Page 314 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Contemporary European Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 314
ear ly school leaving: contempor ary european perspectives
teachers represent an integral part of the development of children’s and ad-
olescents’ personality, and can thus importantly contribute to their per-
sonal development and the development of strategies for preventing and
resolving problems in school or at a later time in life (Masten & Motti-
Stefanidi, 2009), and can also be of significant value in children’s decisions
on their own career paths (Vršnik Perše, 2016). The active role of parents
(also in cooperation with school staff) in providing at-risk students with
conditions (emotional support, advice) in which they will be able to accom-
plish this important developmental task as well as they can is equally and
crucially important (Rutar Leban, 2016).
To ensure the provision of holistic and effective career guidance,
cross-sectoral cooperation, especially entailing actors from the world of em-
ployment and work (public guidance services, public employment services,
NGOs, private enterprises), is vital (European Commission, 2015; Eurydice,
2014: 99-100). In this framework, the idea of work-based learning has been
especially relevant in the EU setting in the last few years. Providing op-
portunities at an early stage to allow students to experience the world of
work, for example via ‘tasters’ in enterprises, can help them understand job
demands and employers’ expectations (European Commission, 2015: 20–
21). ACTE (2007) and the European Commission (2013) even contend that
workplace experience can motivate at-risk students to continue their edu-
cation and become more focused on their future career choices.
Conclusion
The role of career education and guidance in preventing ESL is widely ac-
knowledged in EU discourse and academic discussions. Career manage-
ment skills, defined as a range of competencies which provide structured
ways for individuals (and groups) to gather, analyse, synthesise and organ-
ise self-related, educational and occupational information, as well as the
skills needed to make and implement decisions and transitions (ELGPN,
2010) among others, especially target two (individual) ESL risk factors (lack
of relevance of schooling and lack of educational/career aspirations). A key
assumption of the current career development research and practice is that
students who have a career plan and are able to understand and internalise
the connections between school and work will be more actively engaged in
their academic tasks and be more likely to succeed at school (Hamilton &
Hamilton, 1994; Solberg et al., 2002).
314
teachers represent an integral part of the development of children’s and ad-
olescents’ personality, and can thus importantly contribute to their per-
sonal development and the development of strategies for preventing and
resolving problems in school or at a later time in life (Masten & Motti-
Stefanidi, 2009), and can also be of significant value in children’s decisions
on their own career paths (Vršnik Perše, 2016). The active role of parents
(also in cooperation with school staff) in providing at-risk students with
conditions (emotional support, advice) in which they will be able to accom-
plish this important developmental task as well as they can is equally and
crucially important (Rutar Leban, 2016).
To ensure the provision of holistic and effective career guidance,
cross-sectoral cooperation, especially entailing actors from the world of em-
ployment and work (public guidance services, public employment services,
NGOs, private enterprises), is vital (European Commission, 2015; Eurydice,
2014: 99-100). In this framework, the idea of work-based learning has been
especially relevant in the EU setting in the last few years. Providing op-
portunities at an early stage to allow students to experience the world of
work, for example via ‘tasters’ in enterprises, can help them understand job
demands and employers’ expectations (European Commission, 2015: 20–
21). ACTE (2007) and the European Commission (2013) even contend that
workplace experience can motivate at-risk students to continue their edu-
cation and become more focused on their future career choices.
Conclusion
The role of career education and guidance in preventing ESL is widely ac-
knowledged in EU discourse and academic discussions. Career manage-
ment skills, defined as a range of competencies which provide structured
ways for individuals (and groups) to gather, analyse, synthesise and organ-
ise self-related, educational and occupational information, as well as the
skills needed to make and implement decisions and transitions (ELGPN,
2010) among others, especially target two (individual) ESL risk factors (lack
of relevance of schooling and lack of educational/career aspirations). A key
assumption of the current career development research and practice is that
students who have a career plan and are able to understand and internalise
the connections between school and work will be more actively engaged in
their academic tasks and be more likely to succeed at school (Hamilton &
Hamilton, 1994; Solberg et al., 2002).
314
