» There have been several important National and » The willingness or otherwise of the individual European policy documents on guidance, e.g.,the to engage with formal guidance services National Employment Action Plan, the National (Gordon, 2004; Sultana, 2004a; Turner & McGill, Development Plan (2000-2006), the FÁS Action 2002); Plan (1999) and the National Adult Learning » Quality in guidance (Plant, 2001); Council (2002), ‘The Lisbon Agreement’ (2000); » Integrating career information and guidance at ‘Increasing Labour Force Participation and local level (Bezanson & Kellett, 2001). Promoting Active Ageing (2002) and ‘The Paris » The changing nature of work has major 2001 Declaration on Educational, Vocational implications for guidance policy and practice Guidance’ (Wannan & McCarthy, 2005; McCarthy, 2002). (Jarvis, 2005). » There are several European programmes in place » ICT is seen as having a vital role in an integrated to develop and strengthen guidance services career information and guidance system (Watts, 2001). including the European Employment Services (EURES) and Ploteus. » The potential contribution of parents remains untapped and that of employers is not broadly » Three key policy reviews of guidance have been recognised and often under utilised (Bezanson & recently carried out: OECD (2004), the World Bank Kellett, 2001). Parents have the most influence, (Watts & Fretwell, 2004) and the European Union directly or indirectly on the choices made by (Sultana, 2004a). young people (NCGE, 1997). » Research carried out on behalf of the Expert Group » Guidance was a major theme of Ireland’s in Future Skills Needs entitled ‘Careers and Labour presidency of the European Commission in 2004, Market Information in Ireland’ was published after culminating with Minister’s Dempsey’s this consultative process was completed. announcement of setting up of the National » The Resolution adopted by the Council of Ministers Guidance Forum during the conference ‘Life-long of the European Union on Strengthening Policies, Guidance: Harmonising Policy and Practice’. Systems and Practices in the field of Guidance » ‘We are not living in an information age, but in an throughout life highlighted the need for the information dump, therefore we need to provide development of high quality guidance provision high quality information and help people to for all European citizens, accessible at all stages of develop the skills to use it’ (Sultana, 2004a, p.4). their lives to enable them to manage their learning and work pathways and the transitions therein. » An International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy (ICCDPP) was established in 2005 » While it is recognised in Europe that there are not as a resource for policy developers and researchers, enough well trained guidance practitioners to in association with social partners and guidance meet demand (OECD, 2004), Ireland has been practitioners, to improve career development commended on the emphasis it places on systems that support lifelong learning and improving qualifications and training for guidance workforce development goals (The Guidance practitioners (Sultana, 2004a). Council, 2006). » Key issues in guidance include: » Irish and European policy developments in » Identifying client need (Clayton, 1999). guidance have often overlapped and it is » To make services flexible and responsive to significant that John McCarthy was detached by client need (Whittaker et al 2004; Turner & the Irish Department of Education and Science to McGill, 2002; Sampson, Palmer & Watts, 1999); establish the International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy (ICCDPP). National Guidance Forum Report 2007 5353

» Career information, guidance and counselling » Wannan & McCarthy (2005) highlighted how services in Ireland were described as ‘diverse, with quality assurance systems for career guidance long-standing services sitting alongside recent should ensure that ‘individual users are regularly initiatives and experimentation’ (OECD, 2002, p.2). consulted on their satisfaction with and experience » This report noted that there was a: of the service’ (p.18). » The recent report ‘School Matters. The Report of Strong core of committed guidance professionals the Task Force on Student Behaviour in Second in Ireland and that they were supported by an Level Schools’ (Department of Education and extensive framework for service delivery, by a Science, 2006), the members described the national infrastructure for training and by the changing social context in which schools operate, National Centre for Guidance in Education. (OECD, institutional developments, the issue of disruptive 2002, p.3) behaviour and how it impacts upon teaching and » The OECD (2002) recognised the National Resource learning as well as school ethos and community, as Centres for Vocational Guidance, of which there are well as making recommendations to improve the two in Ireland, one in the National Centre for current situation. The essential role of parents was Guidance in Education, and one in FÁS, help to emphasised as well as the necessity of providing promote a European dimension to guidance. additional supports for teachers and strengthening » Wannan & McCarthy (2005) raised questions links with support services such as the National regarding service users, for example: Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). » Is the empowerment of users a stated objective of the guidance services or is it implicit? » Do users tend to be treated as active collaborators in formulating their career goals and plans, or more as passive recipients of guidance services? » To what extent do guidance services work through and with significant factors in the lives of users and actively involve users in this process? (Wannan & McCarthy, 2005, p.15) 03 Methodology Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 55

RATIONALE FOR RESEARCH PHASE ONE: QUESTIONNAIRES The Literature Review contains numerous references Various methodologies were considered including to policy development and to research carried out on focus groups, submissions and questionnaires. An service providers but reveals a gap in research which initial pilot study looked at people’s reactions to a draft focuses on the views on guidance of people who have advertisement requesting submissions on guidance received guidance as well as those who have not. The from the general public. The results were very helpful consultative process of the National Guidance Forum and demonstrated that many people in the general was undertaken to bridge that gap. public would not respond to such a request. The second pilot study examined people’s reactions to a Specifically the consultative process subcommittee’s questionnaire and based on their comments a revised brief was: draft was drawn up. This was then discussed at a meeting of the National Guidance Forum on 4th To undertake a consultative process with the public October. Various suggestions were made and the final so that the experience of the public of guidance and questionnaire was distributed to the Members for their recommendations will inform the Forum’s circulation on Monday 10th October 2005. Appendix 1 recommendations for how all gaps identified by the contains a copy of this questionnaire. OECD can be addressed. (NCGE, 2006, p.34) The Members of the consultative process KEY QUESTIONS subcommittee agreed to employ a targeted approach What do ‘non-guidance’ people: to distributing the questionnaires and to ask members of the National Forum to actively assist in distributing (a) Know about guidance; questionnaires to people within their organisations as (b) Think about what they know; well as among people in the general public and to (c) Recommend to improve services. assist people who may have literacy difficulties. Members of the Forum were also asked to contact Following meetings of the National Guidance Forum organisations and voluntary bodies they may be and of the consultative process subcommittee, associated with to inform them of the consultative discussions, emails and two pilot studies between process and to invite them to complete the June 1st and September 1st 2005 it was agreed to seek questionnaire on the Forum website. In addition a the views of as wide a range of service users and non- press release was issued by the National Centre for users on guidance services in Ireland so as to: Guidance in Education (NCGE). Fifty-six libraries were 1. Inform the work of the National Guidance Forum; contacted by email to inform them of the consultative 2. To guide future policy on how to strengthen and process and the names of these are contained in develop guidance services; Appendix 2. 3. To enable life-long guidance to become a reality. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 5656

Twelve organisations were selected at random from Tables 3.1 to 3.7 below contain summary details of the NCGE Database of Guidance and Support Services the participants who completed the questionnaires in for Young People, which is available on www.ncge.ie, terms of their gender, nationality, age, age they left and invited to distribute questionnaires to their service school, country in which they received the majority of users. The deadline for questionnaires to be returned their schooling, their current situation, occupation and was Friday the 11th of November, although at the highest level of education. Although 635 meeting of the National Guidance Forum on 1st questionnaires were returned, not everyone answered December it was agreed that completed all of the questions, so the total number of responses questionnaires would be accepted up until the 31st of varies in the Tables. For ease of reading numbers are December, 2005. given to one digital place in the Tables but are rounded up in the text.

TABLE 3.1 Gender and Nationality of Questionnaire Participants

Almost two thirds of the people Gender Total n = 616 Nationality Total n =633 who completed the questionnaires Male Female R. of Ireland UK Other were female and the vast majority of n 210 406 590 14 32 the total group was made up of Irish nationals. % 34.1 65.9 93.2 2.2 5.0

TABLE 3.2 Age of Questionnaire Participants

Age Total n = 627 16-18 19-22 23-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71+ n 94 76 111 128 120 73 18 7 % 15.0 12.1 17.7 20.4 19.1 11.6 2.9 1.1

45% of people who completed the questionnaire were aged between the ages of 16 and 30 inclusive, 51% were between the ages of 31 and 60 exclusive while 4% of people were 61 and over.

TABLE 3.3 Age Questionnaire Participants left School and Country in Which Majority of Schooling Obtained

The majority, 92%, of participants Where Majority of Schooling had completed their schooling in Age Left School at Total n = 624 obtained Total n = 632 Ireland, with the majority, 83% < 16 16-18 >18 Ireland UK Other leaving school between the ages of N 41 518 65 578 22 32 16 and 18 years. % 6.5 83.0 10.5 91.5 3.5 5.0 Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 57

TABLE 3.4 Where Questionnaire Participants live (total n= 630) Just over half of the sample, 54% City Large Town Small Town Rural Area lived in a city or large town, with 46% living in a rural area or small town. n 252 87 106 185

% 40.0 13.8 16.8 29.4

TABLE 3.5 Current Situation of Questionnaire Participants (total n= 631)

Working in On a Training Disability Student the Home Employed Unemployed Course Allowance Retired N 155 37 339 28 58 2 12 % 24.6 5.9 53.7 4.4 9.2 .3 1.9

Table 3.5 shows that 54% of the people who completed the questionnaire described themselves as employed, 25% were students, 6% worked in the home, 4% were unemployed, 9% were on a training course, 2% were retired and less than 1% received a disability allowance.

TABLE 3.6 Social Class of Questionnaire Participants (total n=415)

Professional Managerial Skilled Workers &Technical Non-Manual Manual Semi-skilled Unskilled Other n 26 200 74 38 34 19 24 % 6.3 48.2 17.8 9.2 8.2 4.6 5.6

Participants’ occupations were classified according to the system by the Central Statistics Office in the 2002 census, (Ireland, 2003). The majority of people who described their occupation, 48%, belonged to the Managerial and Technical grouping, with 6% Professional Workers, 18% Non-Manual, 9% were Skilled Manual, 8% semi-skilled, and 5% unskilled. The 6% ‘Other’ were people who described themselves as working in the home. It is important to note however that 34% of the total sample of 635 people did not answer the question on occupation, so this Table can not be seen to reflect the entire sample. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 5858

TABLE 3.7 Highest Level of Education of Questionnaire Participants (total n= 574)

Group/Inter/Junior Leaving Training/ Post-grad Certificate Certificate Cert. Diploma Third Level Degree Diploma/Degree n 58 185 96 143 92

% 10.1 32.2 16.7 24.9 16.0

Table 3.7 shows that 41% of the people who indicated their highest level of education had completed a third level education.

PHASE TWO: FOCUS GROUPS who are unemployed or who are living on a low income. Table 3.8 contains a brief description of the The Members of the National Guidance Forum agreed seven focus groups which were held between the during their meeting on December 1st, 2005, to have 24th January and the 4th April, 2006. A further eighth a Phase Two of the consultative process to allow for a focus group which had been arranged to take place in more in-depth exploration of the issues with a large public library did not proceed as no member specifically targeted groups, including those who were of the general public attended. Further summary seen to be under-represented in the sample of people details of the focus group participants are contained who completed the questionnaires, i.e. the older in Tables 3.9 to 3.15 below. The geographical sub- population, people who are not Irish nationals, parents divisions and the social class groupings are those of preschool and primary school children, people with which were used in the 2002 Census (Ireland, 2003). physical and/or learning disabilities as well as people

TABLE 3.8 Description of Focus Groups

No. of Region Description of Group Participants Dublin Non-Irish Nationals 5 South-West Early School Leavers who are working in a Training Centre 11 Midland Unemployed/Training 10 Border Parents of Preschool and Primary school children 15 Dublin People with Physical and/or Learning Disabilities 12 Dublin People with Literacy Difficulties 4 Mid-East Older Age Group 15

Organising the Focus Groups For the eighth focus group, which was intended to consist of members of the general public, a notice was A contact person for each of the eight focus groups placed in a large pubic library for two weeks, was contacted by the Researcher/Writer who explaining the purpose of the focus group and inviting explained the nature of the consultative process of the people to attend. When no-one arrived at the National Guidance Forum as well as the specific designated time the decision was made not to purpose of the focus groups. In seven of the eight reschedule. Details of the information given in the groups the contact person agreed to ask individuals if notice and to the seven contact people are contained they would be willing to participate in the research. in Appendix 3. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 59

Format of the Focus Groups Finally, as part of the introduction piece of the focus groups participants were asked to complete a brief Each focus group was conducted in a similar way. The questionnaire to provide some general information on members of the group were thanked for coming and the participants of the group including gender, age, were introduced to the Researcher and Research where they live, current status, occupation, age they Assistant who worked together on each of the focus left school and level of educational qualifications groups. Details of the National Guidance Forum and obtained. A copy of this questionnaire is also the consultative process were summarised and the contained in Appendix 3. Participants who had particular structure of the focus groups, as detailed in difficulties completing the consent form and Appendix 3, was explained. An information letter to questionnaires were assisted by the Researcher and the participants was read aloud by the Researcher. Research Assistant. People were then given the opportunity to ask questions and it was stressed that participation in the Each focus group lasted approximately an hour and a group was voluntary and that anyone could leave at half. When the questionnaire and consent form had any time if he/she wished. been completed the tape-recorder was switched on and participants were asked about their experiences Confidentiality was a key issue which was addressed of guidance, their opinions of guidance and what they with each group. People were made aware that while would recommend for guidance services. Key points their names would not be used at any time, some of arising from these are summarised in Chapters Four what they said might be used in a written report. and Five and are discussed in Chapter Six. Recommen- Participants were asked to agree to keep what other dations arising from both phases of the consultative people said confidential to the group, although it was process are contained in Chapter Seven – Conclusions explained that if anyone described being seriously and Recommendations. hurt or seriously hurting another person then the Researcher would be obliged to report that to the At the end of each focus group the participants were appropriate authorities. People were asked if they thanked and each person was given a small token of a were willing to allow the sessions to be audio-taped, voucher to the value of €30 which could be spent in a so that an accurate record would be kept. However, large range of shops nationwide. The focus group they were informed that people’s names would not participants were not aware that they would be be used in the written transcripts of the sessions. Each receiving a voucher until the focus group had finished. person was asked to sign a consent form and it was explained that those forms would be kept separate Tables 3.9 to 3.15 below contain summary details from the other material in a sealed envelope and that of the participants of the focus groups. individuals’ names would not be used at any point of the research.

TABLE 3.9 Gender and Nationality of Focus Group Participants

Table 3.9 illustrates that of those Gender Total n = 72 Nationality Total n =72 who responded to the various Male Female R. of Ireland UK Other questions, 61% of the participants of the focus groups were female and N 28 44 63 2 7 88% of them were Irish nationals. % 38.8 61.1 87.5 2.8 9.7 The category ‘other’ includes people from the rest of Europe, Africa and South America. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 6060

TABLE 3.10 Age of Focus Group Participants

31% of those who participated in Age Total n = 70 the focus groups were aged 15-18 19-22 23-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71+ between 15 years and 30 years inclusive, 48% were aged between N 10 1 11 11 13 9 7 8 31 and 50 years inclusive and 21% % 14.3 1.4 15.7 15.7 18.6 12.8 10 11.4 were aged 61 years or over.

TABLE 3.11 Age Focus Group Participants left School and Country in Which Majority of Schooling Obtained

Table 3.11 illustrates that 60% of Where Majority of Schooling the focus group participants left Age Left School at Total n = 67 obtained Total n = 69 school between sixteen and < 16 16-18 >18 Ireland UK Other eighteen years, 30% left before the N 20 40 7 60 2 7 age of sixteen and 10% left after the age of eighteen. % 29.8 59.7 10.4 86.9 2.9 10.1

TABLE 3.12 Where Focus Group Participants live (total n=67)

As can be seen in Table 3.12, 58% City Large Town Small Town Rural Area of participants live in a city or large town with 42% living in a small N 28 11 12 16 town or rural area. % 41.8 16.4 17.9 23.9 Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 61

TABLE 3.13 Current Situation of Focus Group Participants (total n=67)

On a Working in Training Disability Allowance/ wStudent the Home Employed Unemployed Course Sheltered Workshop Retired n 3 2 15 4 14 15 14 % 4.5 3.0 22.4 6.0 20.9 22.4 20.9

4.5% of the people who attended the focus groups described themselves as students in response to the question ‘What is your current situation?’ 3% answered that they were working in the home, 22% were employed, 6% were unemployed, 21% were on a training course, 23% were received disability allowance and/or attending a sheltered workshop and 21% were retired.

TABLE 3.14 Social Class grouping of Focus Group Participants (total n= 27)

Professional Managerial Skilled Workers &Technical Non-Manual Manual Semi-skilled Unskilled Other n 1 7 6 4 8 1 0

% 3.7 25.9 22.2 14.8 29.6 3.7 0

27 people (37.5% of the total) described their occupation. These were classified according to the social class and occupation list used in the 2002 Census (Ireland, 2003) and, as can be seen in Table 3.14 above, 4% of people in the seven focus groups were professional workers, 26% were managerial and technical, 22% non-manual, 30% semi- skilled and 4% non-skilled.

TABLE 3.15 Highest Level of Education of Focus Group Participants (total n=52)

27% of people reported their Group/ Training/ highest level of qualification as None/ Inter/Junior Leaving Cert. Third Level being either the Primary Certificate Primary Certificate Certificate Diploma Degree or no qualification, 33% had the n 14 17 8 10 3 Group, Intermediate or Junior % 26.9 32.7 15.4 19.2 5.8 Certificate, 15% had completed the Leaving Certificate, and 19% had obtained either further training, certificates or diplomas while 6% had received third level degrees. 04 Results of Phase One Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 63

The consultative process of the National Guidance For ease of reading percentages are presented to one Forum was carried out to inform the Forum’s recom- decimal place in the following Tables but are rounded mendations on improving and developing guidance up in the text. A selection of respondents’ comments services in Ireland. The Process was carried out in two to several of the questions in the questionnaire is phases. Phase One involved designing, piloting and included in this Chapter with further detail included in distributing questionnaires to members of the general Appendices 5, 6, 7 and 8. A total of 635 questionnaires public and subsequently analysing the results. Phase were returned and analysed. As members of the Two allowed for a more detailed exploration of general public were informed of the questionnaire by people’s opinions and recommendations regarding a variety of methods it is not possible to determine an guidance in Ireland and involved a series of focus accurate response rate. groups. This chapter contains the results of the first phase and the key themes identified by the members Summary details of the respondents’ gender, age, of the focus groups are summarised in Chapter 5. The nationality, educational experience and qualifications results of both phases are then addressed in the and social class grouping are contained in Chapter 3: context of the literature in Chapter 6: Discussion. The Methodology. As can be seen in Table 4.1 77% of conclusions and recommendations arising from the those who replied to the questionnaires reported consultative process are outlined in the final Chapter, 7. feeling very satisfied or satisfied with their current situation, which ranged from being a student (25% of sample) to working in the home (6%), being employed (54%), unemployed (4%), on a training course (9%), receiving a disability allowance (.3%) or being retired (2%).

TABLE 4.1 Level of Satisfaction with Current Situation (total n=618)

Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied

N 198 283 82 37 18

% 32.0 45.8 13.3 6.0 2.9

Respondents’ Experience Question 12 in the questionnaire asked people about of Guidance Services their level of knowledge of guidance services in Ireland. Of the 629 people who responded to this Participants in Phase One of the research were asked question, 6% said that they knew a lot, 50% said that about their knowledge of guidance services in Ireland they knew a little and 44% said that they knew and about their experiences of guidance in second nothing about guidance services in Ireland. Reasons level school and since they left school. for this varied as Table 4.2 illustrates: National Guidance Forum Report 2007 6464

TABLE 4.2 Reasons for People’s Level of Knowledge of Guidance Services in Ireland

Comment Respondents’ Details There was a guidance service in my secondary school and Female, Aged 19-22, Irish, Lives in City, Student, Highest college but I don’t know where people who aren’t in Level of Education: Leaving Certificate, Satisfied with education can go to get help. Current Situation, Very Positive Opinion of Guidance Services I cannot think of any services advertised to help with Female, Aged 19-22, Irish, Lives in Large Town, Student, guidance services. Highest Level of Education: Leaving Certificate, Satisfied with Current Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance Services I am part of a group that successfully lobbied for an adult Male, Aged 51-60, Irish, Lives in Large Town, Unemployed, education guidance service in my area. Highest Level of Education: Diploma, Dissatisfied with Current Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance Services. He spoke a lot of rubbish, telling me that I wasn’t good Female, Aged 16-18, Irish, Lives in Rural Area, Student, enough to do what I wanted to do. Works in Retail, Highest Level of Education: Junior Certificate, Satisfied with Current Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance Services. I would be aware of some of the information services Female, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in City, Student, Highest available and also aware that with further investigation Level of Education: Leaving Certificate, Very Satisfied with I would discover more. Current Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services.

