CYPRUS - cedefop.europa.eu · CYPRUS Author: George CHRISTODOULIDES Senior Advisor, Consultancy Unit of Intercollege This report was the subject of an official consultation process

REPORT COMMISSIONED BY THE EUROPEAN TRAINING FOUNDATIONUSING THE OECD CAREER GUIDANCE QUESTIONNAIRE

REVIEW OF CAREER GUIDANCE POLICIES

FINAL REPORT

CYPRUS

Author:

George CHRISTODOULIDESSenior Advisor, Consultancy Unit of Intercollege

This report was the subject of an official consultation process during May and June2003 with the Ministry of Education and Culture and Ministry of Labour and SocialInsurance in Cyprus. The text has not yet been subject to final editing or language

revision.

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This national report (based on the OECD questionnaire on career guidance policies) wasprepared in October 2002 by:

Dr George Christodoulides who is a Senior Adviser with the Consultancy Unit ofIntercollege, Cyprus. He is an accredited consultant in quality systems management and inhuman resources. He teaches Strategic Management at undergraduate and MBA level. Hehas been Headmaster of a Technical School, Director of the Higher Technological Institute,Director of Technical & Vocational Education, Chairman of the Cyprus StandardsOrganisation, and Consultant for the World Bank and UNESCO in Technical Educational andTraining. E-mail for correspondence: [email protected]

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CONTENTS

1. Overview

2. Key goals, influences, issues and initiatives

3. Policy instruments for steering services

4. The roles of the stakeholders

5. Targeting and access

6. Staffing

7. Delivery settings

8. Delivery methods

9. Career information

10. Financing

11. Assuring quality

12. The evidence base

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1. OVERVIEW

Here we would like a brief overview of arrangements for information, guidance and counselling servicesin your country.

1.1 Please provide a brief (no more than one page) overview of nationalarrangements for career information, guidance and counselling services inyour country.

In answering this please describe the principal service providers, and indicate the extent to which theprovision of career information, guidance and counselling overlaps with or is integrated with otherservices. Indicate how responsibility both for managing and for funding information, guidance andcounselling services is divided: between different Ministries (for example Education and Labour);between different levels of government; and between governments and other providers. If possible,include as an Annex the contact details and homepages of key players and main providers ofservices. (Note: questions that allow more detailed descriptions of services can be found elsewherein the questionnaire).

The national arrangements for career information, guidance and counselling services inCyprus are as per the brief description below:

a) The main providers of these services are the Ministry of Education & Culture (ME&C)and the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance (ML&SI). Some other providers arethe Tertiary Education Institutions (The University of Cyprus, and the PrivateColleges), the Cyprus Youth Organisation, the Private Agencies and, to some extent,the Human Resource Development Authority (HRDA).

b) These services are, mostly, independent of each other. The services provided byML&SI are done through the Public Employment Services (PES), whilst those of theHRDA are part of its overall manpower development policies.

c) The services by ME&C which are directed to the students of the secondary schoolsare mostly of a counselling nature though they also provide information about studyand career opportunities. The services of the ML&SI are of an information natureabout job vacancies and about training opportunities and are mostly directed to theunemployed.

d) There is no division of these services by levels of government: those of the ME&C aredone at the schools and at the central office of the ME&C whilst those of the ML&SIare done at the PES. The Local Authorities are not involved.

e) The real other division is that between Government Departments and the PrivateInstitutions (including the Cyprus University and the Private Colleges) and refer alsoto the Cyprus Youth Organisation (a government funded independent Organisation)and to the Private Agencies.

Contact Details:

(i) ME&C: “Service for Counselling and Occupational/Career Education”e-mail: [email protected] page: www.moec.gov.cy (the relevant text is still underpreparation)

(ii) ML&SI: “Department of Labour/Information Services”e-mail: [email protected] page: (under construction)

(iii) Cyprus University: “Department of Student Affairs and Studies Services”e-mail: [email protected] page: www.ucy.ac.cy (the relevant text is still under preparation)

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2. KEY GOALS, INFLUENCES, ISSUES AND INITIATIVE

Here we would like you to provide information about the broad goals for information, guidance andcounselling services, about the influences that are shaping these services, about the key issues in theirorganisation, management and delivery, and about important recent initiatives.

