Introduction

Description

This training course has been developed as a part of the EU funded project Worklife guidance. The partners prepared sessions in their countries where the ideology of worklife guidance and the Toolbox were presented. This document is a summary and an example of how guidance personnel can be introduced to ways of using the Toolbox

Target group

The training course is aimed at career counsellors working in with adults. It can also be used as a base for training supervisors and managers in organizations for working on career development within the company.

Competences of the trainer
The trainer should have background in guidance and counselling and have a knowledge base in the field of career development and adult guidance.

Career guidance focuses on assisting the individual in managing the development of his/her career, covering both work and life aspects. The Toolbox presents ways to work with the individual in a holistic way in the context of the workplace, hence “worklife guidance”. It is about assisting individuals identifying their strengths, working towards defined aims and providing motivation and support during that development.  Delivering worklife guidance to individuals demands specific competences with emphasis on:

• active listening

• empathy

• providing or locating relevant information

• assistance with identifying interests, competences, values and goals

• motivating towards continuing development

• providing support when dealing with hindrances

• making referrals according to needs

Our careers are personal matters and career guidance deals with personal issues linked to work and life. Trust, confidentiality and ethics are therefore fundamental factors in the guidance delivered. 

Worklife guidance also requires knowledge about working life and being able to approach and cooperate with managers and supervisors in workplaces in coherence with their policies.

Aims of the training course

To deliver knowledge and develop competences among career counsellors on how to build cooperation with companies and conduct worklife guidance within companies in order to:

• enhance employers’ opportunities for developing competences and identifying solutions based on their current status

• identify opportunities for developing employees competences in coherence with company needs.
   

In the course guidance personnel linked to adult education will get a basic knowledge and develop competences on the following issues:

• The role of guidance/career counsellors in delivering worklife guidance within companies

• How to approach companies and build up cooperation on worklife guidance

• Processes and methods linked to worklife guidance

Overall learning outcomes in focus

• Knowledge of the role, the possibilities and cost/benefit of worklife guidance within companies

• Knowledge of ways to approach workplaces and present the cost and benefits of guidance

• Knowledge of guidance processes suitable for workplaces

• Knowledge of different methods and tools and able to select for providing guidance service in the workplace

• Skills, perspectives and the risks to relevantly use tools in cooperation with organizations, companies and in guidance relationships with employees

• Skills to work with learning outcomes based on prior learning/current situation

• Ability to utilize European practices of worklife guidance which can be contextualized to professional context

Activities

• Presentation and discussions on the ideology of worklife guidance and identified processes, methods and tools

• Presentation and discussions on ways to establish cooperation with workplaces

• Exercises, group work and discussions based on the content of the Toolbox

• Development of an action plan on how to establish cooperation for worklife guidance

Examples of material and methods for the training

• Related EU material (ELGPN, CEDEFOP briefings, related projects)

• Project website

• Theories linked to guidance in the workplace

• The Toolbox

• Cases

• Exercises (using the tools)

• Group work

• Group discussions

• Webinars

• Seminars

Results

Participants understand the role of worklife guidance for the employer and employee. They have received a presentation on the ideology of worklife guidance and training in using the Toolbox. Participants have set up an action plan on how to establish cooperation for worklife guidance.

Example of the organization of training

An example of how the training can be organized is presented in the table below. It is set up as a 6,5 hour training (1 day), but it can be divided into shorter sessions and adjusted as needed.

At first it is important to set focus on the ideology of worklife guidance through informing participants about the context of guidance within an organization. Each chapter of the Toolbox can then be followed with input and exercises which aim to train participants in using the Toolbox in cooperation with the employer, based on the needs of employees and the context of the organization.

Table below presents an example of how to conduct training. The training can be adjusted as needed based on the context at hand.