6
This article was downloaded by: [Queensland University of Technology] On: 31 October 2014, At: 10:58 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK British Journal of Guidance & Counselling Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cbjg20 Policy challenges confronting careers guidance: Introduction Robert G.L. Pryor a a Vocational Services Branch New South Wales, Department of Industrial Relations, Employment, Training and Further Education , Sydney, Australia Published online: 16 Oct 2007. To cite this article: Robert G.L. Pryor (1991) Policy challenges confronting careers guidance: Introduction, British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 19:3, 225-229, DOI: 10.1080/03069889108260387 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03069889108260387 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

Policy challenges confronting careers guidance: Introduction

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Policy challenges confronting careers guidance: Introduction

This article was downloaded by: [Queensland University of Technology]On: 31 October 2014, At: 10:58Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office:Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

British Journal of Guidance & CounsellingPublication details, including instructions for authors and subscriptioninformation:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cbjg20

Policy challenges confronting careersguidance: IntroductionRobert G.L. Pryor aa Vocational Services Branch New South Wales, Department of IndustrialRelations, Employment, Training and Further Education , Sydney, AustraliaPublished online: 16 Oct 2007.

To cite this article: Robert G.L. Pryor (1991) Policy challenges confronting careers guidance: Introduction,British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 19:3, 225-229, DOI: 10.1080/03069889108260387

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03069889108260387

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”)contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and ourlicensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, orsuitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publicationare the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor &Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independentlyverified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for anylosses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilitieswhatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to orarising out of the use of the Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantialor systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, ordistribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and usecan be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

Page 2: Policy challenges confronting careers guidance: Introduction

SYMPOSIUM: POLICY CHALLENGES CONFRONTING CAREERS GUIDANCE Edited by Robert G.L. Pryor and A.G. Watts

Policy Challenges Confronting Careers Guidance: Introduction

Robert G.L. Pryor

Vocational Services Branch New South Wales Department of Industrial Relations, Employment,

Sydney, Australia Training and Further Education

A symposium on policy challenges facing careers guidance infive countries is introduced. The importance and the comparative neglect of the topic are noted. Some common themes of the contributions are highlighted: the impact of change; the politicisation of guidance; policy and service co-ordination; targeting of services; and the professional identity of guidance.

In a sense, policy formulations are to careers guidance agencies what personal client values are to careers counselling: influential and yet, often, inexplicit. It is one of the more surprising characteristics of the careers guidance literature as a whole how little attention is paid to policy issues. Books and journals devote thousands of pages to theory, research and counselling issues; by comparison, hardly any attention is given to policy matters. This neglect is perplexing given that policy decisions, implicit or explicit, constitute the basis for any careers guidance service delivery and for determining the amount of funding available to careers guidance providers.

Moreover, policy considerations appear particularly germane in light of the multidimensional changes that have and are continuing to occur in many countries. Technological change, economic change, political change, labour-market change and social change all pose major policy challenges for the provision of careers guidance services at present and in the future.

A final reason why the exploration of important policy issues confronting careers guidance is significant is that if these issues are not recognised, investigated and acted upon by counsellors, then other organisational staff will make decisions exclusively on the basis of economic and administrative priorities. Careers counsellors must confront policy challenges not only for the quality of their own work but more importantly so that the career needs

British Journal of Guidance and Counselling 225

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Que

ensl

and

Uni

vers

ity o

f T

echn

olog

y] a

t 10:

58 3

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

Page 3: Policy challenges confronting careers guidance: Introduction

of their clients will not be simply overriden in the process of service delivery by organisational exigencies.

In the light of these considerations, authors from five different countries were invited to contribute papers to the present symposium. It was acknowl- edged from the beginning that in the space available it would be impossible to canvass every major policy challenge in each of the countries. Authors were not expected to be exhaustive in their coverage. Each was requested to focus attention on some of the critical policy and administrative challenges confronting the current implementation and the future development of careers guidance in their respective countries.

Some aspects of particular papers raise issues of general significance for the symposium as a whole. The paper by Tony Watts, for example, includes a discussion of the relationship of public policy to careers guidance, as well as an analysis of ‘New Right’ ideology which has clearly had a significant impact elsewhere - not least, paradoxically, under largely Labour adminis- trations in Australia and New Zealand. Again, the paper by Beryl Hesketh and Lesla Kennedy includes an analysis of the painful process of organis- ational change induced by such pressures, which will strike strong chords in most of the other countries represented in this symposium. Ed Herr’s plea for depoliticisation attempts to re-assert the consensus view of public policy which the New Right has strongly challenged; Peter Plant’s paper suggests that such a consensus has been retained more strongly in Denmark than in the other countries covered. At the same time, Ed Herr’s appeal for greater coherence and co-ordination of guidance services is mirrored in my own paper.

As one reads the five contributions, it is evident that not only economic, educational and labour-market factors, but also past history, cultural back- ground, geography, social structures and political ideologies all influence in varying ways how careers guidance is camed out in different countries. These fascinating differences should not be underplayed. At the same time, the common themes running through the contributions are also striking. Some of these themes warrant brief comment here because they may indicate challenges which are sufficiently pervasive for all those involved in careers guidance to need to be aware of them and be prepared to address them.

