Educational And Vocational Guidance In The European Community

This document synthesizes the findings of case studies of career guidance and advice for adults in the European Union. Section 1 examines the problems of helping the following groups: marginalized individuals in need of vocational or social (re)integration; individuals in the process of becoming marginalized, individuals who appear to be "problem free"; and groups adversely affected by the economic recession. The case study findings pertinent to the issue of facilitating adults' social, personal, and/or occupational transitions are detailed in section 2. Special attention is paid to facilitating vocational integration, encouraging self-esteem and determination, teaching adults to network, helping adults make the best use of what they have learned, and helping adults reacquire a social role and reintegrate into temporary or permanent settings. Section 3 presents the following institutional solutions to the problems of personalizing help, advice, and guidance and offering guidance for the medium- or long-term future: improving services at the individual level, preventing marginalization, developing policies at the European and national levels, adopting a multidisciplinary and holistic approach, and linking passive and active measures. Appended is information about quantitative and qualitative methods of evaluating counseling services and evaluation for cost-benefit analyses and services adapted to needs. The report contains 35 references. (MN)