Quality implementation in career guidance Erasmus Project

Project Title

Quality implementation in career guidance

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; Recognition, transparency, certification; Quality Assurance

Project Summary

As quality requirements and the need for career guidance in different context are increasing (development of upskilling pathways, development of complex systems of validation and recognition of non-formal and informal learning, increased frequency of different transitions etc.), numerous initiatives for quality assurance and professionalisation are spreading. However, experience shows that the actual implementation and real life usage of these different quality assurance mechanisms are often lacking – the establishment of professional standards and organisational quality standards is only the first necessary step in the development of national quality assurance systems.
The QUAL-IM-G project addressed this gap by collecting tangible evidence on the impact and success factors of existing quality assurance mechanisms and by developing tools for a more efficient implementation of quality assurance systems based on standards for individual counsellors and organizations providing career guidance in the countries participating in the strategic partnership. In the first phase of the project the consortium analysed the current practices in quality assurance in career guidance practices in different countries in order to identify their usage, impact and analyse the success factors and limits (O1 – Analytical paper). The conclusions from this work was used to develop 4 outputs that strengthen the implementation of different quality standards in partner countries:
– Mentoring programme for CG practitioners (O2)
– Certification/accreditation procedure of CG practitioners (O3)
– Quality development framework for organizations providing career guidance (O4)
– Audit/labelling procedure for organizations providing career guidance (O5)

The project focused on the impact and success factors of different quality assurance systems and approaches in place in partner countries and on selected existing trans-national standards for career guidance. The project did not develop new quality standards, but produced guidelines, tools, methods and procedures that facilitate the implementation of existing standards on national and European level. Project results were tested with existing quality standards in partner countries: more than 30 career guidance counsellors and 12 organizations were involved in the testing of different outputs. In some national contexts (Slovakia, Czechia, Norway) the project was realized in parallel with the development of the national quality assurance systems for career guidance In other countries, the developed tools strengthen the implementation of the currently existing national standards. On the European level, the project results provided stakeholders from different countries with guidelines and tools based on the analysis of existing practices and allow their further development. In this way a multi-directional transfer of expertise and experience with a real European added value was assured.

Within the project, three training activities were carried out for the evaluation of outputs (pilot verification of mentoring programme related by the partners’ staff, pilot testing with counsellors from Slovakia and the Czech Republic, pilot testing with counsellors from DE in NL). Also, a seminar for the testing of the Quality Development Framework was organized for organizational providers of guidance.

The results of the project have been reflected in the participating organizations which are umbrella organizations for career guidance or have a significant role in ensuring the quality of career guidance in their countries: enable them to improve their existing quality assurance systems in a concrete way (NO, DE, NL, UK, AT – introduction of mentoring for candidates, improving or better formalizing the certification process), or create new quality assurance mechanisms (SK, CZ, NO). The results of the project also impacted partners outside of the partnership: they were used by the European Federation of Career Guidance and Competence Balance Centers (FECBOP) to develop a self-assessment tool for candidate organizations. The project results were also disseminated through the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG), which, thanks to the QUAL-IM-G project, decided to organize its annual conference in Bratislava. It allowed an intensive dissemination of results to countries outside the project partnership. Long-term benefits are most pronounced in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Norway, where thanks to the project sustainable mechanisms for quality assurance of career counsellors and career guidance organizations have been created in parallel and with the support of the project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 227530,41 Eur

Project Coordinator

BKS Uspech & Country: SK

Project Partners

• Zdruzenie pre karierove poradenstvo a rozvoj kariery
• Spolupracou pre lepsiu buducnost – Velky Meder
• ABIF – WISSENSCHAFTLICHE VEREINIGUNG FUR ANALYSE, BERATUNG UND INTERDISZIPLINARE FORSCHUNG
• HOGSKOLEN I INNLANDET
• Nationales Forum Beratung in Bildung, Beruf und Beschäftigung e.V.
• Noloc
• Sdruzeni pro karierove poradenstvi a karierovy rozvoj