Page 4 - euroguidance-insight-newsletter-2019-spring

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Estonians’ desire for efficiency launched a reform in

lifelong guidance

From January 2019 career guidance in Estonia is now being provided and developed by the employment
sector. The Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund has extended its scope and from now on covers the
whole population. There are two new institutions – the re-launched National Guidance Forum and the
Archimedes Foundation as a new home for the national Euroguidance centre.

Before the Golden Age of Guidance until inefficient use of human and financial resources.
the end of 2018 Accordingly, Estonia is currently in a middle of a
career guidance reform. Until the end of 2018, career
guidance was provided by both education and
Since 2015, after the public employment service
(PES; Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund / employment systems. Starting from 2019 career
information and career counselling services are being
Eesti Töötukassa) started to provide services to
working adults as well, therefore the public guidance offered by and developed in the PES. In practical
terms, it means that the career guidance personnel
services became available for everyone, the so-called
golden age of guidance in Estonia was born. For the from Rajaleidja centres were transferred to PES.
Foundation Innove supports educational institutions
first time in history, the policy makers were proud to
say that public lifelong guidance was a reality. In in the implementation of the national curricula. In
general education, this includes the implementation of
principle, the support to identify capacities,
competences and interests in order to make compulsory central topics such as “Lifelong learning
and career planning” and a career-related elective
meaningful educational, training and occupational
decisions and to manage individual life paths was subject. In vocational education (VET), the focal point
is the generic skills modules, which consist of career
ensured free of charge.
topics combined with entrepreneurship skills which
The development of career management skills was are an obligatory part of every VET curriculum.
supported by the national curricula at all education
levels. Foundation Innove with its regional Rajaleidja
New institutions
centres (Pathfinder centre in English) was provided
for young people (age 7 – 26) focusing on the needs
of the pupils in lower and upper secondary education In order to ensure the coordinated development and
(age 15 – 19). The public employment service the provision of career guidance, the National
supported unemployed, inactive and employed Guidance Forum was re-established. Several national
people. In addition, as part of Youth Guarantee there stakeholders and relevant ministries are members,
was an extra initiative to support young people and the main task of the Forum is to agree on and
entering the labour market and to bring those not in monitor the career services’ development goals, and
education or at work (NEETs) back to education. to propose further actions necessary to widen the
access to and increase the quality of career guidance.
After the Improvement of the Golden Age International co-operation in the field of lifelong
since January 2019 guidance has also been reorganized. The new
stakeholder in the field is the Archimedes Foundation.
However, the Estonian government acknowledged Euroguidance Estonia is the Estonian National
that there was some room for improvement both Resource Centre for Guidance providing a range of
regarding access and quality. It was recognized that services to Estonian guidance professionals and to
the previous system with overlapping target groups professionals abroad. As a member of the
caused the replication of services and therefore Euroguidance Network, we provide support in the