TABLE 4.3 Opinion of Guidance Services (total n=568)

Question 15 of the questionnaire Very Very Positive Neutral Negative asked people about their opinion of Positive Negative guidance services in Ireland. The n 35 165 274 78 16 results of this are contained in Table 4.3 (right). % 6.2 29.0 48.2 13.7 2.8

Table 4.3 illustrates that the majority (48%) of focused on the need for increasing resources while respondents described themselves as having a neutral others noted difficulties in accessing guidance services. opinion on guidance services in Ireland, while 35% Parents’ role in providing guidance was addressed and were ‘positive’ or ‘very positive’ and 16.5% were several people referred to guidance as an activity ‘negative’ or ‘very negative’. Reasons given to explain which should be started earlier in school and continue their comments focused on their personal experiences on throughout life. Tables 4.9 to 4.17 below and of individual guidance counsellors, the type of Appendices 5 and 6 contain some of the respondents’ guidance they had received, as well as comments comments regarding their experiences of guidance in about the timing it was given. Some comments school and since leaving school. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 65

Experience of Guidance while in School

TABLE 4.4 If Guidance was Available and Availed of While in School

As Table 4.4 illustrates 65% of Guidance Available in School Availed of Guidance in respondents said that guidance was Total n = 624 School Total n = 422 available in their school and a high Yes No Don’t Know Yes No percentage of these (84%) reported N 403 170 51 354 68 availing of guidance. % 64.6 27.2 8.2 83.9 16.1

TABLE 4.5 Description of Guidance Available in School (total n= 260)

Table 4.5 contains the range of Meetings responses to part of question 13: ‘If Before Other Dealing Aptitude Leaving Choosing Careers with ‘yes’ (guidance was available in your Tests Cert. College Related Problems school) please give a brief description of this guidance. It is n 39 16 141 62 2 very clear that the term ‘guidance’ % 15.0 6.2 54.2 23.8 .8 was predominantly associated with decisions regarding college and careers.

TABLE 4.6 Who Provided Guidance in School (total n= 316)

Table 4.6 contains details of who Guidance the respondents reported as having Counsellor Teacher Librarian Chaplain provided guidance in school, with N 271 64 1 1 the majority naming the guidance counsellor. % 80.4 19.0 .3 .3 National Guidance Forum Report 2007 6666

TABLE 4.7 How Often Guidance was Received in School (total n=330)

Few Times Once a Once a Once a Twice a Can’t As much as Once a year month fortnight week week Remember wanted n 74 118 14 4 83 3 14 20

% 22.4 35.8 4.2 1.2 25.2 .9 4.2 6.1

As can be seen in Table 4.7 there was some variation in how often people received guidance in school with 22% reporting that they had received it once, while 25% described receiving it once a week.

TABLE 4.8 How Helpful was Guidance in School (total n= 357)

Table 4.8 illustrates that 43% of the Very Helpful Neutral Unhelpful Very people who answered the question Helpful unhelpful ‘how helpful was guidance in school’ N 36 118 110 54 39 described guidance as being ‘very helpful’ or ‘helpful’ while 26% % 10.1 33.1 30.8 15.1 10.9 described them as ‘very unhelpful’ or ‘unhelpful’. 270 people gave reasons for their answer to this question and samples of these are contained on the follwing pages and in Appendix 4. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 67

Some of Respondents’ Comments Regarding their Experience of Guidance in School Some examples of the range of respondents’ comments to their experience of guidance in school are contained in Tables 4.9 to 4.17 below as well as in Appendix 4. The comments are presented under certain themes regarding: individual guidance counsellors, the type of guidance respondents received, the timing of guidance, private guidance practitioners, developments in guidance, resources, need to raise awareness of guidance services, life-long guidance and the role of parents in guidance.

SAMPLE COMMENT RESPONDENT’S DETAILS Comments regarding Individual Guidance Counsellors in School The guidance counsellor provided clear direction after Female, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in City, Guidance teasing out interests and strengths and suitable Counsellor, Highest Level of Education: Masters, environment to work through aptitude and interest Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of TABLE 4.9 tests and discussion. Guidance Services. The teacher had pre-conceived notions as to what Male, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in City, Employed in careers were suitable for you. Also had limited Administration, Highest Level of Education: Masters, knowledge of all the options. Very Satisfied with Current Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services.

Comments regarding the Type of Guidance Received in School It varies from school to school and depends on (a) the Female, Aged 61-70, From UK but Majority of Schooling principal and (b) the ability of the career guidance in Ireland, Lives in City, Retired, Highest Level of teacher who also needs the principal’s support. Education: H Dip, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services. TABLE 4.10 I feel that most of the emphasis is put on the career Female, Aged 41-50, Irish, Lives in Large Town, guidance aspect and not enough on other areas of Employed in Education, guidance. Highest Level of Education: Masters, Satisfied with Current Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services. I went to guidance counselling to help me with Female, Aged 16-18, Irish, Lives in City, Student, Highest problems in school and outside school. Level of Education: Junior Certificate, Very Satisfied with Current Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services

Comments regarding the Timing of Guidance in School The problem was that we got most of this information Female, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in City, Student, Highest at sixth year level, which was a little late. Level of Education: Leaving Certificate, Very Satisfied with Current Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance TABLE 4.11 Services Too little, too late. Guidance is not given the priority it Female, Aged 23-30, Irish, Lives in City, Civil Servant, deserves; it should start in first year of secondary school. Highest Level of Education: Degree, Neutral about Current Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance Services National Guidance Forum Report 2007 6868

SAMPLE COMMENT RESPONDENT’S DETAILS Comments regarding Lifelong Guidance I feel that guidance is needed throughout life and not Female, Aged 23-30, Irish, Lives in City, Scientist, Highest just in school. Many people pick the wrong course in Level of Education: Degree, Neutral about Current college and end up working in an industry that they are Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance Services

TABLE 4.12 not interested in. There should be services available to guidance these people. Perhaps these services are already available, but I am not aware of them! People grow and mature at different times in their lives Female, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in Rural Area, and decisions about careers made at an early age can Accountant, Neutral about Current Situation, Very change. It would be nice to think guidance services Positive Opinion of Guidance Services were available to everyone.

Comment regarding Guidance Practitioners in Private Practice From my own experience and that of my children in Male, Aged 51-60, Irish, Lives in Rural Area, Primary school guidance was of very little use. I took my Teacher, Highest Level of Education: Degree, Dissatisfied children to a private counsellor to assess their strengths with Current Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance

TABLE 4.13 and aptitudes. Services.

Comments regarding Developments in Guidance I wouldn’t regard the services I received in school as a Male, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in City, Employed as a Sales reflection of services throughout the country and I Analyst, Highest Level of Education: Degree, Satisfied would imagine that things have improved greatly in the with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance

TABLE 4.14 intervening years. Services. I know little about it so I assume it is non-existent. Female, Aged 23-30, Irish. Lives in City, Primary Teacher, Highest Level of Education: H Dip, Satisfied with Current Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance Services.

Comments regarding Resources Special attention should be given to those pupils who Female, Aged 71 or over, American, Majority of have no real plans for life after the Leaving Certificate. Schooling in America, Lives in City, Retired Teacher, There should be centres outside the school for Highest Level of Education: 2 Degrees, Positive Opinion

TABLE 4.15 specialised guidance and assessment. of Guidance Services. The service needs to be expanded. Female, Aged 41-50, Irish, Lives in City, Statistician, Highest Level of Education: masters, Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 69

SAMPLE COMMENT RESPONDENT’S DETAILS Comments regarding Raising Awareness of Guidance I think people need to be more aware that such Female, Aged 16-18, from UK, Majority of Schooling in services actually exist. UK Lives in Small Town, student, Highest Level of Education: Junior Certificate, Neutral about Current

TABLE 4.16 Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services. I feel that perhaps guidance services in general are not Female, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in Large Town, Teacher, ‘accessible’ even thought one only has to look a little Highest Level of Education: H Dip, Satisfied with Current harder. It takes motivation to look for guidance services Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services. and those without motivation are also the ones who may need guidance the most. I think the help is there if you know where to look for it. Female, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in City, Student, Highest Level of Education: Leaving Certificate, Very Satisfied with Current Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services

Comment regarding the Role of Parents From a parent’s point of view I feel it is up to the parent Female, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in Rural Area, to follow up on the children’s direction especially in Accountant, Neutral about Current Situation, Very choosing subjects as they may not be studying the Positive Opinion of Guidance Services TABLE 4.17 subject required for their course, e.g., science subject. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 70

Experience of Guidance since School Participants in Phase One of the consultative process were asked if they had received guidance since school and if they had, to give a brief description of the guidance, to say who gave it to them, how often they received it and how helpful they considered it to be. Details of their responses are contained in Tables 4.18, 4.19, 4.20, 4.21 and 4.22 below.

TABLE 4.18 Was Guidance Received Since School (total n= 603) 95% of the total sample answered the question ‘did you receive Yes No Don’t Know guidance since school’. As Table n 125 469 9 4.9 shows, the majority, 78% did not, while 21% reported that they % 20.7 77.7 1.5 had. Descriptions of this guidance are contained in Table 4.19.

TABLE 4.19 Description of Guidance Available Since School (total n=87)

Table 4.19 illustrates that while the Tests/ Meetings re majority of guidance is around Interview Careers/ Getting Work In- Preparation Courses Information Counselling service work/career issues, 10% of respondents described receiving n 6 54 11 9 7 counselling. % 6.9 62.1 12.5 10.0 8.5

TABLE 4.20 Who Provided Guidance Since School (total n= 114)

91% of the people who replied to Guidance Adult this question reported that they had Counsellor/ Fás/Employer/ Guidance Family/ received guidance from either a Careers Service work/Lecturer Service Friend Other professional guidance practitioner n 61 34 9 6 4 or service, or from someone connected with their study/work % 53.5 29.8 7.9 5.3 3.5 situation. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 7171

TABLE 4.21 How Often was Guidance Received Since School (total n= 109)

While 30% of those who responded Every so to the question ‘How often did you Once/Twice 5-12 times Ongoing often Other receive guidance since school’ n 33 7 14 37 18 reported receiving guidance only once or twice, the majority % 30.3 6.4 12.8 33.9 16.6 described receiving it more often than that.

80.5% of people who replied to this TABLE 4.22 question described the guidance How Helpful was Guidance Since School they had received since school as (total n= 123) ‘very helpful’ or ‘helpful’, with only 6% describing it as ‘unhelpful’. Some Very Very examples of the reasons Helpful Helpful Neutral Unhelpful unhelpful respondents gave for their answers n 56 43 17 7 0 are contained in Table 4.23 (next page), with a larger selection % 45.5 35.0 13.8 5.7 0 contained in Appendix 5. Comments centred mainly on the differences in guidance since secondary school, the need to increase resources, and to make services more accessible. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 72

TABLE 4.23 Sample of Respondents’ Comments Regarding their Experience of Guidance Since School

Theme Sample Comment Respondent’s Details Guidance since I got guidance in my training centre which was Female, Aged 19-22, Irish, Lives in Large Town, secondary very helpful and made me realise what I On a Training Course, Highest Level of school is wanted to do with my life and be independent. Education: No Qualifications, Satisfied with different I felt relaxed talking to her. Current Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services. Guidance in school was pointless…guidance in Female, Aged 19-22, Irish, Lives in City, university careers office in Scotland was Employed in Administration, Highest Level of different. The staff had a wealth of knowledge Education: Degree, Very Satisfied with Current and resources available to them and to the Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance students. They listened and tried to determine Services. how it would be possible to get onto a particular career path rather than trying to push me in a direction I had no interest in. Resources It is a good service, which is provided to help Female, Aged 51-60, Irish, Lives in Rural Area, people free of charge. On a Training Course, Highest Level of Education: Diploma, Very Satisfied with Current Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services. It is currently under resourced and does not Male, Aged 51-60, Irish, Lives in Large Town, address the needs of the hard to reach. Unemployed, Highest Level of Education: Diploma, Dissatisfied with Current Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance Services Accessibility I only received guidance in school I wouldn’t Female, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in City, know where to access guidance on an ongoing Employed as Engineer, Highest Level of basis. Education: Diploma, Satisfied with Current Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance Services Very difficult to access for the low paid. Female, Aged 23-30, Irish, Lives in Large Town, Guidance Counsellor, Highest Level of Education: Degree, Neutral about Current Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance Services The services are not accessible enough as far as Female, Aged 51-60, Irish, Majority of Schooling I know. They are not well enough publicised in the UK, Lives in Small Town, Adult Education and are only available to long term unemployed Manager, Highest Level of Education: Masters, and people on benefit. Not available to people Very Dissatisfied with Current Situation, Positive who want to make a transition or improve the Opinion of Guidance Services quality of their working lives. I am not sure if I am right about this. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 7373

Respondents’ Opinion of Guidance Participants in Phase One of the consultative process were asked to rate how important they felt that they following aspects of guidance are: information, counselling, assessment, development programmes, advice and referral, using a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 5 indicating ‘most important’. Details of their ratings are contained in Table 4.24.

TABLE 4.24 Level of Importance of Various Aspects of Guidance

5 = most important 5 4 3 2 1 1 = least important N % n % n % N % n % Information n=600 433 72.2 105 17.5 38 6.3 11 1.8 13 2.2 Counselling n=596 323 54.2 137 23.0 91 15.3 24 4.0 21 3.5 Assessment n=590 172 29.2 164 27.8 166 28.1 67 11.4 21 3.6 Dev. Progs n=590 270 45.8 177 30.0 95 16.1 35 5.9 13 2.2 Advice n=592 233 39.4 179 30.2 116 19.6 41 6.9 23 3.9 Referral n=585 268 45.8 150 25.6 116 19.8 31 5.3 20 3.4

It is clear from Table 4.24 that information was seen as being the most important aspect of guidance, with assessment having the lowest ratings. Many people explained their reasons and Tables 4.25, 4.26, 4.27, 4.28, 4.29, 4.30 and 4.31 contain samples of these, with additional comments contained in Appendix 6.

COMMENT RESPONDENT’S DETAILS General Comments regarding Aspects of Guidance For students in secondary level, guidance is more Male, Aged 23-30, Irish, Lives in Small Town, Council important than the Leaving Certificate itself. If a student Worker, Highest Level of Education: Diploma, Very selects a course he/she is unhappy with could waste Satisfied with Current Situation, Negative Opinion of

TABLE 4.25 many years in education. Guidance Services. This much needed service has been neglected for way Female, Aged 41-50, Irish, Lives in Rural Area, Staff too long! Every minute detail of information and back Officer, Highest Level of Education: PLC Course, up service should be available to ALL students helping Dissatisfied with Current Situation, Very Positive them make better choices as regards career option. Opinion of Guidance Services. Candidates are responsible for their own life. It is Aged 61-70, Irish, Lives in City, Management Consultant, unreasonable to expect one counsellor to cater for all Highest Level of Education: PhD, Very Satisfied with needs. Candidate needs to work at it to take ownership Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services. for their decisions. Guidance would be very useful for older people who Male, Aged 71 or over, Irish, Lives in Small Town, Retired, might like a change of direction but would find it Very Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of difficult to access these areas. Guidance Services. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 74

COMMENT RESPONDENT’S DETAILS Comments regarding Information as an Aspect of Guidance I think information is the key to guidance. Once the Male, Aged 41-50, Irish, Lives in Rural Area, Garda, young person has all the relevant information then they Highest Level of Education: Leaving Certificate, Very can make an informed choice. Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of

TABLE 4.26 Guidance Services Information on its own given as part of class is not Female, Aged 51-60, Irish, Lives in City, Teacher, Highest enough. Most students need one to one contact with a Level of Education: Degree, Satisfied with Current guidance counsellor. Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services

Comments regarding Counselling as an Aspect of Guidance As my experience is in secondary school I think it is Female, Aged 51-60, Irish, Lives in City, Teacher, Highest most important to have good counselling services. Level of Education: H Dip, Very Satisfied with Current With the number of children form ‘troubled’ families Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services.

TABLE 4.27 increasing all the time, teachers need help and back-up – including how to deal with possible suicides. Trained counsellors are essential for counselling. Most Male, Aged 41-50, Irish, Lives in City, Teacher, Highest other functions (assessment, information) can if needed Level of Education: Masters, Very Satisfied with Current by obtained from other sources Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services.

Comments regarding Assessment as an Aspect of Guidance Assessment can put people into boxes. Female, Aged 23-30, Irish, Lives in City, Librarian, Highest Level of Education: H Dip, Very Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services. TABLE 4.28 Assessment is imperative to understand a candidate’s Female, Aged 23-30, Irish, Lives in City, Teacher, Highest strengths and weaknesses and their likes and dislikes so Level of Education: Degree, Satisfied with Current that they can choose a career they’ll not only be good Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services. at but enjoy. Assessment and development programmes are useful Female, Aged 23-30, Irish, Lives in City, Teacher, Highest only if the person being assessed or taking part in the Level of Education: H Dip, Satisfied with Current programme wants to be there and is interested in Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services. taking part. I don’t think these tests are accurate. Female, Aged 23-30, Irish, Lives in City, Teacher, Highest Level of Education: degree, Very Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services.

Comments regarding Development Programmes as an Aspect of Guidance Development programmes are essential to give Female, Aged 23-30, Irish, Lives in City, Student, Highest structure to a student. Level of Education: Masters, Very Satisfied with Current Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services TABLE 4.29 Personal development programmes were extremely Female, Aged 23-30, Irish, Lives in City, Psychologist, helpful in my career development to date. Highest Level of Education: Masters, Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services National Guidance Forum Report 2007 7575

COMMENT RESPONDENT’S DETAILS Comments regarding Advice as an Aspect of Guidance Advice only works if the advisor is informed and Female, Aged 23-30, Irish, Lives in City, a Librarian, knowledgeable Highest Level of Education: H Dip, Very Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services. TABLE 4.30 Advice needs to come from a variety of sources. It’s Female, Aged 51-60, Irish, Lives in City, Sabbatical, good to hear of others’ experience and to also hear Highest Level of Education: Masters, Satisfied with from qualified helpers as they will be objective in their Current Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services advice.

Comments regarding Referral as an Aspect of Guidance Referrals are essential as the counsellor may not have Female, Aged 51-60, Irish, Lives in City, Teacher, Highest the expertise required. Level of Education: H Dip, Very Satisfied with Current Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services TABLE 4.31 If the issue is beyond control, it is essential that the Female, Aged 23-30, Irish, Lives in City, Student, Highest student receives expert help Level of Education: Masters, Very Satisfied with Current Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services Referral to an appropriate person/resource would be Female, Aged 19-22, Irish, Lives in City, Administrator, great, rather than being told to just look it up on the Highest Level of Education: Degree, Very Dissatisfied internet. with Current Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance Services

TABLE 4.32 How Helpful would Guidance be Now (total n= 577)

Question 17 of the questionnaire Very Very Helpful Neutral Unhelpful asked people how helpful guidance Helpful unhelpful would be to them in their current n 123 211 193 34 16 situation. Table 4.32 below contains details of their responses. % 21.3 36.6 33.4 5.9 2.8 Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 76

Only 9% of the 577 who replied to this question said that guidance would be either ‘unhelpful’ or ‘very unhelpful’ to them in their current situation. This compares with 58% who said that it would be ‘very helpful’ or ‘unhelpful’. Samples of the reasons they gave for their answers are contained in Table 4.33.