2.1 What are the key objectives and goals of national policies for information,guidance and counselling services in your country? Please describedifferences in objectives and goals that might exist between Ministries. Wherea legislative basis exists for these objectives and goals, please providedetails.

For the Ministry of Education and Culture

The Service has been recently re-named as “Service for Counselling andOccupational/Career Education” from its original title of “Service for Guidance andOccupational/Career Orientation”. The emphasis now is on Counselling the student afterhe/she has been helped/educated to identify his/her strengths and other characteristics aswell as to discover his/her inclinations so as to be able to make a considered choice of his/herstudies and career orientation. The second objective – viz. the career orientation is, however,of rather secondary importance as a policy objective: the person and its further developmentis in the center of focus and its career is rather in the periphery.

The legal basis of policy making emanates from the empowerment granted to the Ministry bythe respective Operational Regulations approved by the House of Representatives, asprovided by the various Education Acts No 10 of 1969 to No 12 (I) of 1999.

One major aspect of these Operational Regulations are the Schemes of Service for each post(including those of the Counselling Officers) which are legal instruments, since they requireapproval by the House of Representatives.

For the Ministry of Labour & Social Insurance

The key objectives and goals for information, guidance and counselling services of ML&SI arerelated to the vacancies and to the training courses available for the benefit of theunemployed, for those seeking better employment and for particular groups like the youngdrop-outs from school who may be interested in joining the Apprenticeship System.

The legal basis for those services emanates from the General Regulations regarding thefunctions of the Ministry and from the numerous pieces of various other circumstantiallegislations.

2.2 What are the major social, educational and labour market influences that arecurrently shaping national policies for information, guidance and counsellingservices?

The major influences shaping the national policies of the ME&C for information are primarilyeducational and social, whilst of secondary consideration are the labour market needs. Forthe ML&SI the major influences relate to the policy reducing unemployment.

2.3 What are the most important issues facing policy makers in your country inthe organisation, management and delivery of information, guidance andcounselling services?

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The most important issues facing policy makers appear to be: improvements in theorganizational structure, so as to make the service more coherent, in strengthening thestaffing to enable it to offer the time required and in improving delivery process as well asmanaging the effectiveness and the up-dating of the system.

2.4 Please describe any recent (last five years) initiatives and changes that are ofparticular significance for the organisation, management, funding, staffing, ordelivery of information, guidance and counselling services.

For example you might like to describe initiatives such as: government reports that haverecommended new approaches or new priorities, new methods and philosophies of providingservices (for example within the context of lifelong learning), new or proposed legislation andregulations, new or upgraded services or the down-sizing or elimination of existing services, changedpriorities for access to services, changed responsibilities between agencies for the provision ofservices, new education and training requirements for staff, initiatives to engage citizens in theplanning and delivery of services, changes in the involvement of the private sector, technologicaldevelopments that have made a real difference to the ways in which services are delivered and/oraccessed

Recent Changes (itemized as per the Questionnaire Guidelines)• no specific Government reports are published on the relevant issues;• life-long learning issues are still an unshaped national policy;• no specific new or proposed legislation/regulations are under preparation;• the relevant services have been upgraded including introduction of some sorts of

psychological and aptitude testing services;• priorities for access to services have included the “Zones of Education Priorities”

and students with Special Needs;• no discernible changes in responsibilities between agencies have been noted;• staff qualifications as contained in the revised Schemes of Service of the post

emphasizing the need for having appropriate background inpsychology/sociology;

• no discernible initiatives to engage citizens in planning, though citizens havebeen used in the delivery on an ad-hoc basis;

• some initiatives to extend information services to parents have been taken;• no discernible changes in the involvement of the private sector have been noted;• continuous improvements in the delivery and access to information by using CD-

ROM and other appropriate technological media.

3. POLICY INSTRUMENTS FOR STEERING SERVICES

Here we wish to know about the key policy instruments that are used to steer information, guidance andcounselling services, and about how policy goals are translated into service delivery.

