5. Career guidance and counselling in Sweden

• 5.1 The Swedish Guidance System
  • 5.1.1 Overview of the Swedish Guidance System
  • 5.1.2 Guidance Services
  • 5.1.3 National guidance organisations, associations and resource centres for Guidance Practitioners
• 5.2 Euroguidance Sweden
• 5.3 Education for Swedish Guidance Counsellors
  • 5.3.1 Bachelor of Education in Career Counselling
  • 5.3.2 Master of Education in Career Counselling
• 5.4 Web addresses related to guidance in Sweden:

5.1 The Swedish Guidance System

Sweden has a long history of offering public guidance services. Already in the 40´s the employment offices started to offer vocational guidance for their clients. The underlying principle has always been that career counselling is an individual right that should be free of charge and available to as many groups as possible. Today career and educational guidance is provided throughout the entire educational system, in compulsory and upper secondary schools as well as within adult education, where guidance services are offered in municipal adult education, advanced vocational education, folk high schools and universities and university colleges. Guidance practitioners usually work within the schools or other educational institutions, but there are also examples of municipalities that offer career and educational guidance for schools through an external guidance centre instead of within each single school. Guidance services are also offered within the 418 Employment Offices around Sweden and in local municipality guidance and information centres for adults. The private sector is quite limited in Sweden, but there are private employment offices and some companies that specialise in career guidance and helping companies with reorganising or downsizing.

There are no overall statistics of the number of guidance practitioners in Sweden, but a recent evaluation of guidance within the Swedish school system, conducted by the Swedish National Agency for Education, shows that an average Swedish guidance counsellor within compulsory school handles about 522 pupils. The figure for upper secondary level is 479 pupils for every guidance practitioner. Within the municipal adult education (Komvux) there were approx 323 students for each full-time working guidance counsellor. No figures are available for study counsellors at the universities or job counsellors within the employment offices.

Career and educational guidance and information is also offered through publicly funded web services. One of these services is the national education portal Utbildningsinfo.se (www.utbildningsinfo.se). It is a website for students, pa­rents and professionals in the field of education. Another of these tools, Vägledningsinfo.se (Guidanceinfo.se), (www.vagledningsinfo.se), is a web-based guidance service for adults, run by a network of municipalities. The "Choose profession or education" part of the Swedish Public Employment Service site provides information on different professions and gives an idea of which educational background that is needed for different professions (www.arbetsformedlingen.se/go.a...).

SACO, a trade union confederation of 23 different associations for university graduates or professionals with a college degree and/or students, also offers web based career guidance under the heading “Välja yrke & högskoleutbildning” (choose profession and higher education, www.saco.se/templates/Ocupatio...)

Career fairs are arranged regularly in different parts of Sweden. They are often organised in cooperation between local employers and upper secondary schools, where pupils in the ninth grade is the target group, but there is also the big “SACO fair” every year, which informs about university educations for pupils from secondary school and adult education. Personal career guidance is usually offered during these events.

Sweden has a decentralised system for decision-making. There is no central organisation coordinating or governing guidance activities, this is done on a local or regional basis; The local municipal authorities plan their services of career and educational guidance separately, in line with appropriation documents and school curricula. The guidance that takes place at university level and other higher educational institutions is the local responsibility of each university, in line with national goals and ordinances, and the counselling services for those in search of work is designed at the local employment offices, in accordance with the guidelines from the Swedish Public Employment Service. Financing of guidance services is part of the total funding for the local municipality, the local university and/or the local employment office. No sum of money is specifically designated for guidance services.

To get a more coordinated approach towards the work of career guidance counsellors and to support practitioners, The Swedish Association of Guidance Counsellors – SAGC, has developed Ethical Guidelines for all guidance practitioners who are members of the Association. Declaration of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines for educational and vocational guidance counsellors can be found here (in English)(www.vagledarforeningen.org) (click on “Etisk deklaration”)

In 2009 new general guidelines and comments on career education and guidance provided in schools and adult education, were adopted by the National Agency for Education, to promote a more uniform use of the legislation. The aim was also to influence development in a certain direction. The guidelines may be found here: (http://www.skolverket.se/sb/d/...).

Sweden is part of the European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network since 2007.

5.1.1 Overview of the Swedish Guidance System

5.1.2 Guidance Services

For compulsory school, secondary school and adult education the curriculum states that ”Student guidance officers and vocational guidance staff should; Inform and guide pupils prior to the next stage of their education and vocational orientation and focus particularly on opportunities for pupils with disabilities”.