TABLE 4.33 Reasons for Guidance being Helpful Now

Reason Comment Respondent’s Details General Career planning needs to be aligned to Male, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in City, Project government strategies. Where are the jobs? Manager, Highest Level of Education: Degree, Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services. Everybody needs time and opportunity to take Male, Aged 51-60, Irish, Lives in Rural Area, Primary stock and think about their own situation and Teacher, Highest Level of Education: Degree, guidance would give them this opportunity. Dissatisfied with Current Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance Services I think almost everyone can benefit from a little Female, Aged 19-22, Irish, Lives in City, guidance at times, be it relating to their chosen Administrator, Highest Level of Education: Degree, career path, alternatives or something like work/ Very Dissatisfied with Current Situation, Negative life balance. Opinion of Guidance Services At a I am at a crossroad. Many jobs I am eminently Male, Aged 41-50, African, Majority of schooling in crossroads qualified for would not take me. Lower calibre Africa, Lives in City, On a Training Course, Highest jobs are rejecting me. I attribute this to deliberate Level of Education: Masters, Very Dissatisfied with ‘restricted access’, age and over qualification. Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services Difficulty in With so many factors, choices etc. it becomes Male, Aged 41-50, Irish, Lives in Large Town, making harder to make valued decisions as I am currently 42 Unemployed, Highest Level of Education: Diploma, decisions and this decision could have a huge impact on my Very Dissatisfied with Current Situation, Neutral own and family’s future. Opinion of Guidance Services. Stress I feel my job has become extremely stressful and Female, Aged 51-60, Irish, Lives in City, Manager, advice on dealing with this would be helpful. Highest Level of Education: Degree, Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services Develop Guidance services are very helpful and should be Female, Aged 41-50, Irish, Lives in City, Teacher, Services freely available to everyone. Highest Level of Education: Degree, Satisfied with Current Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance Services. FÁS should make it their business to have Male, Aged 16-18, Irish, Lives in Large Town, On a information on all jobs available in the private/ Training Course, Highest Level of Education: Junior public sector. Instead they have a database of low Certificate, Very Satisfied with Current Situation, paying jobs, some of which are already filled. Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services. There is not enough manpower available to give that personal service. The service was much, much better in the past. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 7777

Participants in Phase One of the TABLE 4.34 consultative process were asked if Suggested Sources of Guidance they knew where to access (total n= 145) guidance. Of the 635 people who answered this question, 31% School/ Adult Ed FÁS Internet Other indicated that they did know where College Centre to access guidance, while 69% n 63 16 12 15 39 reported that they did not. School/ College, Adult Education Centres, % 43.4 11.0 8.4 10.3 26.9 FÁS, the Internet were among the places named as providing guidance, The heading ‘Other’ includes replies such as family members, church as can be seen in Table 4.34. members, friends and colleagues.

The final two questions of the questionnaire asked better linkage of services; the role of the guidance people how they thought guidance services in Ireland practitioner; training and quality control; and some could be improved and if there was anything else they more general comments. would like to say. As there was considerable overlap in the content of the responses to these questions they Sample responses of each of these themes are will be considered together under key themes which presented in Tables 4.35, 4.36, 4.37, 4.38, 4.39, emerged, ie. advertise services better; develop services 4.40 4.41 and 4.42. Appendix 7 contains a larger at second level; develop services for people who do selection of respondents’ comments along these not have easy access to guidance; develop services for identified themes. people who are not Irish nationals; networking and

SUGGESTION RESPONDENT’S DETAILS Advertise Guidance Services Better Make services known. Have links on all Irish job sites. Male, Aged 51-60, Irish, Lives in City, Works in Finance, Highest Level of Education: Degree, Satisfied with Current Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services.

TABLE 4.35 Publicise your presence, your aims, services etc. Male, Aged 16-18, Irish, Lives in Small Town, Carpenter, Highest Level of Education: Junior Certificate, Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services. A central ‘one-stop-shop’ would be very helpful. Male, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in City, Chemist, Highest Level of Education: PhD, Neutral about Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services. Make knowledge of services more readily available to Female, Aged 61-70, Irish, Lives in Rural Area, Working in people outside school services through radio and tv the Home, Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral and online. This questionnaire had encouraged me to Opinion of Guidance Services seek more information on these services and maybe discover that guidance services could improve my life situation. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 78

SUGGESTION RESPONDENT’S DETAILS Develop Guidance Services at Second Level The guidance service should be made compulsory for Female, Aged 23-30, Irish, Lives in Large Town, On a all secondary school students intending to sit the Training Course, Highest Level of Education: Leaving Leaving Certificate exam. Certificate, Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral

TABLE 4.36 Opinion of Guidance Services Begin at an earlier stage in schools by increasing the Male, Aged 51-60, Irish, Lives in City, Guidance Inspector, allocation of hours for Guidance in schools, by Highest Level of Education: Masters, Very Satisfied with encouraging a collaborative approach to guidance Current Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services. planning at all levels and by extending guidance services to all as part of lifelong learning. Start earlier – bring past pupils to the school to discuss Female, Aged 71 or over, American, Majority of how they feel about their jobs, courses. Schooling in America, Lives in City, Retired Teacher, Highest Level of Education: 2 Degrees, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services Guidance is a whole school issue Male, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in City, Civil Servant, Highest Level of Education: Degree, Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services.

Develop Services to include people who do not currently have Easy Access to Guidance Guidance services could be improved by making Female, Aged 41-50, Irish, Lives in City, teacher, Highest private employers legally bound to provide them. Level of Education: Degree, Satisfied with Current TABLE 4.37 Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance Services. Improved visibility, accessibility. Have guidance services Female, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in Rural Area, Education available in family resource centres, in one stop shops or Welfare Officer, Highest Level of Education: Degree, Very mobile in rural areas. Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services. Access to services regardless of financial restraints. Female, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in City, Teacher, Highest Level of Education: H Dip, Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services. More adult guidance and more resources needed. Female, Aged 51-60, Irish, Lives in Rural Area, Teacher, Highest Level of Education: H Dip, Very Satisfied with Current Situation, Very Positive Opinion of Guidance Services

Develop Guidance Services for People who are not Irish-Nationals By placing significant importance on the immigrants Female, Aged 31-40, African, majority of schooling who are absolutely ignorant as to how to go about their Africa, Lives in City, On a Training Course, Highest Level day to day lives especially in the area of assessing of Education: Degree, Dissatisfied with Current Situation,

TABLE 4.38 employment. More work needs to be done in Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services. improving this service. Bring under its ambit a whole gamut of experiences Male, Aged 41-50, African, Majority of Schooling Africa, using certain practitioners whose experiences extend Lives in City, On a Training Course, Highest Level of beyond Ireland’s frontiers, and who can help Ireland to Education: Masters, Very Dissatisfied with Current tap into the skills and rich experiences of people who Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services have experienced life and skills outside its frontiers. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 7979

SUGGESTION RESPONDENT’S DETAILS Networking and Linking Services Better Involve parents to a greater degree Male, Aged 51-60, Irish, Lives in Large Town, Unemployed, Highest Level of Education: Diploma, Dissatisfied with Current Situation, Negative Opinion of

TABLE 4.39 Guidance Services Employers should be more proactive in giving Male, Aged 51-60, Irish, Lives in Rural Area, Primary employees information on guidance, e.g.,what and Teacher, Highest Level of Education: Degree, Dissatisfied where it’s available. with Current Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance Services Link awareness campaign to Citizens Advice Bureau and Female, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in Rural Area, On a IBEC and ICTU – for jobs industry and recruitment Training Course, Highest Level of Education: H Dip, Very agencies. Satisfied with Current Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services.

The Role of the Guidance Practitioner Be more confidential, e.g.,a friend got counselling Female, Aged 19-22, Irish, Lives in Rural Area, Student, secondary school and the counsellor had written up in Highest Level of Education: Leaving Certificate, Satisfied the staff room about what was wrong in my friend’s life with Current Situation, Very Positive Opinion of

TABLE 4.40 Guidance Services I think there should be a much stronger focus on the Female, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in City, Working in counselling side, as with life coaching. Marketing, Highest Level of Education: H Dip, Very Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services Increase the assessment so as to include a wider variety Male, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in Large Town, Waiter, of tests, thereby giving the client a working knowledge Highest Level of Education: certificate, Dissatisfied with of their skill set. Current Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance Services

Training and Quality Control Guidance staff should be monitored more closely. Bad Female, Aged 23-30, Irish, Lives in Small Town, Clerical staff should be directed into another job which would Officer, Highest Level of Education: Diploma, Very not be so crucial to people’s lives. More time at school Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of TABLE 4.41 needs to be allocated to providing a quality service. Guidance Services Guidance counsellors should be impartial and not decide on a career of an individual and rather let them decide on one for themselves. Is a year’s training long enough? Female, Aged 41-50,from UK, Majority of Schooling in UK, Lives in Rural Area, Student, Highest Level of Education: Degree, Satisfied with Current Situation, Positive Opinion of Guidance Services Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 80

SUGGESTION RESPONDENT’S DETAILS General Comments in relation to Guidance Services in Ireland Best of luck, this service is badly needed. Male, Aged 51-60, Irish, Lives in Rural Area, Manager of a Pharmacy, Highest Level of Education: Masters, Dissatisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of

TABLE 4.42 Guidance Services. Guidance services are too fragmented, too widely Male, Aged 41-50, Irish, Lives in City, Civil Servant, dispersed, too much over-lapping, too much money Highest Level of Education: Diploma, Satisfied with wasted, too many little kingdoms. I am sure this survey Current Situation, Very Positive Opinion of Guidance will be helpful in filling in gaps in the service especially for Services 3rd level and on into adulthood. Guidance services are crucial in helping people of all Female, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in City, Teacher, Highest ages to identify and manage life decisions and should Level of Education: H Dip, Satisfied with Current be readily available – STANDARDISATION is essential in Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services area of counselling agencies. The Higher Options held each year is of little value to Male, Aged 23-30, Irish, Lives in Small Town, Council students or parents. It provides brochures!!! Nobody Worker, Highest Level of Education: Diploma, Very can answer detailed questions! Satisfied with Current Situation, Negative Opinion of Guidance Services There should be no waiting lists for anything regarding Female, Aged 31-40, Irish, Lives in City, Student, Highest counselling. Level of Education: Leaving Certificate, Very Satisfied with Current Situation, Neutral Opinion of Guidance Services.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS OF PHASE » 65% of the sample said that guidance was available ONE OF CONSULTATIVE PROCESS while they were in school and 84% of those availed of it. This questionnaire designed in Phase One was » This guidance was predominantly associated with intended to elicit respondents’ knowledge, experience decisions regarding college and careers. and opinion of guidance services in Ireland, as well as recommendations for how guidance services might » 56% of the total sample answered the question be improved. It was distributed in several ways to a ‘How helpful was guidance in school’ and of these wide range of the general public. Over 630 people 43% said it had been ‘very helpful’ or ‘helpful’ while returned completed questionnaires and details of their 26% described it as ‘very unhelpful’ or ‘unhelpful’. results are contained in Chapter Four of this Report » Many people gave detailed comments on their and are discussed in Chapter Six. It is emphasised that experiences of guidance in school which focused while the points presented below are some of the on a range of issues such as their experience of findings which emerged from Phase One, these must individual guidance counsellors, the type of be read in the context of this Report as a whole, rather guidance they had received and when they had than taken in isolation. done so, their views on life-long guidance and private practitioners as well as resources and » Over a third of respondents were ‘positive’ or ‘very developments and the role of parents in guidance. positive’ about guidance services, with one sixth describing themselves as being ‘negative’ or ‘very » 78% of the sample described themselves as ‘very negative’ about guidance services. satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ with their current situation, (e.g. work, study, training etc.) National Guidance Forum Report 2007 8181

» 21% of people reported having received guidance ‘very helpful’ or ‘helpful’ to them now, compared since they left school and the vast majority, 78%, with only 9% who said that it would be ‘very said that they had not. unhelpful’ or ‘unhelpful’. » Guidance for those who had received it since » Reasons people gave for indicating that guidance school mostly concerned work and career issues would be helpful now included being at a with 10% of respondents describing having crossroads in their lives, having difficulty in making received counselling. decisions, stress, as well as some more general points. » 80.5% of the 123 people who answered the » 69% of respondents said that they did not know question ‘How helpful was guidance since school’ where to access guidance services. said that it was ‘very helpful’ or ‘helpful’ with only » 145 people (23% of the total sample) listed where 6% describing it as ‘unhelpful’ and no-one stating guidance could be accessed – 43% said ‘school/ it was ‘very unhelpful’. college’, 11% stated an adult education centre, 8% » People’s comments regarding their experience of indicated FÁS, 10% the internet and 10% family guidance since school focused on the differences members, church members, friends and in guidance since school, the need for additional colleagues. resources and the importance of making guidance » Respondents were asked what they would accessible. recommend to improve services and their » Information and counselling were the aspects of suggestions included the following: advertise guidance which respondents rated most highly, services better; develop services at second level; while assessment was the aspect they rated lowest. develop services for people who do not have easy » Development programmes, referral and advice access to guidance; develop services for people also rated highly as important aspects of guidance. who are not Irish nationals; networking and better linkage of services; the role of the guidance » 58% of respondents said that guidance would be practitioner; training and quality control; and some more general comments. 05 Results of Phase Two Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 83

Phase One of the consultative process of the National Several people spontaneously remarked very positively Guidance Forum involved members of the general on the experience of being a member of a focus public completing questionnaires. Phase Two allowed group and one group subsequently sent a thank you for a more detailed exploration of targeted groups’ card. At the conclusion of each group, participants individual experiences and opinions of guidance, as were provided with the Researcher and Research well as recommendations with regard to guidance Assistant’s contact details should anyone wish to add services in Ireland. Focus groups were held with the anything. Nobody contacted the Researcher or following groups: (1) People who are not Irish nationals, Research Assistant and the general sense was that (2) Early school leavers, (3) People who are people who participated in the groups had found the unemployed or who are earning a low income, (4) process interesting and positive. Parents of preschool and primary school children (5) People with physical and/or learning disabilities, (6) A summary of the key points in each group is Adults with literacy difficulties and (7) The older age presented below. The Chapter concludes with a group. An eighth focus group was also arranged for Summary which draws key themes and recommenda- members of the general public but did not go ahead tions together. as nobody attended. FOCUS GROUP ONE: PEOPLE WHO A total of 72 people took part in the seven focus ARE NOT IRISH-NATIONALS groups. Participation was voluntary, and while it was explained at the outset of each group that people The five people who participated in this focus group could leave at any time, each person stayed until the had recently come to Ireland. Four had been referred end. The length of the groups ranged from one hour to an adult guidance service by tutors who were to one hour forty five minutes. Group size ranged from helping them learn English. The fifth had accessed the four to fifteen people. In four of the seven groups each services herself, having being told about them by her member was very involved and contributed to the child’s teacher. Three of them were very positive about discussion easily and often. In the remaining three the guidance they had received, and one person felt groups, (the early school leavers, people with a that because his English is very poor he was not able disability, and the older age group), some people to get what he needed from it. The fifth person choose to remain quiet or to say very little. While the explained that she had qualifications from another groups differed in terms of age, current situation and country which were not recognised here and she was life experience, there was a marked consistency frustrated with not having enough access to guidance among the groups in their view that guidance services services. needed to be made more accessible to people at all ages and stages of their lives. It is also important to Three of the group were female. One was aged note that some people who were members of one between 19 and 22 years, two between 23 and 30 group were also similar in some way to those in years, one between 31 and 40 and one aged between another group, e.g., a parent who was not an Irish- 41 and 50. One had left school when he was six years national, a person with a literacy difficulty who was old, two others when they were sixteen, one when retired, and a parent who was unemployed. Therefore seventeen and the fifth when she was 19. Three of discussions in several of the groups tended to have a them described themselves as being unemployed, broad as opposed to a narrow focus. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 8484

with one of these also on a part-time training course. The same person explained that some people: One worked as a night porter in a hotel and the fifth was a student. Just use their English to ask the simplest things so they don’t find out what they want. There was unanimous agreement among the group A very interesting discussion emerged regarding how that a major difficulty was accessing the guidance guidance services could be made more accessible to service initially. This was because they didn’t know people who are not Irish nationals. Free newspapers, about the service and/or they had difficulties using it. advertisements on buses, signs in different languages One person described deliberately trying to let others at the airport as well as in cities and towns, and people know about the service too: calling to houses in person were all ideas the participants suggested. The use of English on A lot of Polish people stop me in the street, they think information leaflets and signs were seen as important I am Polish and I can speak a little quite well, so they and one woman felt that for people with difficulties ask me for help and I tell them about this centre and reading English it might be better to ‘keep it simple’ they appreciate this. and have ‘How to find a job easy’ on a leaflet instead She recognised however that telling people was not of ‘adult education guidance service’. She emphasised enough and that there is a need for a guidance the importance of having only a few words that practitioner to ask the right kind of questions to help people would understand and noted that: people to do the right courses. She gave a few examples of how other people followed her advice, Just a few words ‘Learn English for free’ that would but due to difficulty in understanding English ended get a lot of people, I guarantee. up doing courses they had no interest in but did not As this discussion developed, one man described the know how to switch into something else. process which people who are not Irish nationals must go through when they first enter the country and Another woman agreed with this and described how she: suggested that information leaflets on guidance Got some information from the guidance services should be given at the immigration office when about courses but not enough for me. Now, I have to people first arrive because: apply for College or something like this, but I didn’t Once your paper has been stamped it doesn’t matter find anything that suited me. I didn’t find anything out. where you’re from or your status but when they give Several people referred to difficulties people who are you your papers, you tend to want to look at it not Irish nationals have as a result of not being able to because you get it from the immigration offices so it speak and understand the English language. One must be something important. If you go somewhere woman described meeting a woman who: and they hand it to you, you throw it away but once you get if from somewhere like that, you think it Worked in a Polish shop so she spoke Polish all day must be important, that’s why they give to me. because mainly Polish people came in all day and she had very little English. There are courses there One member of the focus group suggested that but she didn’t know that. They aren’t advertised. employers have a role in informing their employees about guidance services and continued to say that:

If you have people working for you they are helping your business so it is in your interests to help them get information so that they become better in their work and better for the company. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 85

There was also recognition that the individual has a This woman referred to a woman she had met who responsibility too: had come to Ireland from Latvia and who wanted to be a doctor. She was told that her previous If you don’t speak to people, no one will come to find qualifications were not recognised but she was not you, you have to go out to people to get help. When able to afford to go to college and: I came here I didn’t speak English. I used to go to shops and point and say ‘can I have’ and point and She is collecting social because they won’t give her that’s what I’d do and then I started to talk to people that opportunity to do it. and got help. I came here and learned how to speak Just before the focus group concluded the participants and write. You have to get out there to get this considered other ways in which guidance services information. You need to speak to people. could be made more accessible to people. One Some participants agreed that while the guidance woman suggested using the internet to give people they had received had been helpful, there was a need information but acknowledged that: for the guidance practitioner to follow-up and contact people afterwards in case they needed help in settling It’s not good for everyone. It’s fine for me, I can find into a job or in choosing another course. things there, but other people, it’s difficult for them. Another participant said that a phone number for a One issue which emerged in the other six focus guidance service would be very helpful to him as he groups was that of resources and funding. One could make an appointment before he went as: woman who is not an Irish national described her difficulties in coming to Ireland in first having to study If there’s a phone number you will know who you English and then discovering that her qualifications are going to talk to, you don’t just stand there and from her home country ‘don’t count’. She wants to go wait. If I know who I am going to talk to I am more to university but she can not afford to pay for it as she likely to go. If there is a phone number, I know where has a family. She described her situation as follows: I am going and who I will talk to and then I know that this person will help me. This is very hard. They should not do that to people. They show you the road but when you reach a part The final comment was to do with the importance of they stop you then and say you have to work. It’s not people having: possible. It’s very bad…I have my social and if I work Access to all the information. Many people sit at they won’t pay, so I can’t afford to work because of home and they don’t know. They don’t access the the children and childcare. information. Maybe you can post them information. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 8686

FOCUS GROUP TWO: EARLY classroom’. He said that he had a choice in leaving SCHOOL LEAVERS school, which was ‘only a choice to leave or be kicked out’. Several of the group members described being The eleven members of the second focus group were suspended from school and just not going back. full-time trainees at a Training Centre. While Another student’s school was closing down and he participation in the group was voluntary, they were decided not to go to the new school as ‘we’d have to initially wary about its purpose and did not seem to start the whole year again so decided not to bother’. trust that their individual comments would not be One student described leaving his school because he relayed back to the staff in the Training Centre. Ten of was ‘stupid’ and another said that she had left as she the participants were Irish nationals and the eleventh wanted to do hairdressing. had moved to Ireland from Eastern Europe three years ago. The group was asked again what might have helped to keep them in secondary school for longer. As Six of the group were male. Two were aged 15 and the well as the suggestions of a pool table, the trainees other nine were aged between 16 and 18 years. They agreed that: all had left the formal school system at between 14 and 16 years of age and were training with a view to The hours are too long, It starts too early. It should getting a job. Only three of the eleven young people start at ten o’clock in the morning and end about present described meeting a guidance counsellor half past three. when they had been in school. One member of the One trainee described liking English and History in group described them as ‘they’re all weird’. She school and said that she would like to study it again, explained that she was sent to the guidance counsellor but seemed vague in knowing where she could go to because she ‘was doing no work’ and was sent to her do so. Some of the participants were clear that they ‘about a hundred times’. She was clear that ‘talking’ were in the Training Centre to get a job and if they get had been of no help to her and when asked what the one that they did not like they would ‘live with it’. As guidance counsellor could have done which would one member said: have helped, one of the others answered ‘have a snooker table’. It’s just about getting a job and once you’ve that, that’s all you care about. All we earn is €x a week. The young people were asked about their experiences of guidance in the Training Centre, but were reluctant The members of the group explained that they were to go into details. When asked if they had spoken with paid to come to the Training Centre and that if schools anyone who had been in the Training Centre ahead of did the same they would go back to school. They were them, one participant replied ‘they’re either locked up asked if they had thought when they were aged eight, or dead’. However, as the group settled, one of the nine or ten, that they would leave school and go to participants explained that she knew the previous the Training Centre and several of them were very summer that she wanted to leave school: definite that they had thought that they would do the Leaving Certificate. One person explained that she did When I got thrown into LCA (Leaving Certificate not like school as the teachers: Applied). I didn’t get a choice. I went into LCA; there was a lot of slow students there. Were always in bad humour and you couldn’t even say anything but they’d tell you to get outside Several of the group seemed to identify with her the door. experience and described the LCA programme as ‘stupid’ and ‘you’re given the scraps’. One student explained that his principal had made him do the LCA programme and that he ‘didn’t even have a proper Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 87

