The Project Learning for Young Adults (PUM) programme introduces a holistic approach. In the process various institutions are contacted (social services centre, ESS local office, etc.) and we noticed that some counsellors are poorly aware of their clients' problems and limit the provision of service to only one segment.

There is a lack of clear criteria in approaching today's generation of young adults. It is unclear what the needs and wishes of the youth are.

The professionals from different fields do not cooperate, which is contradictory and illogical.

There is an influence of consumer mentality and a deviation from true concern for fellow humans.

Reasons:

• Consumerism;
• Lack of responsibility;
• Egocentric self-sufficiency;
• Poor cooperation among different professions;
• Influence of materialistic values;
• Partial approach;
• Lack of concern in the profession for the real condition of the youth, i.e. theoretically scientific approach based on rigid statistics;
• Bureaucratic and rigid system – working with people cannot be limited to office hours only. It is hard to imagine, how a certain counsellor can, according to test results only, find whether the individual is suitable or unsuitable for a certain profession.

Consequences:

• Unsuitable counselling;
• High drop-out rates in secondary education;
• Inadequate understanding of problems;
• Poor counselling, leading to overwhelmingly bad condition among the youth;
• Dissatisfaction;
• Lack of motivation and personal commitment;
• Partial approach;
• No way out, “mass production” and moving away from humane and altruistic values.

Possible solutions:

• Raising awareness towards altruistic values → change of mentality.
• Emphasis on knowledge, cooperation and holistic approach;
• Personal approach;
• Individual counselling;
• More counsellors to improve quality of counselling.