3.1 How important is legislation in steering information, guidance andcounselling services in your country? Please briefly describe the main piecesof legislation that directly affect information, guidance and counsellingservices. More complete details and examples can be provided in an Annex.

There is no specific relevant ligislation that steers the information, guidance and counsellingservices of Cyprus. The legitimacy of the organization and management of these servicesemanates from the general Operational Regulations which are modified from time-to-time bythe Council of Ministers on the recommendation of the respective Ministries and which areratified by the House of Representatives. A number of the substantive issues are, also,influenced by the provisions contained in the relevant Schemes of Service of the variousposts of the officers and staff which make up the Services for Counselling and

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Occupational/Career Education. These Schemes of Services constitute legal instruments.(see also item 2.2 of Section 2)

3.2 What other instruments are normally used for the political steering ofinformation, guidance and counselling services and to monitorimplementation?

For example you might like to describe the use of instruments such as outcomes targets, mandatoryor voluntary service quality standards, mandatory or voluntary competency standards andqualification standards for staff, competitive tendering for services and the like.

There is no specific instrument which is normally and by design used for political steering andfor monitoring implementation other than what applies to the otherServices/Units/Departments of the Ministry where the overall management and control isexercised hierarchically by the Director, by the Permanent Under-Secretary and by theMinister.

Occasions, however, for a review of the situation are offered through the occasion of thesubmission for internal circulation of the relevant Annual Reports on the work done by eachService /Unit/ Department. Any (negative) deviation from previous targets and standardsusually calls for explanations and reviews.

3.3 Please describe how government regulation, funding and provision ofinformation, guidance and counselling services are related to one another. Isthe same (government) body typically responsible for all three, or are theycarried out by separate agencies?

All three items: regulation, funding and provision of the services are the responsibility of eachMinistry. Funding, however, mostly for the staffing of the Service and for any organizationrestructuring needs, is negotiated at the level of the Council of Ministers and at the Housewhen the annual budget of each Ministry is reviewed and voted upon.

3.4 What mechanisms, if any, exist for co-ordinating information, guidance andcounselling services: between different Ministries; between different levels ofgovernment; between governments and other parties such as employers,trade unions, the private sector, and community groups; between services foryouth and for adults; and between the different agencies that provideservices? What barriers exist to co-ordination of services and to networkingamong providers?

No specific and active mechanisms for coordinating information, guidance and counsellingservices exist which have any material influence on what each of the two main Ministeries(Education and Labour) does or aims at doing. There is, however, a form of liaison/networkbetween those two main Ministeries for the exchange of information which, implicitly, helps inthe re-thinking and review of mutual policies and practices and in the improvement of thequality of the services that are provided by each side.

The potential role of other parties such as the Employers, Trade-Unions, ParentsAssociations, Students Associations, or the Private Sector providers are not, as yet, part ofany institutionalized mechanisms for coordination, delivery or for policy making. There are,however, no real barriers other than the apparent delays in institutionalizing such amechanism or even for a networking arrangement at the operational level.

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4. THE ROLES OF THE STAKEHOLDERS

Here we wish to know about the roles played some key stakeholders other than government Ministries --such as employer organisations and trade unions – in information, guidance and counselling services.

4.1 What role do employer organisations play in regulating or fundinginformation, guidance and counselling services?

For example by participating in advisory and co-ordination bodies; by contributing to common fundsfor information, guidance and counselling services; through providing employee leave to take part incareer guidance; or through participation in programme management committees.

Employer Organizations do not play any specific role in regulating or funding the information,guidance and counselling services in areas such as: participation in advisory services or incoordinating bodies of the Ministry of Education or of the Ministry of Labour, directlycontributing funds; offering by themselves guidance and counselling; providing in a plannedmanner employees leave to participate in such services.

4.2 What initiatives do employer organisations take to help provide information,guidance and counselling services?

For example: involvement in career information programmes in schools and tertiary education; theprovision of guidance and counselling; organising careers fairs and exhibitions; or the production ofcareer information.