The young people did not see their going to the The early school leavers were asked towards the end Training Centre as a ‘choice’ and one described it of the focus group about how they would like being ‘the last option’. One of the participants said guidance counsellors to be different. One of the replies that they get a HETAC Certificate when they finished was: ‘to give advice, ‘cos they just don’t listen to you.’ and could either go to another Training Centre or get Another participant said that it was important that a job. At this point one of them spoke critically about a they ‘shut up too now and again’. One young person member of staff and queried if we could tell that said that the guidance counsellor: person what had been said. They seemed to be very reluctant to accept that this would not happen and Can make things way worse. They bring up the past one of them said: and stuff like that so you’re better off not going… Like I went to a counsellor right and she asked me Ah but sure everyone says things are private and ‘were my ma and da together’ ‘was I ever sexually confidential and then you go to the counsellor in abused’ and all this…‘Did I sleep with my dad and school and the whole school knows about it and the my brother?’…Was my cousins living in my house?’ teachers come up to you and they know. that’s just sick now. Did my Dad hit us? None of her business. The group was asked again if any of them had had a positive experience with a guidance counsellor and one person said that she: FOCUS GROUP THREE: PEOPLE WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED OR ON Had a good guidance counsellor. He was, I swear to A LOW INCOME God. ‘Cos my Dad died when I was in secondary Nine of the participants in this group were female. Two school and he was very good, very helpful like’. were aged between 23 and 30 years, three between The participant added: 31 and 40, three between 41 and 50 years and two between 51 and 60 years. One had left school when He was very nice like, he was very good. He got me she was thirteen years old, and each of the others had off classes and everything. left between the ages of 16 to 18 inclusive. Two Another person said that her school guidance people described themselves as being unemployed counsellor had not been helpful as she has sent her to and five as being on a ‘Training for Employment’ (TFE) anger management which involved her squeezing a Course. One person was employed as a wages clerk, ball when angry. One of the trainee’s explained that one as a part-time typist receptionist and one as an there was someone in the Training Centre who was information technology instructor. Nine were Irish there if they wanted to talk to someone but she was nationals with the tenth person having moved to very definite that she would never go to her as she Ireland from the UK a number of years ago. They were ‘would tell everyone else’. She then mimicked that all connected to an agency which provided services person telling her about the limits to confidentiality. for people who are unemployed. Furthermore, some of the young people were very Unlike the early school leavers, the members of this critical of having to do Maths in the Training Centre, focus group were very positive about participating describing it as being like primary school. and each of them contributed at various points in the discussion. There was general agreement that most people had not received guidance during their secondary schooling and that for those who had, it was not adequate. In contrast, participants spoke very highly of their experience in the service they had recently experienced as an adult, although they had many recommendations to make as to how the service could be improved. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 8888

One woman in the group contrasted her experience A woman in the group recounted her experience as a of guidance with a FÁS service to the agency for long- mother and noted that her 17 year old daughter is term unemployed people and found a big difference. having difficulties deciding what to do and that she She described her experience of being unemployed as did not think that the guidance service was helping frustrating and felt that FÁS could have been more her. She described the guidance service in secondary helpful in making contacts for her and in helping her school as ‘helping the people with the higher grades’. with practical tasks in getting a job such as organising her C.V. properly. She explained that she had started Everyone in the focus group was very positive about her first computer course in the centre a few months their experiences in the service for long-term ago and is about to do a second one and described unemployed. One person described it as follows: the centre as ‘the first place that has actually helped’. They help you find out about yourself, what you In reflecting on her experience of being unemployed have in you that you didn’t know…People are here she noted that: from hard knocks in life…there are people that There’s a lack of information out there. I don’t feel sometimes have no confidence, sure what use would that the people understand. They look down on you. I be, how would I be any good at anything? This point was repeated later in the group by another All agreed that the benefits they had received from person who said: the centre were enormous. They described the ‘joy, the laughter, the help, the craic, the English and When you haven’t been working for twenty-five creative writing’ which were there for ‘ordinary people’. years you don’t feel you’re able to go back to They also all agreed that funding was a real difficulty education. You feel that you’re able for nothing. and that the various employment courses they participated in were too short-term and did not Another participant described her experience of automatically lead to employment. One woman guidance in secondary school as follows: described her experience of Community Employment I found just before the Leaving Cert. you’re on the list schemes and felt that there was discrimination in that to see the guidance counsellor and it takes forever only people who were travellers or who were over 35 and you finally get to talk to them and then, unless years of age could spend two years on the scheme, you want to enter medicine of law, they’ve no while it was only a year for everyone else. She interest, so I wasn’t really dealt with at all and then described how such a scheme gives confidence back I kind of left school and you don’t really now what to and suggested that there should be ‘a stepping stone’ do with yourself and you just go into a job, a afterwards in the form of more training, another job or mindless job, and so you’re stuck for like four years different placing to help lead to employment, instead before you get the confidence to find out what of worry and panic setting in because the year was I want to myself. I think people like that should coming to an end. Towards the end of the focus group be helped. a second person also made this point explaining that people on Community Employment could ‘slip She continued to say that she saw guidance as being through the net’. A third person joined in on the the role of all of the teachers, and that all students discussion and it was clear that many participants should receive guidance. She described the first four were concerned about what they would do when years after school as ‘just working in stupid jobs I had their Community Employment came to an end. no interest in, just for money’ and noted that ‘it would have been nice to have had help at a younger age’. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 89

Another person in the group agreed with this point Fortunately he got involved in the Community and explained that she had been availed of a previous Employment scheme, and: scheme, the Job Initiative, which is no longer in existence, but that she had found it to be: Realised through them and through FÁS and through a couple of other organisations (I got) to do the course Brilliant. It was fulltime, but it does open so many that I wanted to. doors you’re educated and educated and educated so therefore you’re getting better at your job. It’s This person is currently completing a professional invaluable. training programme in a University with a very clear goal as to how his career will progress in the future. The only male participant in the group described how he had ‘slipped through the net somehow’ and how A theme which a few members of the group brought his skills were not recognised and he had been up and discussed was the unfairness they felt that allowed to drift. He said he came out of school with a people who were arriving into Ireland from other particular idea for a career, but that he had ‘needed countries were being given jobs over themselves. One someone to sit with me but that didn’t happen’. He woman described how ‘it sickens me’. She felt that ‘the described drifting from job to job and despite earning Irish were being pushed out of their jobs’. Someone good money not being fulfilled and not feeling that else described these people as working ‘hard for their he was using his mind. By chance one day someone money’ and it was acknowledged that many people told him about the guidance counselling service from other countries are not happy in their job which was available for adults. This is how he situation either. One woman said: described his experience: I wouldn’t have anything against foreign nationals, She’s very good. I made an appointment to see her, it’s fine if you have work for them… but we are kind I went over to her and she basically sat down with of making way for those people, it’s for those other me, it was the first time that anybody actually spoke people that we are being sacrificed you know. We to me and asked me what I liked, what I was get no guidance at all. People are of worth and have interested in. And she assessed me through a system things they could be good at and may need that they have on the computer over there and she guidance to see that, and find work that’s for you. took note of what it was I liked to do and she came People in the focus group were asked about what up with I think three or four different occupations recommendations they would make to improve that’d be suitable to my interests and I’m actually guidance services and among their replies was the pursuing one of them at the moment. I’m training to view that: do a Degree in it. He described difficulties in getting funding, as well as When you leave a job that you have to go, that they his fear that he would not be able for the course as: set up that you go to see career guidance, not somebody just behind a desk who says ‘oh you’re When you spend a long time drifting along from suited to this’, someone who’ll actually have jobs, place to place not really making use of, I suppose not and not give you a job but knows, they’re looking for being aware of any skills that you have, and then somebody down the road to wash hair, and apply not being made aware of them, you think basically for these jobs and make you more confident, maybe that’s your lot in life, that’s all you’re really good for. help you with the CV. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 9090

Another person agreed and added that: It was also emphasised that such schemes need to be relevant to people’s needs, as one participant told a Rather than sending someone to the education story about a friend of here who learned how to drive counsellors, or guidance counsellors, send the a bus during her training and cried as she told her guidance counsellors to the people, send them out friend ‘How can I drive a bus? Who’s going to let me in amongst the agencies. Get them to do workshops drive a bus?’ The participant concluded that: with people, offer their services one-to-one, ‘if anybody wants to see me, here’s my card, this is All her money was really wasted on the job she was where I am’. on and then they said ‘bye now, nice knowing you’ and she has two kids to feed and she doesn’t know This sparked off a discussion about how difficult it can what to do or where to go. be to actually access the right services. Some people described living in an area their whole lives and only This prompted another participant who was listening discovering by accident that an adult guidance service carefully to add: and an employment centre exist in the same area. Insufficient funding was seen to be a real difficulty in There’s nothing worse than being out of work and it people accessing services, as the money they currently just gets worse and worse. It’s horrible. receive on Community Employment schemes is not Suggestions members of the focus group made for sufficient to cover costs such as child-care. improving services at second level included making Transition Year compulsory to give students time to Another recommendation which had widespread explore the various options open to them, bringing agreement among the group was that of increasing people who have experience of different jobs into personal development programmes. One participant schools to talk to the students, having life-skill described the benefits of such programmes as follows: programmes in school, eliminating waiting lists to see the guidance counsellor and: Personal Development courses make you think in a different manner, and there’s lots of courses here Getting people young and not just in secondary and that’s great but at the end of the day you have school… you have to instil self-worth quite young so to get up and help yourself and if your mind is not that they grow up to help themselves. that way, it can be a ‘hand out’ attitude all the time – ‘help me’, ‘give me what I need’ – you really do have As the discussion continued, attention turned again to to make your own life for yourself because I think we the needs of unemployed people for someone to all have a responsibility for where we end up…I did keep them informed about available jobs in the area. a Personal Development course a year ago that As one woman described it: literally changed my life completely. We don’t know what’s out there. We need someone She continued by recommending that guidance to say there’s three jobs over there in Supervalu. I practitioners provide guidance in the community know they advertise them in the window but unless rather than in private practice which is very expensive. you’re willing to go there three times a day and At this point, the discussion turned once again to the stand in the window we don’t know what jobs are need for a follow on scheme which would be offered out there. after the Community Employment scheme. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 91

Participants in this focus group were not overly keen FOCUS GROUP FOUR: PEOPLE on the suggestion of a website or of a telephone WHO HAVE A PHYSICAL AND/OR guidance service as they felt that not everyone is LEARNING DISABILITY computer literate. Furthermore, they suggested that what was needed by unemployed people was direct Fifteen people participated in this focus group. Eight contact with a guidance practitioner providing of the participants in the group were female. Three support and building up their confidence, to enable were aged between 23 and 30 years, three between them to make decisions and act on those decisions. 31 and 40, four between 41 and 50 years, four between 51 and 60 years and one person did not specify which In the last few minutes of the group attention turned age group she belonged to. Everyone in the group to discuss how wrong it is that people can be put into was working in sheltered employment. About half of a category depending on where they are from. One the group were very involved in the discussion and woman said that ‘people should be treated like contributed throughout. The others were happy to be people’, another that getting a job ‘should be based present, listened but did not want to say anything on your ability’ and a third that ‘people think you’re when asked. thick because of where you come from’. The participant from the UK stated that the Irish policy of When the participants were asked about their own paying people while they’re on Community experiences of guidance one woman answered as Employment schemes is better that the system in the follows: UK. This introduced a new theme into the discussion When we were in school we had a guidance teacher. and several people spoke of the difficulty they You went to the guidance teacher and they’d show experienced when benefits such as rent allowance you about jobs and careers, whatever jobs you were affected as a result of the money they were paid wanted to go to and if you wanted to do something on the Community Employment schemes. else, they would show you the things. One participant described the dilemma as: Several people spoke very positively and enthusiasti- cally about the guidance they receive on a regular When you get yourself on the ladder, instead of basis as part of their sheltered employment and there helping you up, they give you a little kick. That’s was a definite recognition that if they were not because they’ve lost their goodwill, they don’t have attending there they might not get the same guidance to struggle so they don’t understand. somewhere else. Some of the group described going Another person described it as: to a class called ‘Confidence Building’ which has a strong emphasis on helping people to communicate When I started going to TFE (Training for with each other. It was clear that the members of the Employment) and they take the money of you, it’s focus group found these classes to be helpful and defeating the purpose. enjoyable, e.g., ‘people who never used to talk, talk’, and ‘she gives me the confidence because I never used to have confidence’, ‘she gets people who never used to talk to each other, now they can talk together, get together’. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 9292

As the discussion developed it emerged that many of This man was asked how he had come to know about the group attend a local college for classes in activities that course and he described how he had been doing: such as English, photography or computers and are very proud of their independent living skills. They Literacy classes, you know reading and writing indicated that there is a guidance counsellor in the classes for a couple of years and just now the teacher college although none of them have gone to her as introduced me to doing new courses. She came to us yet. Several people nodded in agreement when one last year and she talked about other course. woman said: The participants were asked what they would recommend to other people with disabilities who do We’re able to do things on our own. We’re able to do not receive the guidance they get in their sheltered things like do our shopping and that, to be workshop. Their suggestions included having independent. guidance websites, emailing people with information, One man described attending an event where he providing ‘booklets on all different colleges and jobs’, asked people working for FÁS about his wife’s ‘better notification of where the things are, more experience. She had been told that she could work tutors’, ‘ads on the radio’ and ‘have a centre with an ad part-time and keep her disability allowance. However in the paper’. when she started working, she was no longer allocated a medical card. The FÁS employees did not One participant said that she thought that most answer his query as to why she had not been warned people did not know what was going on. She of this. He explained that he has been fighting to get suggested that guidance practitioners: her medical card back and said he feels sorry for Go around and talk to them. Visit a group in the people who have no-one to fight for them. He was centre, talk to the staff members, see if they know asked what would have made the experience better what’s going on. Have centres in different areas, and he responded that people should be told their Dublin 3, Dublin 4, Dublin 6. Have places with benefits would be cut if they went back to work. sheltered employment. Talk to people, get feedback. Members of this focus group described the work they Another person suggested that people with disabilities did in the sheltered workshop such as doing assembly should realise that they need to go to different shops, work, doing craft work such as lampshades, binding get application forms and start applying for jobs. boxes and packing chocolates. They all seemed to Several people were concerned about difficulties enjoy this work and while one woman said she would getting access to buildings due to a lack of ramps and like to work outside, she explained that this would not facilities for people with disabilities, such as toilets on be possible on account of her Epilepsy. the ground floor.

One participant explained that he works in Tesco The group stressed that agencies and services which twice a week and has also: work with people with disabilities should contact individuals who have left the service to do a course or Done a HETAC course on interpersonal skills and to work. Several people agreed with this point and stuff like that and I passed and I’ll be receiving the spoke about how they would ‘not want to be certificate soon. I am going to do another course in forgotten’, as ‘otherwise it’s like cutting a cord’. HETAC and it’s over two years and it’s all to do with employment and stuff like that. Just as the focus group was ending, one woman asked a question concerning FÁS:

You know FÁS; would they give you a job if you’re looking for a job, if you asked them? Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 93

FOCUS GROUP FIVE: PARENTS One woman described her experience of guidance OF PRESCHOOL AND PRIMARY when she was in school and spoke about the ‘snob SCHOOL CHILDREN factor’ which meant that: Twelve parents attended this focus group. Nine of People who were academic got all the help and these were female, three were aged between 23 and children who were into joining, plumbing or 30 years, five between 31 and 40 and four were aged hairdressing there was very little for them, because between 41 and 50. One had left school when he was those going to university got all the help. six years old, two others when they were sixteen, one One man spoke about spending five years in when seventeen and the fifth when she was nineteen. secondary school and receiving guidance all the way One of the participants was a student, one worked in through, but not remembering anything about it. He the home and the others were all employed in various could not recall anyone coming in to talk about their jobs including graphic designer, primary school jobs or experiences, but he did: teacher, special needs assistant, bank official, bank manager, clinical nurse manager and software Remember the mock interviews before the Leaving engineer. Certificate, which was a serious attempt to do something with you. I remember I was told well People reflected initially on their experience of you’re going to have a job in the bank and I said I’m guidance when they were in school and one woman not interested in a job in the bank – that’s boring!’ laughed as she described: That same man then proceeded to laugh as he told There was a guidance teacher who came along and the group that he has been working in a bank for the you know gave a chat to the class and that was past twenty five years! basically it. You were more or less told what you should apply for because you were good at certain One woman spoke with considerable regret that she subjects and those subjects were hand picked for had not received guidance in school in relation to you rather than you choosing the subjects subject choice. She did not take Honours Irish in her for yourself. Career guidance was a loose term at Leaving Certificate and as a result has not been able to that time. train to be a primary school teacher in Ireland. Later in the session she returned to this point and asked that Several parents acknowledged that guidance is the government make it easier for people in her area different now from their experiences and that pupils to have access to teacher training colleges or now have opportunities such as Transition Year. One of alternatively provide more distance learning courses the parents was from France and he described his online. experience in school there: There was a definite view among the group of parents If you were good at maths you were told to do that. that guidance should be provided for children from a That was kind of decided for you. Then you go into very young age and that people should be prepared secondary school and then you have a short for retraining and possibly career changes as they placement, like a week or two in the industry to see if progress and mature. One parent raised her concern you would like to do that profession. that formal guidance at too young an age could result in a child being classified or ‘put into a box’. She described her nine year old son’s dream to play football for Manchester United. While she did not want to shatter his dream, she also did not want to put him in a box and say what he could and could not do, when he is only nine years old. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 9494

One parent suggested that guidance in school be school teaching could come into the school one day a given by ‘people who’ve been involved in professional week for six weeks, which she felt would be less work, with contacts from the outside world’. Parents of disruptive than them coming for a week. preschool children spoke very positively about the guidance their children are receiving and described One of the parents described receiving guidance how they are: recently from an adult guidance service which she found to be very helpful. Another person Even giving them life experience. They’ve brought in recommended a transition fair, similar to one which is the bin men and they’ve brought in the fire brigade currently held for adults with special needs who are and all that, we had ambulances and stuff. It’s just leaving school. Someone else in the group agreed talking about general safety, giving the kids a look with this and suggested that there should be more at the fire engine and it’s just opening up their minds linkages between the services so that people know to stuff. what is available. A parent of primary school children thought it would As this focus group was drawing to a close the parents be wonderful if primary school children had the same began to speak about their concern that their area was kinds of people coming into the school ‘in a fun giving ‘one of the employment black spots’. One parent was information kind of way’. There was agreement that adamant that: parents have a role in providing guidance to their children, but that they need support from the schools You can give all the career guidance you want, there to do so. is no point if there aren’t any jobs. You can just tell parents to get passports for their children. Well, One mother asked if there are programmes in primary there’s no point in career guidance if there’s no jobs school to help children develop confidence. Another for them. mother, who is a primary school teacher, described the curriculum in primary school as being ‘absolutely There was complete agreement among all of the great. It really addresses all the aspects of the child’. parents that services in their area needed to be She noted that children are much more confident that developed more. One parent suggested that there in the past and explained that: should be a focus group for parents of children with disabilities, as she said that in her county a lot of Where that’s coming from is not just primary school. children with intellectual disabilities and autism come It’s coming from the interest that parents have after into primary school until they are eighteen and that school…rugby, football, music…and all of those there are very few opportunities for them to move on things are helping children to move in some to secondary school. She noted that: direction. It doesn’t always have to be moving in the direction of a career but it’s to have something along It’s a constant battle for parents of children with side a career because that’s what I think we need to special needs, when you get children into direct our children to, not just ‘you must fit into mainstream school. I’m sure it’s hard on the teachers a box’. as well getting support for those children throughout. For what guidance is there, I mean it’s a constant This mother and teacher continued to caution against battle just to get them in, never mind career the idea of boxing children into a career at a very guidance and a lot of work should be put in young age. She described the Social, Personal and around that. Health Education (SPHE) programme as fantastic and recommended that parents look at the Department of It was explained that there would not be such a focus Education and Science’s website to learn more about group at this time; her concerns would be included in it. She also suggested a scheme where older the report on the consultative process which would secondary school children who want to do primary be discussed by the Members of the National Guidance Forum. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 95

