Page 305 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Contemporary European Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 305
the role of career guidance in esl
Various research studies reveal there is a small but significant share
of adolescents who express uncertainty regarding their aspirations and ex-
pectations for their future. Further, while most endorsed their commit-
ment to the value of education, adolescents with uncertain intentions re-
ported greater ambivalence about the relevance of continued schooling
for their own lives compared to those who planned to continue in school
(Croll, Attwood, Fuuler, & Last, 2008). This is especially significant for
low-achieving students, who are recognised as a potential ESL group. The
study by Yates et al. (2011) finds that young people with uncertain occupa-
tional/career aspirations or ones misaligned with their educational expec-
tations are considerably more likely to become ESLers by the age of 18.
In these days of economic crisis and a dynamic labour market, ca-
reer paths cannot be accurately predicted during schooling (Blossfeld,
2005; Gutman, Schoon & Sabates, 2012). Transitions from school to work
are clearly influenced by a very wide range of social, economic and edu-
cation-system-level factors. However, school does have a formative impact
on young people’s ability to form career-oriented goals and successfully
manage their transition from school to work (Creed & Gagliardi, 2014).
Although schools are not the only influence on young people’s careers, they
can and do exert an important influence on young people’s approach to
their career (Hooley, Marriott, & Sampson, 2011). Strong and well-devel-
oped career guidance systems available to all learners have been identified
as a promising measure in this regard. Council Conclusions (2015) state
that a lack of career management skills may encourage learners to leave
education prematurely. Similarly, the European Commission (2015) and
CEDEFOP (2010) identified career guidance as one of the most important
approaches for preventing ESL.
The main aim of the article is to present career guidance and career
management skills as a promising measure for addressing ESL. First, con-
ceptualisations and definitions of career guidance and career management
skills are introduced. Second, selected ESL risk factors from the career de-
velopment perspective are presented (namely, lack of relevance of schooling
and lack of educational/career aspirations). Third, the article attempts to
provide an answer regarding how to organise and implement career guid-
ance (methods, activities, contents, the actors involved) to be effective in
preventing ESL. The conclusion summarises the key findings. The arti-
cle considers the dominant discussions in the field based on the presump-
tion that individuals (ESLers) are responsible for their own educational and
305
Various research studies reveal there is a small but significant share
of adolescents who express uncertainty regarding their aspirations and ex-
pectations for their future. Further, while most endorsed their commit-
ment to the value of education, adolescents with uncertain intentions re-
ported greater ambivalence about the relevance of continued schooling
for their own lives compared to those who planned to continue in school
(Croll, Attwood, Fuuler, & Last, 2008). This is especially significant for
low-achieving students, who are recognised as a potential ESL group. The
study by Yates et al. (2011) finds that young people with uncertain occupa-
tional/career aspirations or ones misaligned with their educational expec-
tations are considerably more likely to become ESLers by the age of 18.
In these days of economic crisis and a dynamic labour market, ca-
reer paths cannot be accurately predicted during schooling (Blossfeld,
2005; Gutman, Schoon & Sabates, 2012). Transitions from school to work
are clearly influenced by a very wide range of social, economic and edu-
cation-system-level factors. However, school does have a formative impact
on young people’s ability to form career-oriented goals and successfully
manage their transition from school to work (Creed & Gagliardi, 2014).
Although schools are not the only influence on young people’s careers, they
can and do exert an important influence on young people’s approach to
their career (Hooley, Marriott, & Sampson, 2011). Strong and well-devel-
oped career guidance systems available to all learners have been identified
as a promising measure in this regard. Council Conclusions (2015) state
that a lack of career management skills may encourage learners to leave
education prematurely. Similarly, the European Commission (2015) and
CEDEFOP (2010) identified career guidance as one of the most important
approaches for preventing ESL.
The main aim of the article is to present career guidance and career
management skills as a promising measure for addressing ESL. First, con-
ceptualisations and definitions of career guidance and career management
skills are introduced. Second, selected ESL risk factors from the career de-
velopment perspective are presented (namely, lack of relevance of schooling
and lack of educational/career aspirations). Third, the article attempts to
provide an answer regarding how to organise and implement career guid-
ance (methods, activities, contents, the actors involved) to be effective in
preventing ESL. The conclusion summarises the key findings. The arti-
cle considers the dominant discussions in the field based on the presump-
tion that individuals (ESLers) are responsible for their own educational and
305