Individual employers (usually major organizations) do participate in the provision ofinformation programmes in schools and tertiary education institutions as well as in career fairsand exhibitions.Some major employers of parastatal status publish their own career info.

They do, nevertheless, accept students who are placed in industry for familiarizationpurposes, mostly done during the “Week for Familiarization with the World of Work” duringwhich they are given organized info tours and allowed to be partially involved in what is beingdone; the scheme provides, also, for report/comments by the respectiveSupervisors/Managers.

4.3 Does employer involvement in information, guidance and counsellingservices tend to be:

In answering this question please tick the box that best applies. You might also like to add somedescriptive material in support of your response.

Seldom Occasional Regular1 2 3 X 4 5

Local

Mostly local,but somenational 50-50

Mostlynational, butsome local National

1 2 3X 4 5

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Trade Unions

4.4 Do trade unions play a role in regulating or funding information, guidance andcounselling services?

For example through participating in advisory and co-ordination bodies, or in programmemanagement committees.

Trade Unions do not play any role in regulating or funding the information, guidance andcounselling services of the Ministry of Education or of the Ministry of Labour in areas such as:participation in counselling services or in coordinating bodies or in programme managementcommittees.

4.5 What initiatives do trade unions take in providing information, guidance andcounselling services?

For example involvement in career information programmes in schools; providing guidance andcounselling; or producing career information. Here also describe any initiatives taken by trade unionsto provide information, guidance and counselling services to their own members.

The Trade Unions do not participate in any organized manner in the provision of careerinformation.

They do, however, offer (though in a non systematic way) information, guidance andcounselling services to their members on future job prospects and direct them to appropriatetraining courses.

One rather indirect way of exercising control over the supply and demand situation is by theirinfluence as to the number of trainees and the type of training courses offered by Institutionson whose Board of Management they may participate within the general policy for TripartiteCooperation, such as in the Higher Hotel Institute and the HRDA.

4.6 Does trade union involvement in information, guidance and counsellingservices tend to be:

In answering this question please tick the box that best applies. You might also like to add somedescriptive material in support of your response.

Seldom Occasional Regular1 2X 3 4 5

Local

Mostly local,but somenational 50-50

Mostlynational, butsome local National

1 2X 3 4 5

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Other Stakeholders

4.7 Please describe ways in which policies encourage other stakeholders – suchas parents, associations of students, alumni, community organisations,educational institutions or the end-users of services -- to play a role ininformation, guidance and counselling services.

For example through roles that are expressed in legislation; through policies to contract serviceprovision to non-government organisations; through membership of advisory bodies; throughmembership of programme management committees.

Other stakeholders are not, in general, active in the field. Exceptions, of an ad-hoc/occupational involvement, do exist such as by some Student Unions and AlumniAssociations who offer information mainly about study opportunities abroad.

A recent, however, partner in the field of information is the National Youth Organisation whichdraws funds from the Government budget and which, among other activities, has establishedin the capital, Nicosia, an information center at a central and accessible spot where youth canfind leaflets, brochures/catalogues as well as info on CD-ROM about study and trainingopportunities. This service is planned to be, also, available on the internet.

Note by the Consultant

It would be useful if someone can take the initiative to catalyse a meeting of all keystakeholders such as the Employers, the Trade Union, the Parents Association, the StudentsUnions, the National Youth Organization and the Disabled People Association with the Headof the Counselling Unit of the ME&C, the Director of the Employment Services of the ML&SI,the Association of School Counsellors and other Providers to identify the needs of the endusers as well as the linkages between education policy and Information, Counselling andGuidanceservices.

5. TARGETING AND ACCESS

Here we want to know about priorities for access to information, guidance and counselling services. Thissection also asks about how services are provided for adults.

5.1 Please describe any priorities or target groups for information, guidance andcounselling services, including how priority needs are established.

For example target groups might include: school students; young people; adults; unemployed people;those receiving social welfare benefits; tertiary education students; employees; refugees andmembers of ethnic minorities.

