VALA - Nordplus Network of Career Counseling and Guidance Programs in Higher Education (7255)

Career counseling and guidance practices have a long history in most of the Nordic countries and the education of career counselors have developed in very diverse ways within the Nordic communities. Most of the programs are historically firmly founded in the career counseling end education of children and youth. With increased emphasis on life-long learning and labor interventions implemented due to the current economic crisis the need for adult guidance has increased tremendously. The higher education programs that educate career counselors want to join hands and establish a network to be able to better prepare career counselors and guidance workers for the diverse clients they need to work with.

The network will work on two developmental projects and create two intensive courses for students. Development project 1 focuses on curricular development and exchange of practices focusing on adult guidance and may result in a blueprint for a joint study program. Development project 2 is intended to improve practical training,relations with the labor market and creation of learning communities. Two intensive courses, one focusing on social justice issues and the other on ICT competences will be offered in order to strengthen the counselors in meeting the needs of those that have difficulty in accessing guidance and are most vulnerable in the labor market.