Division for GuidanceThe Danish Ministry of Education

28 April 2004

The Danish Guidance Reform

Historical perspectives

• Until mid-1940s:• Vocational guidance only in the public

employment services• Mainly diagnostic, psychometric testing

• From the mid-1940s• A gradual shift towards a client-centred and

pedagogical /educational approach in guidance. Inspired by Carl Rogers

• No use of tests since the 1960s• Guidance services in schools implemented during

1960s and 1970s

Overview of existing guidance services

Orientation towards the education system

Primary and lower secondary schoolYouth guidance

Upper secondary educationHigher education

YouthVocational basic education

Upper secondary vocational educationBasic social and health education

Agricultural schoolsProduction schools

Adults

Preparatory adult educationGeneral adult educationDay folk high schoolsFolk high schoolsDanish as a second language for foreigners

Public employment serviceUnion-based unemployment

insurance systemMunicipal re-engaging of the unemployedVocational training centresThe defense and the prison serviceMunicipal services for refugees and immigrants

Orientation towards the labour market

A reform of the Danish guidance system – why?

• The existing system:• does not pay enough attention to young

people with special needs• is too sectorised• focuses too much on well-known

educational options and does not include labour market/career perspectives

• needs a more efficient quality assurance system

• lacks professional guidance counsellors

New Act on Guidance

• Act on Guidance in Relation to Choice of Education, Training and Career (effective from 1 August 2004)

• Mainly concerned with youth guidance and the education sector

• Not applicable to guidance services for adults (2nd phase of reform at a later stage)

Main aims of new Act

• Guidance should help ensure that choice of education and career will be of greatest possible benefit to the individual and to society

• Guidance should be targeted especially at young people with special needs

• Apart from the individual’s interests and personal qualifications, guidance should also take into account the anticipated need for qualified labour and self-employed businessmen

• Guidance should help reduce drop-out rates• Guidance should be independent from institution-

and sector-specific interests

Figures: youth education

• 97% of a year group continue to a youth education programme after the ”Folkeskole” (form 9 or 10)• 98% of the girls/96% of the boys

• 54%: general upper secondary education• 63% of the girls/45% of the boys• 84% complete their gen. upper sec. Education (77% in

commercial/technical gen. upper sec. education)• 36%: vocational education and training

• 25% of the girls/45% of the boys• 81% complete commercial basic course/64% technical

basic course• 82% complete their ”main” VET programme

• 7%: education programmes not leading to formal qualifications

Figures: higher education

• 97% with gen. upper sec. education continue:• 66%: HE programme• 14%: VET programme• 10%: commercial/technical gen. upper sec. education

programme• 94% with commercial/technical gen. upper sec. education

continue:• 51% HE programme• 34%: VET programme• 3%: general upper secondary education programme

• 71% complete short-cycle education programmes• 72% complete medium-cycle education programmes• 56% complete bachelor programmes• 72% complete 5-6 year programmes• 63% complete master (candidatus) programmes

Organisation after reform

• Fewer types of guidance services• Establishment of approx 50 municipal Youth

Guidance Centres• Guidance in relation to transition from compulsory to

youth education

• Establishment of 7 regional guidance centres• Guidance in relation to transition from youth education

to higher education

• Still guidance counsellors in schools as well

Youth Guidance Centres

• Guidance in relation to transition from compulsory to youth education

• Approx. 50 municipal centres ready 1 August 2004 (271 municipalities)

• Not necessarily actual centres that are open for clients

• Guidance still provided at the pupils’ schools• Each centre covers a ”sustainable” geographical

area• Responsible day-to-day manager• Mostly full-time guidance counsellors

Youth Guidance Centres

• Municipal council defines framework for guidance activities and methods and publishes objectives and results on the Internet

• Centres to cooperate with:• Primary/lower secondary schools and youth education

institutions in the area• Local business life and the public employment services

• Centres to work with development, quality and coordination of guidance services

Youth Guidance Centres: target groups

• Pupils in compulsory school – forms 6 to 9 (10)

• Young people under the age of 19 not involved in education, training or employment. The Centres are obliged to contact this group and find a suitable offer for them

• Young people between the age of 19 and 25 who ask for guidance

• Youth with special needs

Youth Guidance Centres: methods

• Guidance as a continuous process• Help clients become more conscious of their

abilities, interests and possibilities• Help clients make decisions re. education and

employment on a qualified basis• Qualify the young people to draw up a realistic

personal education plan (compulsory)• More resources for and focus on clients with

special needs

Regional Guidance Centres

• 7 new centres will be established (August 2004)

• New centres selected after a call for tenders• Most centres are consortia of different

educational institutions, county authorities etc. • Obliged to cooperate with partners in their

region:• Youth education and higher education institutions• Social partners• Municipalities

Regional Guidance Centres

• Guidance in relation to transition from youth education programmes to higher education

• Provide information about HE programmes all over Denmark

• Provide information about possible occupations/professions after HE

• Target groups:• Pupils in youth education programmes• Young people and adults outside the education and

training system wishing to enter a higher education programme

National, virtual guidance portal

• Youth education and training programmes• Higher education and training programmes• Occupations/professions• Labour market• International information• Internet-based guidance materials facilitating

the choice of education, occupations and career

• E-mail services

National Dialogue Forum

• Cross-sectoral• Individual members and member organisations

are appointed for a period of two years. • Examples of member organisations:

• National employers’ and employees’ organisations• Guidance counsellor associations• Youth organisations• County and municipal authorities• Relevant ministries

• The Minister may choose to appoint additional members for a shorter period of time, in case it is considered relevant

National Dialogue Forum

• The forum will:• exchange experiences and viewpoints• discuss new ideas and innovative thinking within

the field of guidance

• Overall objectives: • to enhance the level of quality in Danish

guidance services• to secure a close dialogue between the Minister

and relevant organisations, institutions, guidance counsellor associations and individuals holding a leading position in Danish guidance

2nd phase of the reform: guidance for adults in employment

Expected elements:

• National, virtual guidance portal including information on education and career possibilities for adults

• Call Centre/hot-line (similar to ”learndirect” in the UK)

• Regional guidance centres for adults in employment

New training programme for guidance counsellors• One common training programme available for

guidance counsellors from all sectors (starts August 2004)

• Not obligatory, but highly recommended• Offered by 6 Higher Education Centres across the

country• Tuition fee• Not just for people who have already been

appointed guidance counsellor• Entry requirements (minimum):

• Completed short-cycle HE programme• 2 years relevant working experience

Contents and structure of new training programme• Part-time training (equivalent to 6 months full-time

studies)• 3 modules:

• Guidance theories and methodologies, ethics, ICT in guidance

• Labour market conditions, the education system and society

• Different target groups, human development, learning theories etc.

• Students have the possibility to specialise their studies according to the sector they come from

• Qualification level: corresponds to ½ diploma degree in the Danish ”parallel competence system”

The Division for Guidance (Ministry of Education)• Secretariat for the National Dialogue Forum• Contract business and quality control in

relation to portal, Youth Guidance Centres, 7 regional guidance centres

• Coordination with guidance services in other sectors

• ”Knowledge centre” (analyses, development projects, collection of best practices etc.)

• International activities, incl. Euroguidance Denmark

Further information:

Inge Langberg Kjaer: inkje1@uvm.dkDirect tel: +45 33 95 53 04

The Division for GuidanceThe Danish Ministry of EducationFrederiksholms kanal 26DK-1220 Copenhagen K