1. Introduction to vocational guidance issues
2. Vocational guidance in the Ministry of Education
3. Vocational guidance in employment service
   1. 3.1. Methodical Centre of Vocational Information and Counselling
   2. 3.2. The National Resource Centre for Vocational Guidance
   3. 3.3. Activity of counsellors in Centres for Information and Career Planning

1. Introduction to vocational guidance issues

Vocational guidance in Poland is based upon a doctrine according to which the process of human being’s vocational career planning and development starts in early childhood and lasts the whole life period. Vocational life is a course of personal decisions, which should take into account several factors. Some of these factors are of internal nature, composing the individual characteristics of a human being and other factors have a character of independent, objective external conditions: social, cultural and economic.

It is the task of vocational guidance officer to accompany his / her client in key moments of this process, to help him / her in acquiring knowledge of himself (herself), of environment and accompanying conditions, that are of vital importance for decisions taken in any moment of life.

Two ministers are responsible for vocational guidance in Poland: the Minister of National Education and the Minister of Labour and Social Policy.

The first of them is responsible for the whole of tasks in the field of orientation and vocational guidance in relation to children and youth. The tasks are implemented with the assistance of psychological and pedagogic services and schools. The latter Minister is responsible for vocational guidance for adults and is assisted in this regard by public employment service.

2. Vocational guidance in the Ministry of Education

Vocational guidance tasks are performed in the Ministry of National Education by psychological and pedagogic services. 598 such services function presently in Poland, including 26 special services focused on assisting youth in the choice of occupation. They use different diagnostic methods to check psychophysical predisposition of pupils. Other services perform, as one of their forms of activity, tasks connected with providing youth with the assistance in the choice of occupation.

One of the factors that ensure high level of services provided by psychological and pedagogic centres, is their staff. Vocational counsellors (more than 900 persons) constitute ca one fifth of substantial staff. Most of counsellors are people with psychological education (more than 50%), the rest are people with pedagogic education (more than 40%) or sociological education. Almost one fourth of counsellors have completed post-diploma studies or have acquired vocational specialisation degrees in the field of vocational guidance.

The majority of counsellors employed in the services are women (more than 90%). Very young people (under 30 years of age) are only in small proportion (data of 1999).

Psychological tests are the main method of work used in psychological and pedagogic services.

For solving problems most often notified by pupils the following tests are used: tests checking intellectual skills, tests to examine personality, interests, special talents / abilities and pedagogic tests.

Psychological and pedagogic services are equipped with materials containing school and vocational information.

3. Vocational guidance in employment service

Candidates for vocational counsellors in labour offices must be graduates of higher education institutions. The following study directions are preferred: psychological, pedagogic or sociological. More than 40% of vocational counsellors are people with pedagogic education, ca 16% - people with sociological education, more than 15% people with psychological education and ca 25% people with other higher education (data of 1999).

A character of work of vocational counsellor employed in employment service requires interdisciplinary knowledge and skills. Since 1997 an opportunity of acquiring vocational guidance education at academic level has been created. Modular education programmes for vocational counsellors relate to four levels:

• 3-year bachelor courses (licencjat) in the field of vocational guidance, whose graduates become licensed vocational counsellors and may undertake complementary master-level courses in the specialisation “vocational guidance psychology”,
• 5-year master-level courses in profile “psychology”, specialisation – vocational guidance psychology,
• one-year post-diploma studies in the field of vocational guidance, designated for the graduates of psychological studies,
• 2-year post-diploma studies in the field of vocational guidance, designated for persons with higher non-psychological education.

Vocational counsellors employed in labour offices have the following sets of vocational information at their disposal:

1. “Classification of occupations and specialisations” developed at the request of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy by the Institute of Labour and Social Studies. The Classification contains a synthetic description of 2472 occupations and specialisations. It constitutes a basis for creating differentiated information at lower levels (name of occupation, code, job description, etc.),
2. a set of 301 occupational files, describing newly emerged occupations and occupations demanded by employers,
3. a set of leaflets on 301 occupations described in files,
4. a set of 119 films concerning occupations on video cassettes,
5. several-volume publication “Guide of occupations” containing characteristics of 546 occupations,
6. other sets of information and printed material – catalogues, directories, guides and periodicals containing information on occupations, on labour market, educational units, etc.

Other tool available for vocational counsellor in his / her work is a computer programme “Counsellor 2000”. The programme provides an easy access to widely conceived occupational information, supports the process of individual evaluation of the client and allows the client for acquisition of skills connected with his / her movements on the labour market. CD-ROM programme includes four modules: Client, Occupations, Education and Navigator.

The main method of work of vocational counsellor in labour offices is advisory interview, where the client’s situation is analysed, his / her work expectations, interests and abilities are examined. The interview ends with drawing up a plan of action to be implemented by the client.

To evaluate clients’ interests, vocational counsellors use two tools: Self-Test Set and Questionnaire of Occupational Preferences by Holland.

The Self-Test Set has a form of a test to be individually completed and checked. It allows for finding an occupation corresponding to clients’ interests and predisposition.