A final question was raised by a mother regarding children do. So you missed out on an awful lot. So psychometric tests and her fear that her child might you had to keep pretending to people all your life be categorised inaccurately if he did not do well on a that you were able to do different things and I was particular day, perhaps as a result of illness. good at a lot of stuff but I’m not good at reading and…I was kind of left out of education. They left FOCUS GROUP SIX: ADULTS WITH me down. I feel that they let me down big time now LITERACY DIFFICULTIES and I still hurt inside over this, you know because I never thought I was stupid. This focus group consisted of twelve people who have The participant stated that she did not receive literacy difficulties. Three of the participants were guidance in school and was not able to become female. One was aged between 41 and 50 years, two involved in activities such as drama because: between 51 and 60 years and one was aged 61-60 years. One person was unemployed, one was retired I wasn’t able for this because I couldn’t read. You and doing a course, one was a factory worker and the know, so I just went into factories and just worked in fourth was a farmer. Two people had left school when factories and that was me and I turned round then they were fourteen years old, one when she was and got redundant and I always had this in my head fifteen and the fourth left school when he was that I was going to learn. In the factory then it closed seventeen years old. Two of the group had travelled up they got people in to give guidance, and I said over 50 miles to be present at the group and the well I’ve no way of going anywhere because I’ve no group was enthusiastic and extremely positive about skills so they told me about…(an organisation to having the opportunity to speak about their opinions learn literacy skills). and recommendations. The discussion lasted almost two hours and could have continued much longer. She described having made efforts as an adult to learn Each person is involved in a national organisation to to read but she found that an hour a week was not help people with literacy difficulties and they are enough to help her quickly enough. The guidance she passionate in their efforts to improve learning received when she was being redundant was very situations for children and adults. helpful to her:

Each person described their experiences in school as Because I was able to go out and do something I having been very difficult due to literacy difficulties. always wanted to do – go back to learning and One woman summed up her experience in this way: ‘I that’s where it helped me. wanted to learn, but I wasn’t taught’. She said that she This woman was very clear that the one-to-one aspect had liked school and remembered wanting to learn of the guidance had helped her tell the person about but not having got the chance as: her difficulties with reading:

The teachers only just taught the people, there were I think a one-to-one is better because people have so many in the class, the teachers only taught the private issues. Like if you have an issue about people who knew the stuff, that were able to keep something you won’t want to talk about it in front of up. So there were about four or five in our class that people and all your life you’re covering it up with never got any teaching, that missed out. Like they these things that are hurtful for you because you weren’t able to read comics the way, like, ordinary want to be as good as the next person. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 9696

The only male participant described wanting to be a A third person in the group described also having chef when he was at school but that as he had been let down by the school system and was very difficulties in reading, he went on to become a fitter definite that ‘that’s a big thing’. and welder. He described his experience in this way: Similar to another participant’s experience, she had My only experience of guidance was when I was in tried to get help with reading as an adult but found school and I was in the technical school and there that it was only on her third attempt that ‘something was a career guidance teacher there when you were clicked’ and she was able to learn to read. Later in the coming up to the year when you were leaving discussion she described how difficult it had been for school…the only guidance he’d give you was sort of her to get help as ‘I know the first day I went to the ‘there’s a job here’ or ‘there’s a job there’ or ‘maybe centre and admitted that I couldn’t spell I was violently you should go for a technical job’. He’d try to guide sick’. Counselling, stress management and relaxation you in the direction of what he thought would suit had been very helpful for her as ‘I was getting panic you, going by your education and your level of exam attacks because of the reading and writing’. results or whatever. He’d say ‘well right, you will be a manual labourer’ or ‘you’ll be a secretary’ or ‘you The final person in the group was the oldest and could be a solicitor’ but that’s sort of the only real described her school days as follows: experience I had of the guidance at that time. I started school in the forties and when I look back I When asked if he had found this experience helpful, realise that we were a third world country. There was he answered: about sixty in the class. I don’t have a reading problem but I do have a spelling problem and when Well I suppose it guided me in the direction that I I look back and I realise that the teacher asked a went. I served my time as a fitter and welder so question, it was mostly the nuns. And if you didn’t maybe if he wasn’t there I might have gone in answer what they had in their heads, then you were another direction. I don’t know. I can’t say but that’s working. There was never a discussion and then they the way he put me because I was good at metalwork beat you because you got it wrong and I felt that I and good at carpentry, good with my hands. So he sat there, wouldn’t open my mouth because I didn’t said I should get a job with a trade. So I applied for a want a beating so I didn’t learn. It was very, very lot of jobs when I was in school that involved a trade. wrong and I never thought I wasn’t stupid. Then I got the job in…as a fitter and welder but I really wanted to be a chef at the time. This woman described how she managed for years in work and social situations without people knowing Towards the end of the focus group he returned to this that she had a difficulty. Later in the discussion point and said: she said: If you don’t have reading and writing skills you’re You know you are capable of something else. going to have to take the path of manual labourer. I emigrated in the ‘60s but all I could do was Some years later he had an opportunity to do a year’s waitressing because I could write it down but training course to be a chef: I wanted to do something else. She was sixty-four years of age before she got help. I was still working at the time and if that course What concerns her most however is that: came up now I probably would take it. I wanted to do it but I couldn’t do it…If I wanted to be a chef, I At this very moment there’s four out of ten coming would have had to be able to write. That had a big out of secondary school with literacy problems and effect on me. that’s a shame. We haven’t learned from anybody… I will always, always fight for students who have problems with reading and writing. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 97

This view was strongly shared by the other members The four members of the focus group were very clear of the focus group. Two women described fighting to that they, and others like them, deserve every help ensure that their children received help in school as with education: they were determined that they were going to learn how to spell, read and write. They were clear that We were let down the first time and I think it’s guidance has an important role in this and important that the government realised that they recommended that teachers should ‘be taught have to look after us now ‘cos it’s their fault we were guidance and how to recognise that students have a let down. problem’. Children who need extra help in learning The group also agreed that about the need for should be offered it, either by their own teacher, or by guidance for retired people: a special learning support teacher. There was also strong agreement that there are not enough such Guidance for retired people is very important. It support teachers in the schools at present. should be part of the employer’s right to bring in a guidance person for people who are retiring no The members of the focus group also agreed that matter form any job no matter what level they are, children with literacy difficulties should be identified you spend all of your life working until you’re 65 and very early – even as early as preschool. As one you get up in the morning and you’re in a routine woman said: and your 65 and all that stops – it all changes…it’s a big shock to the system so there should be guidance At six years of age teachers should know that child there for people who are retiring. has a problem. No matter what class they’re in or whose class they are in. They should know that that Among the recommendations the focus group child has a problem. made were: They described the lifelong effects reading difficulties » All children with learning difficulties should be have on the person themselves when they are six, assessed at a young age, free of charge; sixteen or an adult: » Increased funding so that there are more venues that are better equipped, providing education and I think a lot of boys can have a lot of problems and guidance in a private, professional setting; they cover it up by carrying on in the school because » All tutors should be paid and there should be an if you do, it’s all to do with covering up and a lot of increase in the number of tutors; kids are leaving schools now and they’re carrying on » Guidance services should be available to people in in the streets too. But if they’d got the guidance, the each county; proper guidance, in the school before they left school, they mightn’t have those problems. It’s all a » Courses and services for those with literacy cover up. If you’ve some issue with yourself, to be difficulties should be advertised using a sign which the joker, you’re popular and you don’t have to do is easily identifiable, in addition to providing radio these skills. and TV programmes on improving literacy and numeracy; One woman spoke about her children not coming to » ‘Stop it being a secret, make people aware that her for help with homework and that they used to say: there are people, one in four have a problem’. We can’t go to Mammy ‘cos Mammy can’t do it we » People who wish to avail of programmes should have to wait ‘til Daddy comes home. be facilitated. For example, employers should give people time off to go to classes; She continued: » Raise awareness that many people have difficulties Then you know they go out and tell their friends that with such things as understanding percentage Mammy can’t do their homework. So Mammy’s reductions on price tags of sale items; every bit as important as the child is. » Stress Management should be considered as an aspect of guidance. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 9898

While there was recognition that ‘you can’t put an old I retired early. I had been sick and was on disability… head on young shoulders’, participants in the focus and when I decided to resign…there was no group described the impact on people when guidance and I thought I was very prepared because someone with experience talks about their difficulties, I was waiting for the day I wouldn’t be working for a such as a well known broadcaster and they suggested long time and I was prepared but I am still caught that they would be very willing to go into schools to up in work even though it’s been five years now. I talk to children with the hope that they might listen mean I dream about it and I’m still waiting for and take help. someone to come up behind me and tell me to do something and I’m going shopping and I’m FOCUS GROUP SEVEN: rushing…I didn’t get guidance on financial matters OLDER AGE GROUP either. Later in the discussion she suggested that it might This focus group consisted of fifteen people, eight have been more helpful for her to have eased into were female, one was aged between 51-60, five were retirement gradually and explained that: aged between 61 and 70 years and eight were aged 71 years and over. While people were not asked their Its very hard when you’re working all the time under exact age two people proudly said that they were over pressure all the time and at high speed…then one 90 years. The fifteenth person was an activities day you’re doing nothing. assistant in a nursing home and was aged between 23 and 30 years. The other members of the group were One woman in the focus group described how she all retired. Some lived at home while others lived in a and her husband had made plans for their retirement Nursing Home. They are all members of an Active when they very young, but then when he died Retirement Association and while everyone was happy suddenly, aged 50. She was devastated and kept to be part of the focus group, some of the people saying ‘I’m finished’. It was only some years later when choose to listen rather than contribute to the she was finally persuaded to join the Active Retirement discussion themselves. Others were very involved in Group that she began to experience any sense of the discussion and contributed considerably to it. purpose again. She was very vocal in her praise for the founder of this organisation and described the impact Some of the participants in the group had experienced on not just her, but her whole family as a result. guidance services in school through their children or their grandchildren, but no-one had direct experience I couldn’t be bothered…I even wanted to wear the of getting it themselves. Opinions as to how helpful black but all this has changed completely and…I the guidance for family members was varied with one always look forward to going on holidays with the person finding if very helpful, particularly in helping retirement people and coming to meeting…when I her granddaughter cope with a bereavement, while think of all the people I have met here, the friends another person said that his grandchildren had not from the Nursing Home, the Travellers,…it’s lovely to benefited from it. Some of the group had more recent meet your own and have a chat with them. It has personal experiences of guidance through training taught me that I am, thank God, very happy and I courses and retirement. There was definite agreement have arthritis in my knees. It has done something that guidance should be provided to help people marvellous for me and God bless, I have met lovely cope with retirement. One woman described her people and everyone but I praise (person who experience as follows: founded the group) and thank her for a lot of my happiness. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 99

Later this woman described the importance to her of One activity in the Centre involves some of the older being with her own age group and several people in people going into the local school once a week to the gr\oup strongly agreed with her. One person teach them to knit. Their current project is helping the recommended that guidance services for the elderly children to knit beautiful teddies to give to the should be improved and described her own ambulances, for young children who might be experience of working as a volunteer on a helpline for frightened on their way to hospital. The people who the elderly and being amazed by: spoke about this project did so while beaming with delight and it was very obvious how much everyone All, especially women, who are very, very lonely and involved in this project is benefiting from it. they say that they have no friends or no one to go about with. One man made a point about further education for older people: She described life being particularly difficult for single elderly people, who do not have sufficient support I see recently where there are courses available with services and who may not feel valued. She also spoke a qualification attached to them but it never gives about the need for guidance for so many people she the person who’s retired the impression that this listened to on the helpline. could be suitable for them as well in their retirement, that they can pick up this course and get a diploma, Later in the focus group another woman described get a certificate and even a degree and…I’d say 50% her view that: of people could not afford some of those courses but There should be some way of countering ageism and yet, it would be occupational therapy for them to the view of retirement. It’s a hideous word but it’s achieve something through those courses. like you’ve cut yourself off but you’ve not. All the Several people agreed with this point and there are voluntary organisations are run by retired people. recognition that it should be made easier, ‘both But there should be more emphasis on how to deal financially and in encouragement as well’ for older with leisure time you suddenly have out of the blue people to do courses. and because we’re all living longer, how to deal with your time and still be productive…there’s a social They are as much entitled to do that course as a side of your life and the productive side of your person leaving school and that it would be retirement. There’s no help in how to be useful. acceptable even thought they mightn’t make use of it afterwards but at least it gives a person a very A different person said that while there are guidance positive outlook on life that they can do something services: like that in that time that they can be equal to others. There isn’t enough guidance given on how to get Another person wished that people would: guidance. People, particularly a lot of older people… when their husbands die or leave…don’t know how Take away the impression ‘what are you doing a to manage their lives and there might be some course like that at your age, what good is it to you at guidance on how to deal with the state in its various your age, sure it wont be any use to you’. All those forms, with different departments. There isn’t awful words. enough guidance on how to deal with state This was met with agreement and the question: agencies.’ Does the State think that because you’re older that you shouldn’t have financial help towards education? Surely it’s at that time that it’s important to keep your mind active so you won’t end up in long term care, as like somebody with Alzheimer’s. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 100100

The younger woman who is working as an activity » Guidance services for adults need to be developed, assistant in a nursing home was very interested and expanded, resourced and advertised. followed the discussion carefully. At the very end she » Teachers, employers and parents have a role in expressed her view that there is insufficient funding to guidance provision. provide fun activities for older people who are in full » Guidance services must be confidential and time care. available for everyone who wants it, irrespective of age and financial situation. In terms of recommendations the members of this focus group recommended that » People need information and yet acknowledge that information on its own is not enough. » There should be many more Active Retirement Counselling and development programmes are Centres which are properly funded; » important aspects of guidance for adults, as many » Guidance services for older people should be people need to build up confidence before they improved and advertised; can make the most of training and career » Some older people should be trained as volunteers, opportunities. to ‘guide them when they stop work that their lives » There are financial implications for people aren’t over, that they can still serve.’ engaging in training and employment schemes » People should receive guidance to know what and people are anxious that their allowances can they can do in their retirement. be cut as a result. » Provide guidance for people on how to deal with » There is a need for guidance services to follow-up State Agencies. on initial interviews. » Guidance is important for groups such as parents, SUMMARY OF THEMES WHICH people with disabilities, people who are not Irish EMERGED DURING FOCUS GROUPS nationals, people who are due to retire or who » There is a need for guidance to be provided from have retired, children and adults who have literacy preschool right up to the elderly. difficulties, and people who are unemployed or on low income. » Guidance services at preschool and primary school need to be developed and those at second level » Many people who would benefit from guidance need to be strengthened and expanded. services do not know how to access them and ‘need guidance to get guidance’. » Guidance services in second level schools need to be available and to be seen to be available for the » People have a personal responsibility too in younger students and those who are less availing of opportunities which are available to academic, as well as for those who intend to go to them. university. 06 Discussion Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 102

The National Guidance Forum was set up in 2004 to report entitled ‘Careers and Labour Market Information enable lifelong guidance to become a reality. The in Ireland’ carried out on behalf of the Expert Skills Chair of the Forum, Professor Joyce O’Connor, and its Group on Future Skills Needs. As neither report was 33 Members set up four subcommittees to undertake available at the time this Report was being written it certain key tasks. One of these involved carrying out a was not possible to include them in the Literature consultative process with members of the general Review, which is contained in Chapter Two of this public to determine their experiences, opinions and Report, or to compare and contrast their findings with recommendations concerning guidance services in those of this Report. It is anticipated that they will be Ireland, to inform the Forum in its work. The other available before the Final Report of the National three tasks, producing a scoping paper, identifying the Guidance Forum is due to be presented to the Minister competencies required for guidance provision and the for Education and Science and the Minister for steps needed to ensure quality assurance in guidance Enterprise, Trade and Employment in the Autumn are nearing completion by the other subcommittees. of 2006. The four reports, taken as a whole, will provide a strong platform for the National Guidance Forum to Asking people’s opinions can be difficult. It leads to make recommendations and move towards making other questions: ‘How can we be sure that people will lifelong guidance a reality. say what they mean and mean what they say?’ ‘How can we ask enough people to get a reasonable picture The first step in carrying out a consultative process of what the general public thinks? ‘If people are asked was to determine who to consult, what to ask and for their opinion, might they expect that their opinion how to do it. The literature shows clearly that there is a will then be acted on?’ ‘What is the next step once wealth of material and policy documents on guidance their opinion has been given?’ available at National, European and International level. Three major reports carried out by the OECD (2004), The consultative process subcommittee considered the World Bank (Watts & Fretwell, 2004) and the some of these questions as well as many more. The European Union (Sultana, 2004a) give a very clear idea of inviting members of the general public to send picture of guidance policy and provision in an written submissions to the Forum did not proceed international context. These and many other reports, when a pilot study indicated that it was unlikely to focused predominantly on service providers, trainers generate responses from a wide range of people. A and policy providers. However, key questions which questionnaire was then suggested and following needed to be addressed were ‘what do people in the another pilot study, and several meetings with the general public think about guidance services?’ ‘What subcommittee and the National Guidance Forum, it has their experience been and what would they was agreed to use the questionnaire in a targeted way recommend?’ as a first phase of the consultative process. The questionnaire was intended to be distributed to as Two other agencies have recently completed research wide an audience as possible, using the direct on the views of people who use guidance services in approach of Members of the Forum asking people Ireland. One report looked specifically at guidance they knew who used guidance services, as well as provision in second level schools on behalf of the those who did not, to complete the questionnaire, and Department of Education and Science. The second understanding that people with literacy difficulties might need help in completing it. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 103103

A press release was also planned to draw the attention This will be done by considering key themes which are of the general public to the questionnaire which was evident in the literature and which were referred to made available on the website of the National repeatedly by people who completed the Guidance Forum and which could be printed out, questionnaires as well as by those who participated in completed on a hard copy and returned, or completed the focus groups. These themes are as follows: directly online and emailed back. Unfortunately due to » People’s Views on Guidance Generally; circumstances beyond the control of the Forum the » Guidance for Children and Young People; date of the press release was delayed. Fifty-six libraries and twelve other organisations selected at random » Guidance for Adults; form the NCGE Database of Guidance and Support » Key Issues in Guidance: Services for Young People were notified about the » Quality control; consultative process and many of these distributed » Access; the questionnaires to their service users. Details of the Implementing Policy; specific methodology employed are contained in » Chapter Three: Methodology of this Report and details » Individual Responsibility. of the results which emerged from the 635 completed This Chapter is followed by the final one, Chapter questionnaires are contained in Chapter Four: Results Seven: Conclusions and Recommendations. In many of Phase One. reports it is appropriate and indeed expected to consider the limitations of the methodology Following the December 2005 meeting of the National employed. This is not intended to cast doubts on the Guidance Forum, the decision was taken to move findings but instead is the recognition that there is no towards a Phase Two of the consultative process. This absolute way of establishing that research participants was intended to focus in a particular way on targeted do ‘say what they mean and mean what they say’. It is groups that were seen to be under represented in accepted that every research method has its Phase One, i.e. older people, people who are not Irish limitations and it is also essential to consider whatever nationals, early school leavers, people with literacy findings emerge in the context of these. difficulties, parents of preschool and primary school children, people who have disabilities, and people who are unemployed or who are receiving a low LIMITATIONS OF THE income. It was also intended to meet with a group of CONSULTATIVE PROCESS the general public, although this did not proceed A key limitation of this Report is that it is not possible when no-one arrived at the arranged time and it was to draw on the other two research reports which have felt that the range of people in the other seven groups recently been completed on people’s views on was sufficient. Details of the specific methodology guidance. This is unfortunate as the summary of the employed in Phase Two are contained in Chapter literature in Chapter Two clearly illustrates that while Three and a summary of the discussions which there have been many policy documents on guidance emerged during the focus groups are contained in as well as reports from service users, there has, until ‘Chapter Six: Results of Phase Two’. now, been very little work done on accessing the This Discussion Chapter draws together the various views of people who use, or who do not use, guidance results and themes which emerged through the services in Ireland. However it is to be hoped that consultative process as a means of making recom- these reports will be available in time for the Members mendations to the Members of the National Guidance of the National Guidance Forum to consider them Forum as they approach the final stages of their work. alongside this report before it completes its various tasks. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 104