The main target group for the Ministry of Education and Culture Services are the schoolstudents of the following school grades:grade 9: (grade 3 of Gymnasium) for study options which would be offered in grades 10

and 11 at the Comprehensive Lyceum and at the Technical and VocationalSchools (grades 1 and 2 of these schools).

grade 10: (grade 1 of Lyceum/Technical Schools) on study options within the schoolgrade 11: (grade 2 of Lyceum) where they participate in the “Week for Familiarization withthe World of Work”

There is, also, an information Guide on the study offerings which are available at the TertiaryEducation Institutions.

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The Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance’s main target groups are those of theunemployed and those who receive social welfare benefits.

The other main groups such as: young people in general, adults, tertiary education students,employees, refugees (which are a rather insignificant small group) and members of ethnicminorities (such as those who are legal immigrants/Greeks from the Pontos area of southernRussia), are not treated as special priority target groups, apparently because they do not faceany particular problem regarding their employment.

The Private Counselling and Employment Services, usually target their services to secondaryschool graduates on the study opportunities offered at Tertiary Education Institutions and toTertiary Education graduates seeking employment. Their impact, however, is still ratherlimited, on account of the small number of these Services.

It is realized, however, that some disadvantaged groups such as a) people living in the ruralcentral mountaineous region where access is not as easy and comfortable as for those livingin the rural plain and coastal areas, b) women out of work, c) older aged people and d)handicapped persons, do need special attention and services.

5.2 How are any such priorities or targets expressed?

For example give details of any legislation that provides rights or entitlements to services forparticular groups.

There is no special legislation that regulates the establishment of priorities, though the recentJAP (Joint Assessment Paper) which details employment policies and priorities is, now, actingas a virtual instrument for such targeting.

5.3 Where such priorities exist, what active steps are taken to ensure that accessto services is possible for target groups?

For example “one-stop-shops”; drop-in services that do not require appointments; telephone help-lines; use of community organisations for service delivery; targeted advertising.

Active steps: The Ministry of Education operates centrally in Nicosia a one-stop-shop facilityfor use by students and parents as well as for updating the school Counsellors, which has alibrary with leaflets and catalogues of study providers on scholarships and on other topics ofinterest to students and parents. Some such information is available on CD-ROM.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance is currently upgrading its information, guidanceand counselling services through the CPS computerized system. (see, also, section 8.1below)There is, also, a drop-in service which (as explained in 4.7 above) is operated by the NationalYouth Organization, which is planned to be, also, linked to an internet service.

These services, however, are meant for the various groups of interested people and notparticularly designed for the special needs of such targeted groups as identified in Item 1above.

5.4 Typically, are different methods used to provide services for different targetgroups?

There are two basic differences in the ways that the services are used for different targetgroups: those which are managed by the Ministry of Education and Culture where they mostlyprovide information and some forms of aptitude tests to students of secondary education and

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those managed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance where they mostly provideinformation about training opportunities and about job vacancies of interest to unemployedpeople who register with the PES.

5.5 Do examples exist in which individuals are required to take part in guidanceand counselling?

For example to continue to receive social security benefits or pensions; or to avoid expulsion fromschool.

There are no real examples where individuals are required to take part in guidance andcounselling services, except perhaps in the case of the grade 9 students (grade 3 of theGymnasium) where the education/career guidance is part of the class sessions offered forone semester and which are expected to be attended by the students, to the extent thatattendance of such class session is as required for all other school subjects.

Access to the services, in general, is optional and is encouraged by word of mouth, by theclass Teachers, some times by the Education Psychologist Service, by the WelfareServices/Family Counsellors of the ML&SI, by Parents and by the Officers of the PublicEmployment Services (PES).

The National Youth Organisation and the Private Counselling Agencies promote their servicesthrough the media, through circulars and through other communication means.

5.6 Do policies for information, guidance and counselling services favour:• A comprehensive approach (so that services are universally accessible and meet a

wide range of needs); or• A targeted approach that favours those in greatest need; or• Both of these approaches.

The policies for information, guidance and counselling services favour both approaches(Comprehensive and Targeted)

5.7 Please describe the major gaps, if any, in the provision of information,guidance and counselling services. Are there any groups whose needsappear to be met less effectively than others?

