In the past it was believed that career guidance was something for psychologists and social workers at schools. Today, lot of other experts are contributing their knowledge in these activities (economists, sociologists, educators of adults), which brings new expertise, and new perceptions. Counsellors would need quality training for their work, which would give them the necessary expert knowledge in the light of ongoing changes.

In the EIM, Centre for Development of Human Resources, we are noticing that additional training of the counsellors is left to these organizations themselves, and is therefore relying on the initiative of people working in this field. There is a lack of information on novelties from the Employment Centre of Slovenia, other expert institutions, and role-players that are active in this field. Possibilities for additional training are very scarce as well as consultations and meetings, which would serve as a possibility for exchange of experiences and examples of best practice.

The role of guidance practitioners is increasingly changing. A guidance practitioner should help his clients to think about themselves, their knowledge, personal characteristics, and capabilities for a certain vocation. Coaching is a good tool for such tasks, where a coach guides the client, through a set of questions, into contemplation about themselves. A guidance practitioner must be well informed on curriculum of education institutions, vocations, trends in various fields, which can directly and indirectly affect the labour market. The key factor in the guidance process is the capability of the guidance practitioner to adequately provide information to his/her client, to offer them tools with the help of which they can come to a well informed decision, and to offer them support through the whole process.

Reasons for the lack of training opportunities for guidance practitioners:

• It is unclear whose responsibility it is to provide additional training and information for career guidance practitioners;
• No standards exist, as in regard to the necessary knowledge and skills for career guidance practitioners; for this reason they do not know which knowledge they are lacking;
• Expensive education programmes.

Consequences:

• Some practitioners are not trained enough to do their job. Their training depends too much on their self-initiative to learn. On the other hand, the psychologists often know too little about vocations and changes on the labour market, while other profiles (economists, social workers, sociologists) do not posses enough “soft skills” (communication, motivation) and capabilities to interpret tests/questionnaires;
• Practitioners lack information on new breakthroughs and do not take into account the trends in the job-market (supply and demand); they are not familiar with various vocations, details regarding enrolment into study programmes, the bologna process, etc.;
• Inadequate counselling. The role of the counsellors in a market economy has changed. The counsellor should inform the client, offer them tools, and encourage them to contemplate various possibilities - however - the final decision is left to the clients themselves. A consequence of the “old style of counselling” is that a lot of people think that counsellors have led them down a wrong path.

Possible solutions:

• Setting standards for career guidance practitioners;
• Establishment of an institution that will inform guidance practitioners on novelties in the field and organize training on new tools, tests, approaches, etc.