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The Developing Career Counseling Profession in Bulgaria

The Developing Career Counseling Profession in Bulgaria. Nevena Rakovska. Challenges of Yesterday. Bulgaria in 2000: High unemployment rate Gap between labor market needs and skills of labor force Students lack practical skills and information about career choice Many “job-hoppers”

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The Developing Career Counseling Profession in Bulgaria

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  1. The Developing Career Counseling Profession in Bulgaria Nevena Rakovska Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg

  2. Challenges of Yesterday Bulgaria in 2000: • High unemployment rate • Gap between labor market needs and skills of labor force • Students lack practical skills and information about career choice • Many “job-hoppers” • Low awareness of career services • Lack of stable career guidance system Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg

  3. Morals of the Past • Sustainability: it takesdecades to establish centralized career guidance system and only a year to ruin it • Support: respond the needs of business, academy, secondary education, students, institutions, general public • Synergy: find the cross point of multiple interests & join efforts • Awareness: career services promotion and advocacy of career system development • Professionalism: acknowledged standard for career professionals Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg

  4. Introducing a Bottom-Up Approach For Bridging the Gap between Education and Labor Market Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg

  5. Bottom-Up Approach Advocating Career Guidance System Sustainable Development Building Capacity Promoting Career Services Training Career Practitioners Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg

  6. Bottom-Up Approach Institutional Level Secondary & Vocational Education Academia Business Career Guidance Standards & Credential Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg

  7. Institutional Level Secondary & Vocational Education Academia Business 3 Master Programs Launched Partnership with Education Boosted Career Guidance System Revived 800 School Advisors Trained 40 University Career Centers Established Internship Programs, Career Services 15 Trainers Trained 100 HR Professionals Trained 100 Career Counselors Trained GCDF Credential Introduced Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg

  8. Institutional Level • National Board for Career Counselors Established • Association of Career Counselors in Bulgaria founded • Structural Funds focusing on priority areas: internships, competitiveness and lifelong development of human resources • Career Guidance measures included in Employment Action Plan and other strategic documents • Career Guidance Centers to be licensed by National Agency for Vocational Education and Training • National Career Guidance Strategy & Forum preparing • Bulgarian approach - model for neighboring countries (Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and Serbia) Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg

  9. Brief Review of Career Guidance & Counseling in Bulgaria Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg

  10. Career Services Providers Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg Psychologists, counselors and labor market specialists of Employment Agency regional offices 800 school counselors in big secondary and vocational schools in all regions 100 counselors in 40 university and faculty career centers 100 + counselors in commercial sector, public institutions and business

  11. Career Practitioners • University degree - mainly in Psychology, Pedagogy, Economic & Social Sciences, HR management, etc. • Special trainings provided since 2005 by NBCC Bulgaria / Business Foundation for Education under Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) program • Several Master and Post-Graduate programs in Career Counseling, incorporating GCDF Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg

  12. GCDF Trainings • Practice – oriented, module structure, palette of competences: Career Theories, Labor Market, Assessment, Helping Skills, Diverse Populations, Employability Skills, Training Clients, Program Management, Promotion and PR, Technology, Ethics, Supervision • Certification requirements: 120 hours of training, 200 hours of related practical experience, study case,, adherence to ethical standards, continuing education and supervision • Tailored trainings for career specialists in public and private sector Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg

  13. Career Services in School Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg Career guidance is still not integrated within the school curriculum Special lessons on career information and guidance led by the class teacher and school counselor Individual counseling and group guidance sessions in the State Employment Agency Work shadowing experience and compulsory practice in vocational schools Student enterprises 3 career centers established in vocational schools Career Clubs in 3 pilot schools

  14. Career Services in University • Dissemination of career and labor market information, trainings and job openings for students & graduates • Recruitment services • Promoting and organizing internships • Career Fairs • Corporate presentations • Master classes • Group seminars on employability skills • Individual Counseling - career guidance and career management Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg

  15. Career Services in Business Settings • Assessment of interests and abilities • Internships • Career management trainings& mentoring for interns / entry level employees • Individual counseling, life planning and management for combining professional and individual roles • Group trainings and development programs • Career coaching • Career counseling for personnel in restructuring enterprises and sectors Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg

  16. Career Services on the Labor Market Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg • State Employment Agency • Implementation of active labor market measures • Career guidance • Dissemination of occupational information • Individual counselling and coaching • Group trainings on employability skills • Motivation of discouraged individuals • Vocational education and trainings • Job placement • Career fairs • Many private career agencies & VET centers

  17. Other Career Initiatives • Career Fairs, organized by JobTiger since 2002 • Internships and apprenticeships are growing more popular among students and employers • First National Survey of Students’ Career Orientation carried out in 2008 by BFE and Hewitt. In 2009 + secondary and vocational schools. • Web-based sources of career information: Careers.bg, JobTiger.bg, Staj.bg, KakviDaStanem.bg • Projects funded by EU Structural Funds Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg

  18. Challenges of Tomorrow Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg • Development of national career guidance and counseling system & strategy • Further institutionalization of the profession • Strengthening the capacity of the Association • Ensuring quality of services • Using ICT & assessment tools • Access and services for vulnerable groups • Mapping career services • Building career culture

  19. Thank you ! Nevena Rakovska Business Foundation for Education/ National Board for Certified Counselors – Bulgaria nevena@jobtiger.bg www.fbo.bg Business Foundation for Education www.fbo.bg

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