Questionnaires can have many benefits, but their group asked: ‘what about parents of children with limitations are well recognised and often one of the special needs?’ There is a wide range of groups which key ones can be a poor response. Standardised could quite reasonably be targeted. However given questionnaires require evidence of two key research external limitations such as resources and time it is principles: validity and reliability. If a questionnaire is reasonable that every such group could not be designed to measure an individual’s level of a specifically targeted at this time. construct such as depression, a valid (accurate) measure will do exactly that, and a valid, reliable Despite the limitations of the research Chapters Four (consistent) measure will ensure that an accurate and Five contain very interesting and important response is given over a period of time. The material, which when seen in the context of the questionnaire that was designed for this consultative literature, suggest that the people who participated in process is not a standardised one. It is not measuring the consultative process took the matter very seriously any particular construct but instead is a way of and that their views are important to consider carefully. accessing people’s descriptions of their experiences of The 635 people who took part in Phase One and the guidance as well as their opinions of guidance services 72 people who took part in Phase Two included men in Ireland and their thoughts on what they would and women from the ages of 15 to over 90 years of recommend regarding these services. Therefore there age, living in cities, large towns, small towns or rural is no guarantee that people’s responses are accurate areas, with qualifications ranging from none to PhD or consistent. They may be saying what they think is level. Some of the participants worked in the home, expected, or they might not be taking any question some were students on training courses, and others seriously. They might change their opinion if asked to were unemployed, employed or retired. The complete the questionnaires again. As was the case consultative process included people from each of the with the research on principals’ perceptions carried seven social class groupings as described in the 2002 out by McKenna et al. (1997), the focus of the research Census report (Ireland, 2003). was primarily on the experience and perception of the respondents as indicated in the responses to the PEOPLE’S VIEWS ON GUIDANCE questionnaire and recorded in interviews and: Policy makers and service providers agree that It must be emphasised that perceptions are just that guidance is a key factor in Ireland’s economic – views, feelings and opinions and the outcomes of prosperity and that it has a vital role in helping people this study should be seen in that context. (McKenna cope with the increasing social difficulties and et al., 1997, p.4) challenges. Although the vast majority of respondents to the questionnaires answered that they did not Phase One of the consultative process would clearly know a lot about guidance services in Ireland, their have been insufficient to offer a view of the opinions various comments suggest that they know more than of the general public as groups such as the older they think about what the term guidance refers to and population, people with disabilities and the early how they have experienced it. For instance many school leavers were clearly under-represented. Phase people referred to the difficulty in separating any one Two was intended to fill any such gaps by first aspect of guidance from another recognising that: identifying any groups which were under-represented in Phase One, and then moving to fill these through One will lead to another, e.g., information and the use of focus groups. It could be argued that not discussion of it may lead to counselling/advice etc. enough groups were targeted: what about people Counselling may lead to referral. who are in prison? Or, as a participant in one focus National Guidance Forum Report 2007 105105

People appreciated being asked for their opinions and funded and unappreciated information processor’ the vast majority of people who participated in the (Ryan, 1993, p.65), it is clear that some of the people focus groups were enthusiastic and were very positive who completed the questionnaire were appreciative about the consultative process, for example: of the guidance they received. Some were not as can be seen from the following, very different, quotes: This questionnaire has encouraged me to seek more information on these services and maybe discover The guidance counsellor provided clear direction that guidance services could improve my lifestyle. after teasing out interests and strengths and suitable environment to through aptitude and interest tests While some of the comments were critical of the type and discussion. of guidance received, nobody expressed the view that there was no need for guidance practitioners. On the She was not approachable and told you what she contrary, many people were very clear about the thought you should do. She always had the air of benefits and role of guidance in helping them access someone who was very busy. A definite closed office lifelong learning as can be seen from the following door approach. comment which was made by a woman aged between 31 and 40 years who participated in It must be stressed that the people who completed Phase One: the questionnaire as well as those who participated in the focus groups were referring to the past. It will be People grow and mature at different times in their very interesting to compare their responses with those lives and decisions about careers made at an early of the students, parents and guidance counsellors age can change. It would be nice to think guidance who participated in the recent Review of Guidance services were available to everyone. which was recently carried out on behalf of the Department of Education and Science. For instance, it Guidance was recognised as having a broader role is to be hoped that the view expressed by one person than helping people with career choice and several in this consultative process is no longer the common respondents specifically referred to guidance perception: practitioners as having a role in helping to prevent suicide. Career guidance was used as a mechanism to get poor teachers out of the classroom. My guidance counsellor GUIDANCE FOR CHILDREN was totally unqualified. AND YOUNG PEOPLE Sultana (2004a) noted that in the various research Under the Education Act (Ireland, 1998) guidance is studies which have been carried out across Europe, now seen to be a whole school responsibility and little, if any educational or occupational guidance was guidance counsellors have a broad role which includes offered at the primary level, with the secondary school providing counselling support to students, promoting traditionally being the main setting for delivering educational and social inclusion, in addressing guidance services. This is consistent with the educational disadvantage and in the prevention of experiences of the people who participated in this early school leaving and poor educational attainment consultative process, although the parents of (Department of Education and Science, 2005). Dr. Liam preschool children spoke highly of guidance their Ryan’s report demonstrated that the role of the children were receiving as a result of visits to the guidance counsellor in Ireland has always been broad preschool by local bin men, Gardaí etc. and demanding, with their time being divided between providing career guidance, personal 65% of respondents to the questionnaire reported that counselling, classroom teaching and other official guidance had been available in their school. 84% of activities. While one of the respondents to Ryan’s these reported availing of it, 44% described that research described himself as ‘an overworked, under- Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 106

guidance as having been ‘very helpful’ or ‘helpful’ and group can not be seen to represent anyone other than 26% described it as ‘unhelpful’ or ‘very unhelpful’. The the people in it, many of the people who participated type of guidance people received mainly focused on in the focus group which consisted of people who decisions regarding college and careers, with were unemployed or on low incomes were critical of differences in how often people received this, ranging the guidance they had received in secondary school. from once to as much as people wanted. 270 people They described not getting adequate guidance commented on their experience of guidance in school because of where they lived, because they were not and these focused on guidance counsellors, resources, academic enough, or because the waiting list was timing, access, awareness, life-long guidance and the too long. role of parents in guidance. Many of these points are consistent with the findings of a study commissioned The four people with literacy difficulties described the by the National Centre for Guidance in Education severe and long-lasting effects of their experiences in in 1997. school. One man had experienced guidance which helped him move into a career he continued in, but There was a wide range of opinions of the guidance was not what he would have liked to have done, if he services in second level schools with some people had not been restricted by his reading difficulties. Each describing it as ‘of very little use’ and others being of these adults was adamant that children should much more positive about it. Opinions seemed to receive as much support and guidance as possible to depend on factors such as the individual guidance ensure that they could leave school being able to read counsellor, the resources available, the structure in the and write. They also recognised that this guidance school concerning whether the guidance counsellor needed to help them to build up confidence in only saw students for the first time when they were in themselves. Many adults, both in the focus groups and their final year in school, or shortly after they moved in the questionnaires described guidance services in into secondary school. Some people mentioned schools as being greatly improved since they were taking their children to private guidance counsellors as at school. they were unhappy with the service their children received in school. There was recognition in some of Although people had mixed opinions regarding the the comments as well as among the parents in the quality of the guidance they received in school, there focus group that parents had a role in providing was general agreement regarding the importance of guidance to their children, and wished to be informed guidance. One man, for instance, aged between 23 and supported in that role. and 30 years, described guidance as being more important than the Leaving Certificate. The young people who participated in a focus group had left formal schooling, primarily it seemed, due to People made a number of recommendations consistent behavioural difficulties which resulted in regarding how guidance services for children and their being suspended. From this group of eleven, only young people including: introduce guidance in three could describe having met a guidance counsellor preschools and primary schools but ensure that while they were in formal schooling. Of those, the children are not ‘boxed in’ too young, increase the experience of two were negative and seemed to focus allocation of guidance in schools, involve parents, on discipline issues, while that of the third was very teachers and outside agencies in guidance, make positive in helping her deal with a family bereavement. guidance services compulsory, ensure that guidance All of these young people had access to informal counsellors act professionally and respect the guidance in their Training Centre and were not confidential nature of their role, develop all aspects of particularly positive about their experience, citing guidance i.e. counselling, development programmes, concerns over confidentiality as a reason why they assessment, and referral as well as providing more would not contact that person for help. While this information. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 107107

GUIDANCE FOR ADULTS particularly important and effective for:

The results of this consultative process testifies to Adults who lack confidence in their abilities and Clayton et al’s (1999) view that important differences experiential learning either to re-enter the labour exist between school and adult guidance. One market or to change the types of work they are difference was that a much smaller number of people currently doing but with which they are dissatisfied. reported that they had received guidance since they (Clayton et al, 1999) left school (125 compared with 354 people who Many of the participant’s comments matched exactly availed of guidance in school). The second very what people such as Sultana (2004), Ward (2002) and obvious difference was that the vast majority (80%) of Brown (2004) have said. There definitely was these described the guidance they had received as widespread agreement that the focus of guidance for ‘very helpful’ or ‘helpful’. This compares with 43% of adults needs to be widened, to include adults who are people who described their experience of guidance in employed as well as unemployed, adults with financial second level the same way. 54% of people accessed difficulties, as well as those who are earning a good guidance since school from a guidance counsellor income, students who are engaged in higher and/or careers service, while 30% accessed it through education and adults who have retired as well as those FÁS or work. who are working. Respondents referred to many of Sampson et al (1999) identified different needs for the issues described in the literature, for example: guidance among three groups of adults: those who » Recognising the value and importance of guidance had a straightforward need for information; those who programmes and career management skills wanted to discuss options with a local person and (Jarvis, 2003); those who required a more in-depth guidance » Difficulties in knowing that guidance services exist interview. The various comments of adults who and how to access them (GTI, 2006); participated in both phases of the research could be The difficulty and reluctance people who have subdivided into one or other of these three areas. As » been unemployed for a long period have in has been mentioned above there was a very accessing guidance services (Humphries, 2004); consistent call for providing more information and for making it more accessible to people. However the » The role that FÁS has in combining a guidance adults who participated in the focus groups referred function and a job placement function specifically to valuing a more ongoing, detailed (OECD, 2002); guidance service which would help them to develop » The complex needs for people with literacy self-confidence and stress management skills as well difficulties (NALA, 2005), learning disabilities (NDA, as accessing training and/or employment. These 2005) and older people (Age Action Ireland, 2006); people talked about the need for the counselling » The challenges and difficulties language barriers aspect of guidance to help them come to terms with can create (Ward, 2002); their situation, irrespective of whether that was having » The complex, busy lives many adults have and the recently arrived in Ireland with very little English, financial implications of engaging in further having had a history of reading difficulties, having training or work programmes (Brown, 2004); disabilities or adjusting to retirement. It was clear that they wanted guidance services to do more than » Distinguishing between the differing guidance provide information and they wanted to be able to needs of adults (Sampson et al. 1999) and tailoring use those services as often as they needed to, with the models to those needs (OECD/EC, 2004); guidance people following up on their progress. This » The needs, role and contribution of employers is consistent with Clayton and her colleagues who (Humphries, 2002); described the counselling component as being » The importance of having a logo for guidance services which would be easily identified (Brown, 2004). Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 108

Perhaps one of the most stark findings of the high quality information and help people to develop consultative process is that while only 9% of the 577 the skills to use it’ (p.4). This is consistent with Clayton people who answered the question ‘how helpful (2000) who emphasised that the purpose of guidance would guidance be to you now?’ said that it would be is to give people the skills to make choices, rather than ‘unhelpful’ or ‘very unhelpful’, and 58% said that it to steer them to lifelong learning’. would be ‘very helpful’ or ‘helpful’, 69% of the total sample reported not knowing where to access Many people who participated in the consultative guidance services. Some possible reasons for this are process might choose to be steered to lifelong discussed in the next section: ‘Key Issues in Guidance’. learning as they were very clear about the benefits and role of guidance in helping them access it. Here A very strong theme which emerged in the for instance is a quote from a woman aged between questionnaires and in the focus groups was people’s 23 and 30 who participated in Phase One and said: desire to have more information, e.g., one man who completed the questionnaire described information as I feel that guidance is needed throughout life and ‘the key to guidance’. not just in school. Many people pick the wrong course in college and end up working in an industry Seventy two percent of people in Phase One of the that they were not interested in. consultative process rated information as being most Another example of the deep regard many people important aspect of guidance, with 30% of people showed for continuing to learn throughout the life considering assessment to be. Some of the comments span is seen in the views expressed by several of the demonstrated that people were concerned that older people such as: assessments ‘box’ people in, which were similar to views expressed by some people in the focus groups, They (people who are retired) are as much entitled to such as the mother of a nine-year-old boy who do that course as a person leaving school and that it wanted to be a footballer when he is older. While would be acceptable even though they mightn’t some people definitely did appreciate the benefits of make use of it afterwards but at least it gives a the other aspects of guidance, such as counselling, person a very positive outlook on life that they can development programmes, advice and referral, this do something like that…that they can be equal seemed to be overshadowed by a consistent call for to others. more and more information. Perhaps one of the most striking things to emerge However, there was also a recognition that information from this consultative process is the very high regard on its own was not enough. A woman who is not an the majority of respondents hold guidance in. Only Irish national described, during a focus group, her 16.5% of a total of 568 people said that they had a efforts to help people from other countries by giving negative or very negative opinion of guidance services. them information on guidance services, only to 43% of people who said that they had received discover that some of them ended up doing the guidance in school described it as ‘very helpful’ or wrong courses because they were not able to ‘helpful’, while 26% described it as ‘unhelpful’ or ‘very understand the information. Issues concerning unhelpful’. Interestingly, a higher percentage of people information are well documented in the literature. reported being happier with the guidance services Brown (2004) distinguished between ‘information’ and they had received since they left school. 80.5% of the ‘informing’ and with IT facilities increasingly becoming 123 people who said that they had received guidance more available, it is important to remember that ‘you since school said that they had found it to be ‘very can have information at the touch of a button and still helpful’ or ‘helpful’, while only 6% described it as being not be informed’ (Brown, 2004, p.77). Sultana (2004b) ‘unhelpful’. Perhaps it is not surprising therefore that wrote ‘we are not living in an information age, but in only 8% of 577 people said that guidance would be an information dump, therefore we need to provide ‘unhelpful’ or ‘very unhelpful’ at this time in their lives. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 109109

Some people who completed the questionnaires People like Sultana (2004) and Jarvis (2005) write about referred to their personal experiences of guidance the benefits guidance can give to the individual as counsellors, for example a girl aged between 16 and well as to society and to the economy. The comments 18 years who described herself as having a negative of many people in the focus groups demonstrated view of guidance wrote: that while guidance can be very beneficial, this depends on a range of things such as whether He spoke a lot of rubbish, telling me that I wasn’t guidance is provided in the first place, if the resources good enough to do what I wanted to do. are adequate, if the guidance practitioner is trained In contrast to this a man aged between 23 and 30 and if the person wanting to receive guidance has years of age stated the following during a focus group: sufficient English to ask for what he/she wants. The benefits for those who did receive guidance and who She’s very good. I made an appointment to see her, I were helped to avail of it was remarkable, particularly went over to her and she basically sat down with me, among those people who had disabilities, who had it was the first time that anybody actually spoke to literacy difficulties and who were in the older age me and asked me what I liked, what I was interested group. in. And she assessed me through a system that they have on the computer over there and she took note KEY ISSUES IN GUIDANCE of what it was I liked to do and she came up with I think three or four different occupations that’d be Training and Quality Control suitable to my interests and I’m actually pursuing Ireland has been commended in a major European one of them at the moment. I’m training to do a review of guidance for the emphasis it places on Degree in it. improving qualifications and training for guidance What factors could be at play to cause one person to practitioners (Sultana, 2004b). The establishment of have a very negative experience of guidance and the National Centre for Guidance in Education in 1995 another to be so much positive about it? A wide range and the setting up of the National Guidance Forum in of variables such as the experience, temperament, 2004 are strong visible evidence of the serious qualifications, and even the particular mood of the commitment the Irish Government has to improving guidance counsellor could have made a difference. So and developing guidance services. Participants in both too might the experience, temperament, ability and phases of the consultative process referred to their mood of the recipient. The young people who left view that some guidance counsellors working in school early and who participated in a focus group schools in the past were not adequately trained. One reported that they had very little experience of woman raised the question as to whether the current guidance. This may have been because their schools duration of training, which is generally one year full- might not have provided guidance to students their time, or two years part-time is enough. People were age, or it might have been that they did not recognise concerned that those working in guidance must be the guidance which they received. Yet here again, properly trained with a particular emphasis on even within this small group there are differences in respecting the confidential nature of their role. (Each opinions. One young person was particularly scathing time this point was made during the various focus about the guidance counsellor’s inability to keep groups, participants were reminded of the limits to things confidential, while another student described confidentiality, which had been explained at the his guidance counsellor as being very good to her outset, but it was clear that many people still expected when she had a family bereavement. that anything, regardless of its nature, could be said to a guidance counsellor in complete confidence). Several people referred to the need for guidance people to be monitored and if necessary removed from their role. Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 110

The competencies subcommittee and the quality throughout their lives and describes the necessary assurance subcommittee of the National Guidance tools to help make this a reality. Ireland committed in Forum are working specifically on these areas and will its White Paper in Adult Education ‘Learning for Life’ be reporting back to the Forum shortly. (Ireland, 2000a) to investing in guidance and has established the National Guidance Forum to make Access to Guidance Services lifelong guidance a reality. There are many Access to guidance services was a consistent theme in comprehensive reports and documents on guidance both phases of the consultative process. Many people and guidance initiatives available, e.g.,the OECD 2004 referred to difficulties in accessing guidance services, Review, the World Bank Review (Watts & Fretwell, for children and young people and for adults. Some of 2004) and the European Union (Sultana 2004a), ‘Career these described not knowing where to go, others Guidance – A Handbook for Policy Makers’ (OECD/EU, explained that they were not eligible to access certain 2004). ‘Guidelines for the Practice of Counselling and services, on account of their age, employment Guidance in Schools’ (Ireland, 1996) and ‘NCGE in experience or income. Lack of confidence, shame and Support of Guidance: Policy and Practice 1995-2005’ fear were also factors which contributed to people’s (NCGE, 2006). There are many organisations focused difficulties in accessing services. Sampson et al (1999) on developing and improving guidance such as FÁS, referred to the question of how to make guidance the International Association for Educational and services flexible and responsive to clients as being a Vocational Guidance, the National Centre for Guidance key issue. Participants in each focus group in Education, the Euroguidance Network, the European acknowledged in different ways how difficult it was to Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, encourage people who might benefit from guidance and the International Centre for Career development services to avail of them. Clayton (2000) focused for Career Development and Public Policy. Other specifically on this area and illustrated how those who organisations exist to support the non-formal delivery are most in need of education and training were the of guidance such as the National Adult Learning least likely to participate in it, often because they were Association, Comhairle, the National Disability prevented from doing so by their life circumstances. Association and Age Action Ireland. There are also Humphries (2002) highlighted the need to face what recent developments in construing guidance such as he called ‘a more intractable problem’ – that of the ideas of Jarvis (2003) and Hansen (2006). motivating low-skilled adults to seek formal learning Although few of the participants in the consultative opportunities. While he also noted that funding is process are likely to be familiar with many of these necessary to motivation, the experiences of people in documents, there was a marked similarity in how the the focus groups, particularly those who are not Irish general public and the policy makers view the nationals, the unemployed and people on low income importance of lifelong guidance. The recommenda- and people with disabilities suggests that insufficient tions of participants in both phases of the research are funding, and/or allowances being reduced can already included as recommendations in numerous seriously affect their motivation to seek training or policy documents. Several people expressed education. appreciation at being asked for their opinion and Implementing Policy wished the process well. There is very clearly a strong recognition among the general public, as well as As the literature shows there are many recent policy among policy makers that guidance services in Ireland documents. The document ‘Improving lifelong are not just worth investing in, but that they need to guidance policies and systems; Using Common be invested in. Given that there are so many reports, European Reference Tools’ (Wannan & McCarthy, 2005) documents and materials available, what is now gives an excellent overview of the importance of needed is for these policies to be implemented. people having access to lifelong guidance provision National Guidance Forum Report 2007 111111

Individual Responsibility A challenge for guidance policy makers, service providers, trainers and practitioners is to ensure that Several people who participated in Phase One or while respecting the right of the individual not to Phase Two of the consultative process referred engage, guidance services are accessible, well however to the individual’s responsibility in availing of resourced, well run, and available for everyone who services and recognised that no-one can be forced to needs them. The lesson which emerged from this do so. And yet, there was also a real recognition that consultative process is that meeting that challenge so many people do not have the skills, the knowledge may not be enough. As Whittaker et al. (2004) or the ability to access services. stressed: The following comment was made by a member of a People need to know how to access them, what help focus group and describes what several people said in they can provide and the services must be provided both phases of the consultative process: in a form which is suited to the needs of the people You really do have to make your own life for yourself who are using them. (Whittaker et al., 2004, p.7) because I think we all have a responsibility for where One woman who participated in a focus group put it we end up. more simply:

People need guidance to get guidance. 07 Conclusions and Recommendations Guidance for life Consultative Process Report 2007 113

The National Guidance Forum was established in 2004 In essence a key finding which emerged in this to enable lifelong and lifewide guidance to become a consultative process is that people ‘need guidance to reality through a seamless continuum of service get guidance’. As well as developing and provision by the service providers. The National strengthening resources in guidance, people in the Guidance Forum is managed by a steering group and general public need to be informed, supported and undertook to engage in the following four tasks: guided to use these services. This Report contains many suggestions from the participants in the » To carry out a consultative process to access the consultative process as to how that might be done. views and recommendations of the general public Suggestions such as the following: on guidance; » To produce a scoping paper, containing the » Provide formal guidance services throughout the historical context of guidance in Ireland as well as life-span so that it is available for children in pre- the views of the stakeholders; school and for people who have retired; » To identify the competencies required for guidance » Widen guidance provision so that it is available provision; from pre-school to post-retirement; » To set out the steps needed to ensure quality » Ensure that people working in guidance are well assurance in guidance. trained, supported, with proper quality assurance procedures in place; Earlier in this Report the rationale for the consultative » Ensure that guidance services are in appropriate process, the methodology employed, the results and convenient locations and that they are well which emerged are all described and discussed. This resourced; Chapter brings the Report to a conclusion and » Provide guidance that is individual and suitable to summarises the key recommendations which emerged the needs of clients in terms of the way in which from the process to the Members of the National guidance is provided, who it is provided by and the Guidance Forum, as they consider the reports from methods used; the other three subcommittees and prepare their final report to the Minister for Education and Science and » Recognise and support the role of parents, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. teachers, employers and others in guidance; » Guide people to avail of guidance services by: There was a marked consistency among the views of » Informing them of the services through the many researchers and policy makers in guidance advertising widely in a way which will clearly referred to in the Literature Review and among those reach the target groups; of the people who participated in both Phase One » Helping them access it by providing sufficient and Phase Two of this consultative process that while supports; the definition of guidance can be vague and confusing, the process of guidance clearly involves the following » Providing follow-up services if required; key aspects: information, counselling, assessment, » Strengthening links with referral agencies. development programmes, advice and referral. National Guidance Forum Report 2007 114114

These recommendations are not new. They are In summary, these recommendations have been made contained in many reports and policy documents. Yet by people who recognise the benefits of guidance they are made here by people who are unemployed and who want guidance services to be developed and who have ‘slipped through the net’; people who have resourced. These people are an enormous resource literacy difficulties and who were ‘let down’ by the and many of them already involved locally and formal education system; young people who have left nationally in providing ‘informal guidance’ through the formal school system, people who are not Irish their participation on national committees and with nationals and who are struggling to understand and voluntary helplines. be understood; people who have physical and/or learning disabilities who have to ‘fight’ to get what The National Guidance Forum’s agreed definition of they want; parents of children who are determined to guidance is that it: ensure that their children get what they need; people Refers to the process of facilitating individuals or who have retired and who feel ‘invisible’ and who groups at any point throughout their lives to develop have to argue that they have a right to education too. their capacity for the self-management of their These recommendations are also made by other personal, social, educational, training, occupational people who were involved in this process – people and life choices in order to grow towards their who are well educated and are proud of the guidance potential and thereby to contribute to the they received and keen to see it available to all; people development of a better society. (NCGE, 2006, p.33) who are in higher education and who are doing well Ireland has changed and is continuing to change. The in their studies as well as those who are experiencing effects of the rapid period of economic prosperity are difficulties; people who are in employment, earning a visible everywhere. So too are the effects of the good wage, but would like to consider a career increase in social difficulties Ireland is continuing to change and do not know how to; people who are experience. Guidance is recognised as having a key guidance counsellors who recognise what supports role in helping people living in Ireland to cope with and resources are needed to help them do their jobs transitions, challenges and difficulties. well; people who are teachers who see themselves as having a role in guidance; people who are employers The results of this consultative process clearly show who see the benefits of guidance to individuals and to that people value guidance, want guidance and the economy; people who are very negative about recommend that guidance services are developed guidance services as well as people who are very and strengthened so that everyone, irrespective of positive about guidance services in Ireland. age, ability or financial circumstances, can be helped to know about them, helped to access them and helped to benefit from them. People’s enthusiasm and willingness to engage with the consultative process demonstrates clearly that members of the general public can become actively involved in ensuring that lifelong and lifewide guidance is available and is availed of. 080 Acronyms, References and Appendices Acronyms, References and Appendix 116116

Acronyms used in this report

AEGI: Adult Educational Guidance Initiative NALA: National Adult Literacy Association

CEDEFOP: European Centre for the Development : of NCGE: National Centre for Guidance in Education Vocational Training NDA: National Disability Authority EC: European Commission NEPS: National Educational Psychological Society ESOL: English for Speakers of Other Languages NGF: National Guidance Forum EU: European Union NICEC: National Institute for Careers Education and FÁS: Foras Áiseanna Saothair : (Training and Counselling Employment Authority) OECD: Organisation for Economic : Co-operation and GTI: Graduates to Industry Development

HETAC: Higher Education and Training Awards Council PLOTEUS: Portal on Learning Opportunities : throughout the European Space IAEVG: International Association for Educational : and Vocational Guidance PES: Public Employment Services

IAG: Information, Advice and Guidance SPHE: Social and Personal Health Education

IBEC: Irish Business and Employers Federation TFE: Training for Employment

ICT: Information and Communications Technology UK: United Kingdom

ICCDPP: International Centre for Career : Development VEC: Vocational Education Committee and Public Policy VTOS: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme ICTU: Irish Congress of Trade Unions

IDA: Industrial Development Agency

IGC: Institute of Guidance Counsellors

LCA: Leaving Certificate Applied

LES: Local Employment Scheme Acronyms, References and Appendix 117117

References

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NCGE (2003) Assessment Testing: Findings of the Survey on Sampson, Palmer & Watts (1999) Who Needs Guidance? the Training Needs of Guidance Counsellors in Post-Primary Centre for Guidance studies http://www.derby.ac.uk/ Schools, Dublin, National Centre for Guidance in cegs/ (Cited 19th June, 2006). Education Sargant, N (1997) The Learning Divide, Leicester, NIACE NCGE (2004) Planning the School Guidance Programme, Dublin: National Centre for Guidance in Education in Sargant, N (2000) The Learning Divide Revisited, Leicester, Association with the Department of Education and NIACE Science Schizophrenia Ireland (2006) Time to Act! Pre-budget NCGE (2006) NCGE in Support of Guidance: Policy and 2006 submission http://www.sirl.ie/other/repository_ Practice 1995-2005. Dublin, National Centre for docs/58.pdf (Cited 21st June, 2006) Guidance in Education SISWO/ Institute for the Social Sciences (2004) Quality NDA (2005) Pre-Budget Submission for 2005 in Labour Market Transitions: A European Challenge, TLM http://www.nda.ie/cntmgmtnew.nsf/0/ Net Conference 25-26 November 2004, Royal Academy 73A62B7C6DDAAB6E80256F26004C1A56/$File/ of Sciences, Amsterdam http://www.siswo.uva.nl/tlm/ NDAPreBudgetSubmission.html (cited 19th June, 2006) conference/confhome.htm (Cited 20th June 2006) Acronyms, References and Appendix 120120

REFERENCES CONTINUED

Sultana, R.G. (2004a) Guidance Policies in the Knowledge Ward, T. (2002) Asylum Seekers in Adult Education - A Society: Trends, Challenges & Responses across Europe, A Study of Language and Literacy Needs. Dublin: City of Cedefop Synthesis Report, Luxembourg: Office for Official Dublin VEC and County Dublin VEC. Publications of the European Communities Watts, A.G. (1999) Personal Learning Planning: A Sultana, R.G. (2004b) Proceedings of the Conference Framework for Lifelong Career Development NICEC Lifelong Guidance: Harmonising Policy and Practice, Briefing, Cambridge: CRAC hosted by NCGE, Dublin Watts, A.G. (2000) Career Development and Public Policy, The Guidance Council (2006) http://www.guidance- Journal of Employment Counseling, vol. 37, no. 2 council.com (Cited 16th June 2006) Watts, A. G. (2001) Virtual Guidance – Visions and Values: Turner, B. & McGill, P (2002) Guidance in two Employee Quality and Ethics in Web-Based Guidance Report from Development Schemes in Glasgow, Scotland the International Conference, Gothenburg, Sweden, 25- http:/www.gla.ac.uk/wg/pilotuk.htm 29/8/2005 27 June 2001.

Unwin, L. (2004) Taking an Expansive Approach to Watts, A.G. & Fretwell, D. (2004) Public Policies for Career Workplace Learning: Implications for Guidance. CeGS Development: Case Studies and Emerging Issues for Occasional Paper. Derby: Centre for Guidance Studies, Designing Career Information and Guidance Systems in University of Derby Developing and Transition Economies. World Bank

Wannan, J. & McCarthy, J. (Eds) (2005) Improving Lifelong Watts, A.G. & Sultana, R.G. (2004) Career Guidance Guidance Policies & Systems: Using Common European Policies in 37 Countries: Contrasts & Common Themes. Reference Tools. Luxembourg: Office for Official International Journal for Educational & Vocational Publications of the European Communities Guidance, vol.4, no.2-3, p.105-122.

Ward, M. & Kelly, E. (1999) Access to Vocational Guidance Whittaker, S., Gallacher, J. & Crossan, B. (2004) Learner in Ireland in Clayton P.M., et al. Access to Vocational Perceptions of Information, Advice and Guidance: A Review Guidance for People at Risk of Social Exclusion, (p. 108-151) of Research Centre for Research in Lifelong Learning. Scotland: Department of Adult & Continuing Education, Glasgow Caledonian University University of Glasgow. http://www.gla.ac.uk/Acad/ AdultEd/research/leonardo.html. (Cited 21st June, 2006). Acronyms, References and Appendix 121121

Appendix 01

FINAL VERSION OF QUESTIONNAIRE

Dear Sir/Madam,

The National Guidance Forum was set up by the Irish Government in June 2004 to make recom- mendations on the development of Guidance Services for people of all ages and at all stages in their lives. To help us do that we would like to invite you to complete the enclosed questionnaire.

The purpose of the questionnaire is to fi nd out:

(a) What you know about Guidance Services in Ireland

(b) What you think about those Services

(c) How you think they could be improved.

Guidance refers to a range of activities that help people of any age and at any point in their lives to: » Identify their abilities and interests, » Make meaningful decisions about education, training courses and career. » Manage their individual paths in learning, work and other settings.

Guidance is provided in a range of settings such as schools, education, training, employment, community and the private sector.

Your input will be of enormous value in helping us to develop Guidance Services in Ireland and we very much appreciate your taking the time to help us with this.

Yours faithfully,

The Members of the National Guidance Forum Acronyms, References and Appendix 122122

GUIDANCE QUESTIONNAIRE Section A: Background Details

1. Gender: Male Female

2. Age: 16-18 19-22 23-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71 or over

3. Nationality: ______

4. In what country did you receive most of your schooling? ______

5. What age were you when you left school? ______6. Where do you live? City Large Town (e.g. Mullingar) Small Town (e.g. Dingle) Rural Area

7. What is your current situation? e.g. student, working in the home, employed, unemployed, on a training course (part-time, full-time) etc. ______

8. If you are employed, what is your occupation? ______

9. What is your highest level of education: (e.g. Inter/Junior Cert., Leaving Cert., Certificate, Diploma, Degree etc.) ______

10. How satisfied are you in your current situation? (e.g. work/ study/ training etc.)

Very Satisfied Dissatisfied Neutral Satisfied Very Dissatisfied

Please explain your answer: ______

11. Where did you get this questionnaire to complete and who gave it to you? ______Section B: What You Know about Guidance Services in Ireland: 12. How much do you know about Guidance Services in Ireland? A Lot A Little Nothing

Please give a reason for your answer: ______13. Was Guidance available in your Second Level School? Yes No Don’t Know If ‘Yes’: Did you avail of this Guidance? Yes No

If ‘Yes’: Please give a brief description of this Guidance: ______Who gave you this Guidance? ______

How often did you receive this Guidance? ______How helpful was this Guidance? Very Helpful Unhelpful Neutral Helpful Very Unhelpful

Please explain your answer: ______Acronyms, References and Appendix 123123

14. Have you received Guidance since you left school? Yes No Don’t Know

If ‘Yes’: Please give a brief description of this Guidance: ______

Who gave you this Guidance? ______

How often did you receive this Guidance? ______How helpful was this Guidance? Very Helpful Unhelpful Neutral Helpful Very Unhelpful

Please explain your answer: ______Section C: Your Opinion of Guidance Services In Ireland:

15. What is your opinion of Guidance Services in Ireland?

Very Positive Negative Neutral Positive Very Negative

Please explain your answer: ______

16. Guidance can include: How important do you feel these aspects of Guidance Information are: (5 = Most Important) Giving people information on education, training Information 1 2 3 4 5 opportunities, jobs etc Counselling 1 2 3 4 5 Counselling Helping people to explore their thoughts and Assessment 1 2 3 4 5 feelings about their present life situation, the Development 1 2 3 4 5 choices open to them and the consequences of each choice. Programmes 1 2 3 4 5 Assessment Advice 1 2 3 4 5 Helping people to make decisions about life Referral 1 2 3 4 5 choices using psychometric tests, e.g.,aptitude tests. Please explain your answers: ______

Development Programmes ______Helping people to develop skills, e.g.,study skills, planning skills, decision-making, self-awareness ______etc. ______

Advice ______Helping people by making suggestions based on the advisor’s own knowledge and experience.

Referrals Helping people by directing them to qualified helpers Acronyms, References and Appendix 124124

17. How helpful would Guidance be to you in your Current Situation?

Very Helpful Unhelpful Neutral Helpful Very Unhelpful

Please explain your answer: ______18. Do you know where you can access Guidance Services? Yes No

If ‘Yes’: please give details: ______

19. How do you think Guidance Services in Ireland could be improved? ______

20. Is there anything else you would like to say about Guidance Services in Ireland? ______

Please return this questionnaire by Friday 11th November to:

Email to: [email protected] Fax to: 01-8823817 Post to: Dr. Claire Hayes National Guidance Forum, National Centre for Guidance in Education, 1st Floor, 42/43 Prussia Street, Dublin 7. The results of ths research will be available at www.nationalguidanceforum.ie in May 2006. Thank You For Your Participation. Acronyms, References and Appendix 125125

Appendix 02

LIBRARIES WHICH WERE INFORMED OF THE CONSULTATIVE PROCESS Libraries contacted by Email to notify them of the Consultative Process

Public County Institute of Universities Libraries Technologies Dublin City University Carlow Blanchardstown National University of Ireland Galway Cavan Carlow Trinity College Dublin Clare Cork Cork City Dublin National University of Ireland Maynooth Cork County Dun Laoghaire University College Dublin Donegal Dundalk University of Limerick Dublin Galway-Mayo University College Cork Dun Laoghaire Tallaght Fingal Tralee Other 3rd Level Institutions South Dublin Limerick Church of Ireland College of Education Galway Letterkenny Dublin Dental Hospital Kerry Sligo Mary Immaculate College Kildare Waterford Royal College of Surgeons Kilkenny Laois St. Patrick’s College of Education Limerick City Limerick Co. Longford Louth Mayo Meath Monaghan Offaly Roscommon Sligo Tipperary Waterford Westmeath Wexford Wicklow Acronyms, References and Appendix 126126

Appendix 03 Information Given in the Process of Organising Focus Groups

1. LETTER TO CONTACT PERSON REGARDING FOCUS GROUPS

Dear …

Thank you for agreeing to talk to me re the possibility of organising a focus group of 10-15 people who are unemployed/low wage earners to fl esh out their views on guidance as the second part of the consultative process of the National Guidance Forum. The Forum was set up by the Irish Government in June 2004 to make recommendations on the development of Guidance Services for people of all ages and at all stages in their lives. Further details are available about the Forum on http://www.nationalguidanceforum.ie. Phase One of the consultative process centred on questionnaires and generated some very interesting data. We are now moving to focus groups on eight targeted groups: the unemployed/low wage earners, people with disabilities, early school leavers, the elderly, people with literacy diffi culties, parents of preschool and primary school children, not Irish nationals and a random mix of the general public.

I would very much appreciate it if you could help me in organising the focus group of people who are ********. Maeve Murray is the research assistant and Maeve and I will run the groups ourselves in a semi-structured way to access people’s views on guidance and how services can be developed. If I could suggest the morning of the 3rd February at 11am as a possible date and if this is not possible we will fi t in as far as possible with whatever date suits you.

We very much appreciate your help on this and I look forward to hearing from you,

With very best wishes, Claire.

Dr. Claire Hayes, Writer/Researcher, National Centre for Guidance in Education, 1st Floor, 42-43 Prussia Street Dublin 7.

Ph: 00353 1 8690715 Fax: 00353 1 8823817 Acronyms, References and Appendix 127127

2. NOTICE FOR GENERAL PUBLIC REGARDING FOCUS GROUPS

What is your experience of Guidance?

As part of the Consultative Process of the National Guidance Forum we would like to invite you to a meeting

In: ***** Library On: Monday, 30th January, 2006 From: 7-8.30pm.

How do you think Guidance Services might be improved?

If you are interested in attending please contact: Dr. Claire Hayes or Ms. Maeve Murray at (01) 8690715

3. INFORMATION ON THE NATIONAL GUIDANCE FORUM

The National Guidance Forum was set up by the Irish Government in June 2004 to make recommen- dations on the development of Guidance Services for people of all ages and stages in their lives. As part of our consultative process we would like to invite the members of the general public to attend a focus group in *** Library, on 30th January, 2006 at 7pm to discuss what people (a) know about Guidance Services in Ireland, (b) think about those services and (c) recommend to improve them. This information will be compiled and used to inform recommendations in the fi nal report to the Government which will be available in Autumn 2006.

Guidance refers to a range of activities that helps people of any age and at any point in their lives to: » Identify their abilities and interests, » Make meaningful decisions about education, training courses and career. » Manage their individual paths in learning, work and other settings.

Guidance is provided in a range of settings such as schools, education, training, employment, community and the private sector.

Further information on the National Guidance Forum can be found at www.nationalguidanceforum.ie

The input of the general public will be of enormous value in helping to develop Guidance Services in Ireland. The opinions and suggestions of people, who have not had direct experience of guidance, are particularly welcome.

Dr. Claire Hayes, Writer/Researcher, The National Guidance Forum, January 2006. Acronyms, References and Appendix 128128

4. SCHEDULE FOR FOCUS GROUPS

Welcome participants and thank them for agreeing to attend.

Hand out debriefi ng letter to participants.

Give the following details:

The Purpose of the Focus Group: » to fi nd out participants’: » understanding of the term ‘guidance services’ » knowledge of guidance services in Ireland » opinion of guidance services in Ireland » recommendations for guidance services in Ireland » as part of the consultative process to inform the Members of the National Guidance Forum in their work.

The Structure of the Focus Group: » It is important that everyone in the group is able to give their opinion. » Participants are free to leave the focus group at any time if they choose to. » There are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers. » The session will last 90 minutes. » The session will be recorded using a Dictaphone to guarantee that the participants’ views and comments are reported accurately. » Participants will be asked to complete a short form which gives details such as gender, age, nationality, occupational status. » Each participant will be asked to keep confi dential whatever is said during the focus group. » Each participant will be asked to sign a consent form. » These consent forms will be kept in a sealed envelope and participants’ names will not be used in any oral or written report. » General feedback will be given to the organisations when all the focus groups are complete.

