More information
Description
The pandemic of COVID-19 strongly impacted both Czech and Norwegian schools. Early dropout, as one of its effects, endangers more and more students as their motivation to study decreases. In this situation, career counsellors have become even more crucial than before. However, they need a new structured approach that addresses the current challenges. This applies especially in Czech secondary schools where career counselling has been neglected for a long time. As a result, it still offers limited guidance and its impact is relatively marginal.
Therefore, the project brings together experts from one Czech and two Norwegian VET schools and a representative of non-formal education. These will exchange their rich experience and create an easy-to-use roadmap for school career counsellors. It will help them to guide, support, develop, and monitor students'' career development. Thanks to the materials, the counsellors will learn how to motivate students, build their hard and soft skills and entrepreneurial competencies, and acknowledge the role of non-formal education, including that of volunteering.
As a result, the project will help students, especially the disadvantaged ones, to deal with success, adversity, and personal and professional challenges that might occur in their lifetime.
Summary of project results
Career counselling in Czech secondary schools has historically been neglected, with its impact limited primarily to facilitating the transition from school to work. An integrated approach to career guidance was urgently needed—one that extended beyond the school-to-work transition to include strategies for effective studying, motivational techniques, and recognition of non-formal education pathways. In contrast, Norwegian career counselling has recently undergone significant changes, with new requirements for career counsellors and enhanced content for their work.
The project brought together Czech and Norwegian career counsellors from three vocational schools, along with representatives from the non-profit sector focused on non-formal education, to share experiences, exchange best practices, and develop innovative resources.
The team created Workshop Modules based on four key realms of career counselling, offering career counsellors a user-friendly set of activities to support students, particularly disadvantaged ones. These modules were designed, tested, and refined through peer-learning activities, online meetings, and practical application in real school environments. The project emphasized special attention and individualized support for disadvantaged students, helping them succeed in their educational journeys and achieve their career goals.
The project delivered significant outcomes, particularly for students and career counsellors. For students, it enhanced their potential to manage their lives, increasing work-life satisfaction, and it improved their ability to handle success, failure, and personal and professional challenges.
Special focus was on disadvantaged students, leading to better school results, improved job prospects, and decreased dependence on social welfare in the future. It gave career counsellors access to versatile modules that are adaptable to both the Czech and Norwegian educational contexts and enhanced tools for providing inclusive, individualized career guidance.
This collaborative effort enriched career counselling practices in both countries, fostering more inclusive and effective guidance strategies for students.
Summary of bilateral results
The project greatly benefited from having a donor project partner by facilitating the exchange of expertise in career counselling within vocational education. The Norwegian partner provided valuable insights into their well-established support system for students in challenging situations, which is deeply embedded in Scandinavian culture. This collaboration not only enhanced the quality of career counselling tools and methods but also laid the groundwork for long-term cooperation, contributing to more inclusive education and fostering equal opportunities for students in both countries.