The activities and roles of the counsellors differ, depending on the type of school. All study and work activities have the common goal of helping the individual obtain more knowledge about his or her own capacity and the existing opportunities and to form personal goals within education and working life. The counselling is given to pupils both individually and in group sessions.

At Universities and University colleges there are three different kinds of guidance services;

• Guidance at a central level – The central level is usually the first contact that prospective students will have with the university. The most common matters discussed are educational choices, changes of study field, studying abroad and the choice of a right major in order to get a job in the future. Normally there is both a drop-in service and a special schedule for visits booked in advance.

• Educational guidance at the University Departments – The student counsellor at a specific department offer advice in his or her own field of study and also on job opportunities regarding the special branch connected to the subject concerned.

• At some universities there are also Career Centres. They offer individual counselling on career choices and support regarding job applications. They also give continuous information about job vacancies, summer jobs, trainee vacancies and companies willing to help and support students with their thesis work.

The local municipality information centres are very much built on the concept of self-service. The staff usually arranges different kinds of information activities and it is also possible to get individual counselling. The visitors at these centres range from very young people to adults who want to begin their studying late in life or who wish to change careers.

The Employment offices mainly work with unemployed people. Among the services provided are interviews, interest tests and both individual and work activities (see further information under 4.1.4). In Sweden, psychological testing is usually not the responsibility of guidance specialists. Usually testing is a task which psychologists in the employment service handle. They are a rather small group and the tests deal with a limited group of people.

5.1.3 National guidance organisations, associations and resource centres for Guidance Practitioners

The Swedish Association of Guidance Counsellors (SAGC), (www.vagledarforeningen.org), organises around 1.000 Swedish guidance practitioners. SAGC is actively engaged in the development and strengthening of educational and vocational counselling. The association also participates in efforts to improve the professionalism of counsellor practise and professional ethics. An annual conference for Swedish guidance counsellors is arranged and the association publishes a quarterly journal, “Vägledaren i utbildning och arbetsliv” (The Educational and Vocational Guidance Counsellor). SAGC has formulated and ratified a Declaration of Ethics for educational and vocational guidance practitioners.

Within the trade union for teachers, “Lärarnas riksförbund”, there is a forum for Swedish guidance professionals. They have formulated a work description and an ethical declaration for guidance practitioners and they also answer government questionnaires (http://forening.proventek.net/vagledarna).

The Swedish National Agency for Education has provided a forum for counsellors on the website Utbildningsinfo.se, (www.utbildningsinfo.se/sb/d/136). The website includes a special section for guidance practitioners in order to support them in their daily work. The aim of this section is to create a meeting point for those working in different fields of career and educational guidance. The forum has approximately 18.000 members.

The Swedish Association for Municipal and National Adult Education has created a guidance network for guidance practitioners in adult education (VIS), (www.visnet.se).

Within higher education a working group has been established to plan the annual conference for study counsellors. The conference is normally organised in May at different Universities. The conference gives an opportunity for student counsellors to meet and discuss current topics. It is also an event for competence development and information about developments in the area of Higher Education.

Counsellors working in Folk High Schools (the non-formal adult education in Sweden) meet in a digital forum and arrange an annual conference. For more information visit www.folkhog­skola.nu.

5.2 Euroguidance Sweden

Euroguidance Sweden, (www.programkontoret.se/Euroguidance), is the National Resource Centre for Guidance in Sweden. It is part of the Euroguidance network, (www.euroguidance.net). The centre provides a range of services to Swedish Guidance Professionals and to professionals abroad. It is an information and documentation centre for guidance counsellors who require information about opportunities for studying and training in Europe. Citizens have access to Euroguidance through their local guidance services. Guidance Counsellors may contact Euroguidance Sweden directly on their behalf; (euroguidance.sweden@programkontoret.se).

To help guidance counsellors in their work with international issues, Euroguidance Sweden:

• Answers questions about study and training opportunities in Sweden and abroad

• Supplies information about projects and international cooperation in the area of guidance and counselling

• Provides information about international possibilities for guidance counsellors

• Offers further training for guidance practitioners on mobility issues

• Reports on the international policy development within the field of guidance

The Euroguidance network is responsible for the European Commission portal on learning opportunities, PLOTEUS; (http://ec.europa.eu/ploteus).

