UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ Theme 4 Impact Evidence and

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ Theme 4: Impact Evidence and Impact Measurement - Steps taken in Finland 2001 - 2007 Raimo Vuorinen Senior Researcher, Ph. D. Institute for Educational Research University of Jyväskylä, Finland Fourth International Symposium on Career Development and Public Policy, October 24, 2007, Aviemore, Scotland RV/24/10/2007

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ Themes g g g Recent evaluations of guidance in Finland Quality features and challenges remaining… Strategy to develop a framework for a national feedback mechanism in Finland 2007 -2013 RV/24/10/2007

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ National evaluations of guidance 2000 - 2007 OECD activity on guidance policies 2001 -2003 Comprehensive schools National Board of Education 2001 -2002 Upper secondary schools Vocational colleges FINHEEC 2000 -2001 + Follow-up 2005 NBE 2003 -2005 Employment offices - Vocational guidance and career planning - Educational and vocational information services - Employment exchange services Adult education EU-DGempl 2005 -2006 EU Commission 2004 Polytechnics Universities Ministry of Labour 2001 -2002 Centre for International Mobility CIMO - Euroguidance Finland RV/24/10/2007

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ Key quality features in guidance practise in Finland g Educational settings: – Career guidance as a student entitlement in legislation – Career guidance as a part of national core curriclula – The competences for career practitioners defined in legislation g PES settings: – Tiered services in employment offices – Qualifications of vocational psychologists defined in legislation RV/24/10/2007

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ Recent quality features in guidance policy development in Finland g g As a result of the national and international evaluations lifelong guidance has been included in the key documents of educational and labour market policies National cross-sectoral initiatives based on the evaluation recommendations Network of regional cross-sectoral fora established Cross-sectoral thematic working groups feed the national policy development – still need for a sustainable national lifelong guidance forum RV/24/10/2007

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ Some features of the current evidence base – PES settings g g Systematic client and careers guidance database and statistics Systematic customer and quality feed back surveys and occasional studies on outcomes of services, results and productivity The main feedback system of labour market training is an online Internet based tool (OPAL) In co-operation with the employers the Ministry of Labour provides cyclical and seasonal information and forecasts on employment and recruitments RV/24/10/2007

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ Some features of the current evidence base – Educational settings g g g Due to the decentralised administration there is little national comprehensive data available in addition to the occasional national evaluations The local authorities are required to evaluate their guidance services in connection with the overall evaluation of the educational institutions The National Board of Education has developed online tools which can be used in evaluating guidance services within institutions. RV/24/10/2007

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ Challenges remaining… g The evaluations revealed that there is a need: – to develop a more sustainable evidence base to support the policy development, especially for the purposes of quality assurance of the overall arrangements of guidance and for assessments of impact and cost-effectiveness – for more explicit legislation related to guidance – to strenghten the user voice in the guidance policy development RV/24/10/2007

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ Suggested strategy to develop a framework for a national feedback mechanism g g g The development of the feedback mechanism will be integrated in the design and implementation of national pilot projects in lifelong guidance 2007 -2013 The development of the feedback mechanism includes training of researchers Establisment of a strong co-operation network of Finnish and international universities and research institutes for the needs of the educational and labour administrations RV/24/10/2007

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ Suggested strategy to develop a framework for a national feedback mechanism (2) The overall goal is to focus on general factors of lifelong guidance and some specific context related factors of guidance g Tools for service providers for self-evaluation g – Support for the documentation of their provision – Data for national evidence base g Interfaces to feed the national lifelong guidance policy development RV/24/10/2007

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ Suggested strategy to develop a framework for a national feedback mechanism (3) g Themes of the development work – Linkages of career development and labour force development – Linkages of guidance in the design and implementation of the educational system – Linkages of guidance in the new ministerial structure in Finland – Evaluation of the quality and effectiveness of different service delivery modes RV/24/10/2007

EU -Cedefop/ETF Int Tr erfa an ce sn s, ati co on -o al pe pil rat ot i pro on in jec ts OECD/ IAEVG/ ICCDPP Developing evidence base for guidance practise and policy development in Finland 2007 -2013 Ministry of Industry and employment Ministry of education NBE Linkages with ministries Nordic countries -2007 National framework for a feedback mechanism on lifelong guidance - A common structure for data collection Tools for documentation and self-evaluation of the guidance provision Comprehensive education 2. level HE Integration within national pilot projects funded by the Ministry of Education and the NBE Adult education Parallel national systems e. g. Statistics Finland Companies PES settings Integration with the development programme RV/24/10/2007 within adult education 2007 -2013

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ Steps taken to implement the strategy… g g The Finnish National Board of Education has included theme in their next work program The Ministry of Labour has commissioned a national study to evaluate the new role of vocational guidance in PES settings Establishment of the National Centre for Lifelong Guidance Expertise (pilot phase 2006 -2011, University of Jyväskylä) Discussions on the interface of the national strategy with parallel international initiatives e. g. : – Linkages with the European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network Work program 2008 -2009 – Linkages with the Nordic network on the quality of guidance – Linkages with the CRWG in Canada RV/24/10/2007

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ Conclusions: g g Finland has not solved the question yet… However, the recent joint ministerial working groups have provided an opportunity to invest on sustainable research and development of the evidence base while redesigning the service delivery modes in cooperation with research & training units The implementation of the strategy provides opportunities and potentials for transnational co-operation… … RV/24/10/2007

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ Thank you! For further information, please contact: Raimo Vuorinen, Ph. D. Senior researcher, Co-ordinator of the ELGPN Institute for educational research P. O. Box 35 FI-40014 University of Jyväskylä (Street address: Keskussairaalantie 2, Building Opinkivi) tel. +358 -14 -2603271, Mobile +358 -50 -3611909 Fax +358 -14 -2603201 email: raimo. vuorinen@ktl. jyu. fi www: http: //ktl. jyu. fi/ Skype: vuorai RV/24/10/2007