Trained counsellors may carry out group guidance using two methods: Education Method and Inspiration Courses.

Education method consists in treatment of an individual in a subjective way and in mobilising him / her to bear responsibility for choices made. The counsellor accompanies an unemployed person in occupational search, assists in defining priorities and in taking occupational decisions. This approach promotes clients’ activity by creating internal motivation for independent labour market activity.

Inspiration Courses are a proposal of assistance mainly addressed to long-term unemployed persons or persons threatened by unemployment. Their purpose is to encourage participants to look for job more actively.

3.1. Methodical Centre of Vocational Information and Counselling

The main task of the Methodical Centre of Vocational Information and Counselling of the National Labour Office is to equip vocational counsellors with standardised and updated sets of vocational information, with professional methods and techniques of work and to disseminate the European dimension of vocational guidance.

In particular the tasks of the Centre include:

1. co-operation with Centres for Information and Career Planning and with labour offices in the field of vocational guidance, including:
   1. collection of information concerning needs and usefulness of vocational guidance methods,
   2. collection of data concerning expectations in the field of vocational information,
   3. diagnosis of training needs of vocational counsellors,
   4. organisation of seminars for the staff of Centres for Information and Career Planning and for the staff of powiat labour offices,
2. collection, development and up-dating of vocational information,
3. acquiring, collection and development of vocational guidance methods and techniques as well as recommending them for being classified as standards,
4. evaluation vocational guidance methods and techniques usefulness,
5. development of programmes, plans and didactic aids relating to training of vocational counsellors from Centres for Information and Career Planning and training of the staff of powiat labour offices,
6. participation in organisation of trainings for vocational counsellors from Centres for Information and Career Planning and for the staff of powiat labour offices,
7. implementation of the European Union programmes supporting vocational guidance:
   1. Project National Resource Centre for Vocational Guidance,
   2. Project Supporting educational and vocational mobility through modernisation of information basis and introduction of the European dimension in vocational guidance procedures,
   3. Project Introduction and institutionalisation of vocational guidance at the international level in the new member countries,
   4. Project Vocational guidance by telephone,
   5. Project Transnational vocational guidance.
8. administration of psychological tests applied in vocational guidance, including provision of tests to Centres for Information and Career Planning and to powiat labour offices, as well as training of counsellors in using the tests,
9. promotion of Centre’s activity at the national and international level.

3.2. The National Resource Centre for Vocational Guidance

The National Resource Centre for Vocational Guidance in Poland was established by virtue of the agreement between the National Labour Office and the Ministry of National Education - concluded on 6 July 1999.

The general function of the National Resource Centre for Vocational Guidance (NRCVG) is to support the educational and vocational mobility of the citizens and to provide all European nationals with the same access to information on education and training opportunities in their country and in other European countries.

The following tasks result from this function:

• collection, elaboration and dissemination of information concerning education opportunities, including vocational training in Poland to satisfy information needs of Polish nationals and nationals of other European countries,
• collection and dissemination of information concerning education opportunities in other European countries to satisfy the needs of national users,
• initiating, promotion and development of co-operation between organisations carrying out vocational guidance in Poland and in the European Union states in the area covered by the NRCVG activity,
• registration of information needs notified by the NRCVG partners and clients and drawing up annual technical and financial reports,
• participation in the development of the NRCVG European network,
• development of vocational counsellors’ staff,
• publishing and dissemination activity.

For the implementation of the aforementioned tasks two teams of experts are responsible – employees of the National Labour Office and the Ministry of National Education, dealing with information and vocational guidance within the scope of competence of both institutions.

The teams are located as follows:

• as concerns the Labour Ministry: in the Methodical Centre of Information and Vocational Counselling of the National Labour Office,
• as concerns the Ministry of National Education: in the National Centre for Promoting Vocational Education.

The National Resource Centre for Vocational Guidance performs its tasks in close co-operation with both ministries – education and labour as well as with other partners represented in the Steering Committee of the National Resource Centre for Vocational Guidance.

3.3. Activity of counsellors in Centres for Information and Career Planning

In 52 Centres for Information and Career Planning, located in different parts of the country, persons concerned may receive assistance of vocational counsellor, take part in workshops devoted to vocational career planning and undergo psychological examinations allowing for specification of occupational predisposition.

Each centre is a specialised unit of the voivodship labour office, which collects and provides information concerning occupations, labour market, opportunities of acquiring vocational qualifications, and which assists clients in taking vocational decisions.

The Centre for Information and Career Planning provides assistance concerning:

• recognition of one’s occupational interests and abilities,
• selection of educational path,
• analysis of labour market from the standpoint of own occupational preferences,
• development of one’s individual plan of action,
• acquaintance with methods and techniques of job searching,
• writing one’s curriculum vitae and motivation letter,
• preparation for an interview with an employer,

It also provides assistance to employers in recruitment of employees for posts / jobs requiring special psycho-physical predisposition.

Reworked by: Paulina Bogdańska, Centrum Metodyczne Informacji i Poradnictwa Zawodowego KUP