5.3 Education for Swedish Guidance Counsellors

5.3.1 Bachelor of Education in Career Counselling

There is one main training course for counsellors in Sweden, a three-year university programme, leading to a Bachelors degree. The course of studies is comprised of 180 ECTS points. Supervision provided includes supporting individuals to explore, articulate and develop their interests and capabilities as well as their knowledge about themselves in relation to society, education, profession and working life. The content of the course of studies gives fundamental knowledge of the prerequisites for making soundly substantiated choices during counselling. Upon completion of the course students will have the skills required to provide young people and adults with guidance and information on issues pertaining to choice of studies and/or occupation.

There is an increasing demand for persons holding a bachelor education/graduate diploma in career counselling for new duties and assignments both in the public and private sectors.

The major subject in the course of studies is ”career counselling” which consists of three main sections:

Social sciences, aimed at imparting knowledge about how society, working life and education are organised, and function

Behavioural sciences, covering the basic knowledge of Psychology, Pedagogies and Sociology required for such an understanding of human behaviour that makes one able to act as a guidance counsellor, tutor and/or information officer.

Practical periods, mainly in schools and colleges, but also in other fields. Practical periods include such aspects as independently carrying out guidance sessions with individuals and/or groups, teaching and giving information.

The education link theoretical studies with practical experiences. Subject lectures and tutorials alternate with reading of relevant literature, field studies, practical application exercises (e.g. interview techniques) that take the form of group work, seminars and private studies. Both written and verbal examinations are held. The course is also available in a distance learning version.

Eligibility

To qualify, students must meet the basic eligibility requirements for undergraduate studies at the university and have received Pass or higher in Social sciences course A at upper secondary school/ college, as well as having at least one year (12 months) of working experience. Unless in the form of employment, caring for children or other persons is not counted as eligible nor is mandatory military training.

Students have the right to include knowledge and skills acquired through studies or working experience in Sweden or abroad among their qualifications, provided that the knowledge and/or skills are of such nature and have been pursued long enough for them to be approximately equivalent to the course, or part of it.

Courses of studies leading to a bachelor’s degree/ graduate diploma in Career counselling are offered at:

Malmö University, www.edu.mah.se/LGSYV

For further information, please contact: anders.loven@lut.mah.se

Stockholm University, www.luk.su.se/pub/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=9222

For further information, please contact: ulla.brag-yhland@ped.su.se

Umeå University, www.educ.umu.se/indexeng.html

For further information, please contact: goran.nilsson@educ.umu.se

5.3.2 Master of Education in Career Counselling

During the autumn of 2009 the Department of Education at the University of Stockholm, started a master's program in career guidance and counseling in cooperation with Malmö and Umeå University. The program, which runs over four semesters, gives career counsellors an opportunity to broaden and deepen their knowledge in the area of career guidance.

The program is offered on a full-time basis with five physical meetings per year. Each meeting consists of two days.

The aim of the program is to provide a deeper knowledge of how individuals construct their careers, from individual and societal perspectives. The perspectives will be treated in the light of educational, behavioral and social sciences. Students will also be given the opportunity to choose a perspective of their own choice. Special attention will be given to developing the ability to independently integrate and use the acquired knowledge in the field of career management and to analyze the process scientifically.

Eligibility

Bachelors degree in education with a major in career guidance and counseling or the equivalent.

5.4 Web addresses related to guidance in Sweden:

The Swedish Association of Guidance Counsellors (SAGC), www.vagledarforeningen.org

Branch for Swedish guidance professionals within the trade union for teachers, http://forening.proventek.net/vagledarna

Euroguidance Sweden, www.programkontoret.se/Euroguidance

Utbildningsinfo.se. A website run by the Swedish National Agency for Education containing a virtual career guidance tool and a special section for guidance practitioners: www.utbildningsinfo.se.

Search tool for schools in Sweden, www.skolverket.se/sb/d/244 (Contact information to guidance counsellors in schools around Sweden can be found on the websites of each individual school).

Search tool for local municipality learning centres in Sweden, www.larcentra.se (Contact information to the guidance services of each municipality can be found through the Websites of local municipality learning centres in different parts of Sweden).

Addresses to higher education institutions in Sweden www.hsv.se/highereducationinsw... (Contact information to the guidance services at higher education institutions can be found on the Websites of each University).

The Swedish Migration Board; www.migrationsverket.se/info/start_en.html (Information about entry visas, residence permits for studies, work permits, citizenships etc)

Guide for students with disabilities: www.studeramedfunktionshinder.nu/english/index.htm

Swedish research in the field of guidance: http://sherwood.lh.umu.se/fkvv/index_en.htm

Research project in the area of career guidance: www.educ.umu.se/forskning/pres...