The impact of change Most countries have recently been experiencing, and will continue to experience, change on a multidimensional scale. The policy challenge posed by any form of change is to evaluate the nature and the impact of the change and then to develop service-delivery structures that are sufficiently flexible to be able to meet the needs that the change engenders. The symposium papers highlight three types of change that pose important policy challenges for careers guidance.

226 Volume 19 No. 3, September 1991

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Que

ensl

and

Uni

vers

ity o

f T

echn

olog

y] a

t 10:

58 3

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

Page 4: Policy challenges confronting careers guidance: Introduction

1. Social change: including ageing of populations, and the diversity of careers guidance needs of population subgroups.

2 . Technological change: requiring the adjustment to new work situations and demands, new learning skills, new work attitudes, lifelong edu- cation, mid-career changes and decentralised services.

3 . Political change: including changes of ideology and legislative practice impacting on the provision of government-sponsored careers guidance services, the lack of long-term directions for much service provision, and the need for checks and balances to prevent radical administrative and policy changes which are subsequently difficult and expensive to reverse.

The politicisation of careers guidance Several contributors draw attention to the extent to which guidance service personnel are being called upon to be the direct instruments of government policy. Typically, the concern is about the primary goal of careers guidance and who is the primary client. Traditionally, professional counsellors have viewed their overriding responsibility as focused on individual clients and their needs. Increasingly, however, governments have abrogated to them- selves the prerogative for deciding what is in the best interests of counsellors’ clients. Further, they have instructed counsellors to be the means for implementing direct labour-market policies regardless of individual clients’ preferences, and for ensuring client compliance through punitive action. This policy challenge, for counsellors to find a balance between their responsibilities to individual clients on the one hand and the social insti- tutions which employ them on the other, looms as being crucial to the future of careers guidance in most countries.

Policy and service co-ordination Most contributors indicate that the service-delivery mechanisms for careers guidance in their respective countries span a wide range of institutions and agencies. Several point to an increase in this diversity as governmental organisations reduce their services and are replaced by private providers. Such changes and diversity exacerbate the already substantial problems of the co-ordination, integration, rationalisation, and avoidance of dupli- cation, of service provision. Further complications occur with the conflict between commercial and professional priorities in the structure and avail- ability of services. The development of competitive forces, public-agency fee-charging, and the increasing privatisation of services, can conflict with the social-equity aims which formed part of the historical foundation for the establishment of careers guidance services. There appears to be a common ‘policy vacuum’ arising from an overall failure to establish on a national level across service providers some common ground in terms of goals and delivery of guidance services.

British Journal of Guidance and Counselling 221

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Que

ensl

and

Uni

vers

ity o

f T

echn

olog

y] a

t 10:

58 3

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

Page 5: Policy challenges confronting careers guidance: Introduction

The diversity of target groups As the available funding for guidance services decreases, policy-makers are being forced to consider how and to whom careers guidance will be made available. The overriding issue is whether a comprehensive service can be offered to the population as a whole or whether guidance services need to be targeted to specific groups. Of course, such services have always been targeted to specific needy groups in the past; with limited resources, however, is this targeting to be provided to the exclusion of other groups in the society who may want the service as well? The policy of targeting services itself raises two crucial issues. First, the danger of piecemeal funding and ad hoc service provision complicates even further the quest for some form of national careers guidance policy framework. Second, targeted funding of careers guidance services often links such services to broader social, labour- market, commercial or welfare programmes or projects, in which the professional independence of the guidance services offered may be difficult to sustain, particularly under the threat of withdrawal of funds.

The professional identity of careers guidance Since careers guidance traverses a range of contexts, agencies, and service sectors (public and private), the problems of professional identity and organisation are substantial. Workers in the field across the countries represented in this symposium cover a variety of training and professional backgrounds, making the challenge of professional association formidable. Yet without some recognised and unified voice, it is likely that many of the pressures being felt by workers in the field in many places will continue to increase and will finally carry the day. The development of professional associations and the establishment of professional standards are the most significant ways in which the integrity of careers guidance services can be preserved or reasserted in response to the myriad of competing priorities and claims on counsellors’ time.

Conclusion This symposium amply demonstrates that the policy challenges confronting careers guidance across a range of countries are both formidable and daunting. Slick formulae and superficial responses will not be sufficient. The issues cannot be ignored without the risk of the virtual dissolution of many guidance services and functions. The contributors to the symposium indicate a consciousness, and even a pride, in the past development of careers guidance services in their respective countries. The ideals of altruism and social equity need not be relinquished amidst recent calls for efficiency and effectiveness. Careers counsellors will be their own worst enemy if they lose confidence in the worth of what they are doing and falter in the belief that things can be positively changed through policy formulation and implemen-

228 Volume 19 No. 3, September 1991

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Que

ensl

and

Uni

vers

ity o

f T

echn

olog

y] a

t 10:

58 3

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

Page 6: Policy challenges confronting careers guidance: Introduction

tation. As Helen Keller once said: ‘Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.’

The author would like to thank all the contributors to the symposium for their generous co-operation. In particular, Tony Watts’ assistance, encourage- ment, understanding and editorial guidance have been invaluable at all stages of the project.

Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr Robert G . L. Pryor, Senior Research Scientist, Vocational Services Branch, NSW Department of Indus- trial Relations, Employment, Training and Further Education, PO Box 847, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010, Australia.

British Journal of Guidance and Counselling 229

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Que

ensl

and

Uni

vers

ity o

f T

echn

olog

y] a

t 10:

58 3

1 O

ctob

er 2

014