Through establishment of first five counselling centres for adults in 2005, we faced unwillingness to cooperate by other organizations in the local environment. Counselling centres were perceived as competition in the education and labour market instead of a partner that complements the supply at the labour market through specific activity and wishes to cooperate with others to improve its work and meet the needs of adults and educators at the same time. Local counselling network was well accepted in some areas and less in others. However, the data after the first four years of activity for the first five counselling centres show that the partners are satisfied with their cooperation in the local counselling network, which confirms that it is reasonable to invest in partner cooperation and continue with further development.

In my opinion, the reasons for lack of partnership between different role-players are following:

• Experts in organizations are insufficiently aware of the fact that partnership is created only through continuous development and cooperation;
• In order for such cooperation to be systematic, common goals, activities and forms of cooperation need to be defined;
• Such cooperation needs to be monitored and evolved on the basis of new development goals;
• Not all organizations are ready for such roles and tasks.

Until now, the quality standards in educational counselling, employment and career development were not widely discussed. Different fields have perhaps started dealing with this issue in the last few years, but not transparently enough to make it widely recognizable or to enable discussion on common, national quality standards in career guidance.

Reasons

Cooperation of key role-players:

• Insufficient awareness of the importance of cooperation;
• Insufficient knowledge of partnerships;
• Insufficient experience in partnerships.

Ensuring quality services:

• There is no comprehensive monitoring of counselling activities at the national level (quantitative and qualitative indicators are needed);
• Financing of activities was not associated with the insurance of a certain counselling service quality.

Consequences

Cooperation of key role-players:

• Insufficient cooperation, causing lower efficiency of certain activities;
• Not enough of joint activities at the national level.

Ensuring quality services:

• Absence of national quality indicators;
• No insight into the quality of work of certain activities (especially results/services).

Possible solutions

Cooperation of key role-players:

• Departments that create policy and development in this field should support more extensive cooperation of role-players;
• Spreading expert knowledge and experience on the importance of partnerships and cooperation.

Ensuring quality services:

• Comprehensive monitoring of counselling activities at national level;
• Financing and developmental stimulations should base on the quality of services.