Answer any questions participants may have. Distribute the questionnaire and consent forms and help participants to complete them if required. Ask participants about their understanding of the term ‘guidance services’, their experience of these and their opinions as to how they can be developed and improved. Ensure that participants have all had an opportunity to say what they would like to say. Thank the participants and answer any questions they might have about the research process. Give the participants a small token of gratitude for participating in the Focus Groups

Dr. Claire Hayes and Ms. Maeve Murray, January, 2006. Acronyms, References and Appendix 129129

5. LETTER FOR PARTICIPANTS OF FOCUS GROUPS

January 2006. Guidance can include: Information: Giving people information on Dear Sir/Madam, education, training opportunities, jobs etc

The National Guidance Forum was set up by the Counselling: Helping people to explore their Irish Government in June 2004 to develop and thoughts and feelings about their present life improve Guidance Services for people of all ages situation, the choices open to them and the and stages in their lives. As part of their work, consequences of each choice. the Members of the National Guidance Forum undertook a consultative process to fi nd out Assessment: Helping people to make decisions what people: about life choices using psychometric tests, e.g., aptitude tests. (a) Know about Guidance Services in Ireland (b) Think about those services Development Programmes: Helping people (c) Would recommend to improve them. to develop skills, e.g.,study skills, planning skills, decision-making, self-awareness etc. The fi rst part of the consultative process involved questionnaires while the second part consists of Advice: Helping people by making suggestions focus groups. The purpose of each focus group based on the advisor’s own knowledge and is to fi nd out participants’: experience. » Understanding of the term ‘guidance Referrals: Helping people by directing them to services’; qualifi ed helpers Knowledge of guidance services in Ireland; » Guidance is provided in a range of settings such » Opinion of guidance services in Ireland; as schools, education, training, employment, » Recommendations for guidance services in community and the private sector. Ireland as part of the consultative process to inform the Members of the National We very much appreciate you agreeing to Guidance Forum in their work. participate in a focus group and we look forward to meeting with you to hear your views. The Guidance refers to a range of activities that help fi nal report will be available in September 2006 people of any age and at any point in their lives but if you have any questions in the meantime to: please contact Maeve Murray at 01-8690715. » Identify their abilities and interests, With best wishes, Make meaningful decisions about education, » Yours faithfully, training courses and career. » Manage their individual paths in learning, Dr. Claire Hayes work and other settings. Writer/Researcher, The National Guidance Forum. National Centre for Guidance in Education, 1st Floor, 42/43 Prussia Street, Dublin 7. Acronyms, References and Appendix 130130

6. FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONNAIRE

Section A: Background Details

1. Gender: Male Female

2. Age: 16-18 19-22 23-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71 or over 3. Nationality: ______4. In what country did you receive most of your schooling? ______5. What age were you when you left school? ______

6. Where do you live? City Large Town (e.g. Mullingar) Small Town (e.g. Dingle) Rural Area 7. What is your current situation? e.g. student, working in the home, employed, unemployed, on a training course (part-time, full-time) etc. ______8. If you are employed, what is your occupation? ______9. What is your highest level of education: (e.g. Inter/Junior Cert., Leaving Cert., Certifi cate, Diploma, Degree etc.) ______

7. FOCUS GROUP CONSENT FORM

I agree to participate in the focus group run by » The session will be recorded using a Dr. Claire Hayes and Ms. Maeve Murray as part of Dictaphone to guarantee that the participants’ the consultative process of the National Guidance views and comments are reported accurately. Forum and I understand that I am free to leave » Participants will be asked to complete a short the focus group at any time if I wish to. form which gives details such as gender, age, nationality, occupational status. I understand that the purpose of the focus group Each participant will be asked to keep confi dential is to fi nd out participants’: » whatever is said during the focus group. » understanding of the term ‘guidance services’; » Each participant will be asked to sign a » knowledge of guidance services in Ireland; consent form. » opinion of guidance services in Ireland; » These consent forms will be kept in a sealed » recommendations for guidance services in Ireland; envelope and participants’ names will not be » as part of the consultative process to inform used in any oral or written report. the Members of the National Guidance » General feedback will be given to the Forum in their work. organisations when all the focus groups are complete. I understand that: Signed: » It is important that everyone in the group is able to give their opinion. Participant » There are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers. Dr. Claire Hayes » The session will last 90 minutes. Maeve Murray Acronyms, References and Appendix 131131

Appendix 04

SAMPLE RESPONSES TO THE QUESTION: ‘How helpful was the guidance you received in school?’

Comments regarding Individual Guidance Counsellor: » It helped me to look at my situation realistically and » The guidance counsellor provided clear direction choose the right career for me. Also she looked at what after teasing out interests and strengths and work was necessary for me to achieve my gaol and suitable environment to work through aptitude and what alternatives there were if I didn’t get my course. interest tests and discussion. » It acted as a catalyst and gateway to other options. » I learned nothing and was actively encouraged to » I got an objective opinion which was useful to me go into the workforce not college in spite of high as it was a confusing time and I had a significant marks in honours subjects. decision to make that would affect the rest of my life. » She was not approachable and told you what she » My children received excellent guidance in their schools. thought you should do. She always had the air of someone who was very busy. A definite closed Comments regarding Type of Guidance Received: office door approach. » I had vocational exploration in 4th year along with work experience. Career talks in 5th and 6th year. » Career guidance was used as a mechanism to get One-on-one sessions with guidance counsellor poor teachers out of the classroom. My guidance throughout 5th and 6th year. Student support counsellor was totally unqualified. services and study skills classes in 6th year. Career » The teacher had pre-conceived notions as to what talks once weekly and individual sessions 2/3 times careers were suitable for you. Also had limited a year. It was important in making subject and knowledge of all the options. course choices. I was well informed on career » I remember having one brief meeting with the options both in Ireland and abroad. guidance counsellor and I completed a computer- » I know little about it so I assume it’s non-existent. based assessment of my skills, which was supposed » It varies from school to school and depends on (a) to assess my talents and advise me as to what the principal and (b) the ability of the career career would suit me. However, I didn’t receive any guidance teacher who also needs the principal’s feedback from this. He had never taught me before support. and had no idea as to my strengths and weaknesses and seemed only vaguely interested. His advice » It helped me to look at all my available options and consisted of just agreeing with whatever I choose the right career. I was shown things I suggested as a future career. wouldn’t have known otherwise. » There was no discussion about my options; no » I think guidance services in post primary schools option other than third level was ever discussed. has improved a lot in recent years in terms of provision and training of guidance counsellors. » Guidance in my school is top quality – no student However, I felt that most of the emphasis is put on leaves without knowing where they are headed the career guidance aspect and not enough on after having many consultations with the Guidance other areas of guidance. Counsellor. » I have a daughter doing Leaving Certificate this year and she is finding the guidance she is receiving very helpful. Acronyms, References and Appendix 132132

Comments regarding Timing: » I wouldn’t regard the services I received in school as » It would have been more beneficial to have a reflection of services throughout the country and received some guidance in advance of selecting I would imagine that things have improved greatly subjects for Leaving Certificate and instead we just in the intervening years. received the support during Leaving Certificate year. Comments regarding Resources: » The problem was that we got most of this » It is currently under resourced and does not address information at sixth year level, which was a little late. the needs of the hard to reach. » Too late, too late. Guidance is not given the priority » There are far too many students per guidance it deserves; it should start in first year of secondary counsellor available in schools. school. » I don’t think there are enough people giving the » I feel that guidance is needed throughout life and service who can actually give good advice; it is a not just in school. Many people pick the wrong great service in theory but it doesn’t seem to work. course in college and end up working in an industry Too many people I know ended up doing course/ that they are not interested in. There should be jobs they hated as they weren’t aware of other services available to guidance these people. Perhaps options. these services are already available, but I am not » Special attention should be given to those pupils aware of them! who have no real plans for life after the Leaving Comments regarding Guidance Practitioners in Certificate. There should be centres outside the Private Practice: school for specialised guidance and assessment. » From my own experience and that of my children in » I think people need to be more aware that such school guidance was of very little use. I took my services actually exist. children to a private counsellor to assess their » The service needs to be expanded. strengths and aptitudes. Comments regarding Accessibility Recognition of Developments in Guidance: of Guidance Services: » Personally I had a dreadful experience yet I found a » They are good, I think, but need to be made more job I love. But I do hear about a much better service accessible. offered now. » The services are more accessible to young people » I believe they are more accessible It helped me to today and are easily found. look at my situation realistically and choose the right career for me. Also it looked at what work was » I feel that perhaps guidance services in general are necessary for me to achieve my goal and what not ‘accessible’ even thought one only has to look a alternatives there were if I didn’t get my course. little harder. It takes motivation to look for guidance services and those without motivation are also the » I had vocational exploration in 4th year along with ones who may need guidance the most. work experience. Careers talks in 5th and 6th year. One-on-one sessions with the guidance counsellor » In my experience the service in Ireland can be good throughout 5th and 6th year. Student support in some areas but non-existent in other areas. services and study skills classes in 1st year. Career » I do think there should be national advertising to all talks once weekly and individual sessions two or households of opportunities available – courses, three times a year. It was important in making colleges, universities, grants and then what jobs or subject and course choices. I was well informed on otherwise you can go for. career options both in Ireland and abroad. » I think the help is there if you know where to look for it. » I went to guidance counselling in secondary school to help me with problems in school and outside school. It was helpful because it helped me a bit with the problems I was having. Acronyms, References and Appendix 133133

Comments regarding Lifelong Guidance: » People grow and mature at different times in their » Guidance is very effective at second/third level lives and decisions about careers made at an early institutions, but on-going service throughout the age can change. It would be nice to think guidance professional life of those already educated is an area services were available to everyone. which should be developed. Comments regarding Parents’ Role in Guidance: » There should be far more throughout life – in » From a parent’s point of view I feel it is up to the employment or at regular stages in one’s life. parent to follow up on the children’s direction especially in choosing subjects as they may not be studying the subject required for their course, e.g., science subject. » Parents need more support. Appendix 05

SAMPLE RESPONSES TO THE QUESTION: ‘How helpful was the guidance you received since school?’

Comments that Guidance after Secondary School » l would like to have received some guidance in is Different: advance of selecting subjects for Leaving Certificate » Guidance in school was pointless…guidance in and instead we just received the support during university careers office in Scotland was different. Leaving Certificate year. The staff had a wealth of knowledge and resources available to them and to the students. They listened Comments regarding Accessibility of Guidance Services: and tried to determine how it would be possible to » Very difficult to access for the low paid. get onto a particular career path rather than trying to push me in a direction I had no interest in. » The services are not accessible enough as far as I know. They are not well enough publicised and are » I got guidance in my training centre which was very only available to long term unemployed and people helpful and made me realise what I wanted to do on benefit. Not available to people who want to with my life and be independent. I felt relaxed make a transition or improve the quality of their talking to her. working lives. I am not sure if I am right about this. » It is a good service, which is provided to help » Private guidance can be expensive for adults who people free of charge. are not disadvantaged. » For secondary school guidance is very bad, for adult » I think that despite the various services that are education centres in the VEC it is very good. available, people are still unclear about what » There is no guidance for people once they have left guidance is and how they can access it. school. » You have to be in education to get guidance – » I only received guidance in school I wouldn’t know there’s no help to women who would need help to where to access guidance on an ongoing basis. make the right decision about what type of Comments regarding Resources: education/course they would choose. » I believe a lot of emphasis should be put into it and making sure they reach out to those who are in need of it. A lot of people are shy to go out of their way to go to guidance services. Acronyms, References and Appendix 134134

Appendix 06

SAMPLE RESPONSES TO THE QUESTION: ‘How important do you feel these aspects of guidance are (information, counselling, assessment, development, advice, referrals)?’

General: » People should be more aware that these services » For students in secondary level, guidance is more are available. important than the Leaving Certificate itself. If a » An integrated approach covering all of the above is student selects a course he/she is unhappy with the best. could waste many years in education. » Guidance would be very useful for older people » This much needed service has been neglected for who might like a change of direction but would way too long! Every minute detail of information find it difficult to access these areas. and back up service should be available to ALL » People who have been out of education for over students helping them make better choices as 20/30 years are unaware of their talents and skills regards career option. and don’t know what steps to take next. » If people understood more about the choices they were making in school which determined what Information: they would do for the rest of their lives, job » I think information is the most important because satisfaction wouldn’t be as much of a problem as it without it everything else doesn’t exist. is today. » These are all important but without the information » Parents should be taught to advise their children. you can’t avail of the services. » Guidance is the key word. By building up self » Information is needed before decisions can be confidence, enabling students to make up their made. own minds and directing them as to where to go to » I think information is the key to guidance. Once the get information. young person has all the relevant information then » To be helpful you must know (1) what is out there, they can make an informed choice. (2) help people to know what they want (3) once » Information is very important as students may not they know what they want, help them to achieve it. make an informed choice if they don’t know what is » It is difficult to separate out these areas…one will available. lead to another, e.g.,information and discussion of it » Information is the key to informed decisions. may lead to counselling/advice etc. Counselling » Information on its own given as part of class is not may lead to referral. Guidance needs to recognise enough. Most students need one to one contact its strengths but also recognise its limitations and with a guidance counsellor. the distinctions between guidance and counselling Counselling: and therapy. » I feel counselling and developing skills are key to » I think everyone needs to be guided in the right people deciding for themselves their key strengths direction. It can make a difference in someone’s life. and interests. They can then use the information Like to people contemplating suicide if they got provided based on the decisions they arrive at. counselling it could save their life. » As my experience is in secondary school I think it is » Candidates are responsible for their own life. It is most important to have good counselling services. unreasonable to expect one counsellor to cater for With the number of children form ‘troubled’ families all needs. Candidate needs to work at it to take increasing all the time, teachers need help and back- ownership for their decisions. up – including how to deal with possible suicides. Acronyms, References and Appendix 135135

» In my opinion counselling is the most important. Development Programmes: Counselling helped me through hard times and I » Development programmes are essential to give think people should be given more information structure to a student. about counselling. » I think it is important that you know as much as » Trained counsellors are essential for counselling. possible about education, training jobs etc. Most other functions (assessment, information) can Counselling and assessment are not as important to if needed by obtained from other sources me as development programmes to help people learn new things. Assessment: » Assessment can put people into boxes. » Personal development programmes were extremely helpful in my career development to date. » Assessment is very hit or miss. » Development programmes could be a wonderful » Assessments could scare away people who aren’t help to students, but only if those running them are used to such things. extremely dedicated to what they’re doing, rather » Assessment is imperative to understand a than a half-hearted attempt because it’s part of a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses and their fourth year programme (which was my experience). likes and dislikes so that they can choose a career they’ll not only be good at but enjoy. Advice: » Advice only works if the advisor is informed and » Assessment and development programmes are knowledgeable. useful only if the person being assessed or taking part in the programme wants to be there and is » Advice needs to come from a variety of sources. It’s interested in taking part. good to hear of others’ experience and to also hear from qualified helpers as they will be objective in » I don’t think these tests are accurate. their advice. » Assessments tests are not always helpful I find. They are not an accurate portrayal of students’ characters Referral: » Referrals are essential as the counsellor may not » In my personal experience the aptitude tests only have the expertise required. told me what I already knew. They were considered as a joke amongst me and my friends. » If the issue is beyond control, it is essential that the student receives expert help. » Assessment is not the most important for various reasons, like one might not perform well on the day. » Referral to an appropriate person/resource would be great, rather than being told to just look it up on the internet. Acronyms, References and Appendix 136136

Appendix 07

SAMPLE RESPONSES TO THE QUESTION: ‘How do you think guidance services in Ireland could be improved?’

General: » Newspaper articles, radio/tv programmes/ » Best of luck, this service is badly needed. interviews. Newsletters to schools, newsletters to » More questionnaires completed more frequently. parents/older children. » Guidance services are too fragmented, too widely » Make knowledge of services more readily available dispersed, too much over-lapping, too much money to people outside school services through radio wasted, too many little kingdoms. I am sure this and tv and online. This questionnaire had survey will be helpful in filling in gaps in the service encouraged me to seek more information on these especially for 3rd level and on into adulthood. services and maybe discover that guidance services » Guidance services are crucial in helping people of could improve my life situation. all ages to identify and manage life decisions and » Set up a Guidance Service website. If counsellors should be readily available – STANDARDISATION is volunteered to be available on line to give essential in area of counselling agencies. immediate replies or even set up a chat room style » The Higher Options held each year is of little value guidance service. to students or parents. It provides brochures!!! Develop Services at Second Level: Nobody can answer detailed questions! » By engaging teenagers in life skills. Most schools are Advertise Services: now geared towards academic subjects. Yet, many » Second level schools provide a good service, it is still leave second level for trade apprentices. important to inform teachers, doctors etc about the » The guidance service should be made compulsory services. for all secondary school students intending to sit » Make services known. Have links on all Irish job sites. the Leaving Certificate exam. » Publicise your presence, your aims, services etc. » Make guidance teachers in secondary schools fulltime positions in all schools. » A network of Guidance services in Ireland exists but a large number of people are not aware of services » Badly need to revamp career guidance in secondary available. schools. » Go door to door making people aware of it. » Begin at an earlier stage in schools by increasing the allocation of hours for Guidance in schools, by » Let people know that services are available, not only encouraging a collaborative approach to guidance to school and college students. Can you help planning at all levels and by extending guidance people in their 30’s who want to further their jobs services to all as part of lifelong learning. The and have no idea how to do this? provision of a supportive, sympathetic encouraging » Make information leaflets more available in post and creative environment in which an individual offices, doctors’ offices, shopping centres. may safely explore ideas about themselves and their » Information on availability made known to schools, futures seems to me to be as important a part of workplaces etc. Information on how to access the the process of guidance as is the availability of service, user friendly, information pact on the information. On the other hand resources are scare services should be made available to schools etc. and many people will make decisions and come to including (1) qualifications of personnel, (2) times conclusions with minimal outside influence. Any when the service can be accessed (3) any other services will need to be attractive, accessible and conditions necessary to avail of the services. professional for the individual seeking them, while » A central ‘one-stop-shop’ would be very helpful. being efficiently and cost effectively run. Acronyms, References and Appendix 137137

» Start earlier – bring past pupils to the school to » Must be made available in all locations for all. discuss how they feel about their jobs, courses. » Keep charges to a minimum. » Careers should be separated from counselling but » Have drop in centres/ referral centre. beneath the same umbrella. Careers should also » Make guidance available in rural areas. spend more time with Junior Certificate students and First Years helping students to learn about their Develop Services for People who abilities, values and aspirations. are not Irish Nationals: » Have places where people can go and ask » Guidance is a whole school issue. questions. » I think there should be some school independent » Freefone number to contact services to direct service so that students who do not feel individuals. comfortable talking to someone in their school who might also be their teacher. » By placing significant importance on the immigrants who are absolutely ignorant as to how to go about Develop services to include people who do not their day to day lives especially in the area of currently have easy access to guidance: assessing employment. More work needs to be » Guidance services could be improved by making done in improving this service. private employers legally bound to provide them. » Bring under its ambit a whole gamut of experiences They should be freely available in all state agencies using certain practitioners whose experiences for those who wish to avail of them. Guidance extend beyond Ireland’s frontiers, and who can help services are the way forward. Ireland to tap into the skills and rich experiences of » Guidance should be available in every college and people who have experienced life and skills outside workplace. Everyone needs guidance in their life. its frontiers. The authorities should begin to see » A helpline would be good. Guidance and counselling in terms of particular » Improved visibility, accessibility. Have guidance contributions that experienced and gifted foreign services available in family resource centres, in one nationals could make to this society in order to stop shops or mobile in rural areas. enhance its richness.

» Access to services regardless of financial restraints. Networking: » Perhaps a local community based service should be » Involve parents to a greater degree. available to all age groups. » Parents/guardians of Leaving Certificate students » Guidance services should organise a seminar for should receive information on range of job/college ‘back to work’ and help people get out of the home. opportunities for their teens. Many parents still have » Careers service should be available to part-time narrow vision of what’s on offer which can cause (evening and block release students) as it is to conflict between parents and students. full0time 9-5 students. » Employers should be more proactive in giving » It is important to make older people feel that they employees information on guidance, e.g.,what and have something to offer. where it’s available. » More adult guidance and more resources needed. » Link awareness campaign to Citizens Advice Bureau » Adult educational guidance should be seen as and IBEC and ICTU – for jobs industry and different from secondary school guidance therefore recruitment agencies. training provided should take ‘adult needs’ » Have good linkage with relevant services for referral including learning behaviours and issues like work- to ensure consistent quality for client and value for life balance on board. money for the student. » The ancillary services such as the NEPS system of which the guidance counsellor is the first port of call must be developed. Acronyms, References and Appendix 138138

Training and Quality Control: » Guidance staff should be monitored more closely. Bad staff should be directed into another job which would not be so crucial to people’s lives. More time at school needs to be allocated to providing a quality service. Guidance counsellors should be impartial and not decide on a career of an individual and rather let them decide on one for themselves. » Better training and quality assurance of those working in schools and colleges. » Is a year’s training long enough? » Have properly, fully trained people involved in guidance. » There should be no waiting lists for anything regarding counselling.

Role of Guidance Counsellor: » Be more confidential, e.g.,a friend got counselling secondary school and the counsellor had written up in the staff room about what was wrong in my friend’s life. » I think there should be a much stronger focus on the counselling side, as with life coaching. » Increase the assessment so as to include a wider variety of tests, thereby giving the client a working knowledge of their skill set. www.nationalguidanceforum.ie