No particular major gaps appear to exist in the provision of the relevant services; however it islikely that the effectiveness of those services might be proved to need strengthening hadthere been an evaluation and monitoring/review exercise. A major gap may be identified inthe limited staff availability for the services provided by the ML & SI which, now, tends to re-direct emphasis to other pressing priorities. A parallel gap may, also, exist in the services ofthe ME & C on the number of available staff positions and on staff qualifications which maybenefit from further strengthening.

The groups that may need special attention beyond the ones targeted as per above, arethose of the youth living in rather remote areas, of the women out of employment, of theelderly workers and of the handicapped people (as, also, identified in Item1 above).

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Services for adults

5.8 Please describe how information, guidance and counselling services areorganised and provided for adults in your country.

For example: which agencies (educational institutions, community organisation, the publicemployment service) typically provide services for adults; are these different from the agencies thatprovide services for youth; how are different agencies co-ordinated; what priority do services foradults have compared to services for youth; what recent initiatives have been taken to provideservices to adults.

Services for adults as such are not particularly organized other than those for the unemployedand for those seeking better employment, as provided by the ML & SI, and described earlierin this Report, and those offered by the Institutions of Tertiary Education as well by the PrivateAgencies.

Note by the Consultant:

The role of the parents in career choices/professional studies is still substantial with deeproots into the local tradition. Counsellors, therefore, could acknowledge this fact and try toadopt a two directional objective: to enlighten parents on the criteria recommended to be usedfor the choice of a career for their children, and to encourage students to think independentlywhilst making correct choices.

6. STAFFING

Here we wish to know about the types of staff that provide information, guidance and counsellingservices in your country, and about their qualifications and competencies.

In answering this section, please describe differences between staff in the different settings in whichinformation, guidance and counselling services are provided: for example schools, tertiary education,community organisations, public employment services.

6.1 What types or categories of staff are employed to provide information,guidance and counselling services in your country?

For example information librarian, classroom careers teacher, school counsellor, public employmentservice counsellor.

Secondary Schools

Schools are staffed with school counsellors who have a first degree that could qualify them tobe engaged as teachers and who have a post-graduate (Diploma, or Masters) in Counselling.There is an increasing number of new appointees whose first degree is inpsychology/sociology. They perform all the relevant functions of information, guidance andcounselling and combine the role of classroom career teacher and of school counsellor, withfocus on the personal needs of the individual and with secondary objective that of careerguidance.

Some private secondary schools may have more organized services in career guidance andin counselling. Their number, however, is rather small and their impact is limited. (The studentnumbers in private schools are about 10% of the total).

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Tertiary Education

Counselling and career guidance is usually offered by the Student Affairs Departments which,however, have a more comprehensive agenda including enriching the students’ school lifethrough clubs/societies, sports etc. In addition, regarding information, the College Librariesare stocked with leaflets/catalogues and other education and career information but there isnot, generally speaking, any active promotion or delivery of such services.

Many Colleges offer Programme Pathway Advising Services by utilizing a combination offaculty and of members of staff earmarked for this purpose. Many, also, have theirprogrammes, including registration facilities, on the internet.

A recent development refers to the University of Cyprus whose Student Affairs Service hasbeen upgraded to cater for specific areas in Counselling and Career Guidance. Threepersons are dedicated to these services, one for psychological counselling, one forcounselling in study options and one for career guidance which includes psychometric tests.

ML&SI / PES (see Item 6.3 below)

Community Organizations

The National Youth Organisation engages persons with some experience and relevantqualifications that are judged by the Organisation as appropriate for their InformationServices.

Private Counselling and Guidance Agencies/Services

They are usually headed by persons with qualifications in Human Resources Managementand relevant experience background. They are usually assisted by other staff who can, also,perform aptitude and psychological tests and who have access to local and foreign educationand training providers.

6.2 What is the best information that can be provided on the number of staff, bytype or category, who are employed to provide information, guidance andcounselling services in your country? Please indicate if information on theirage, gender and equity group structure is available.

The School Counsellors/Classroom Career Teachers, employed by the ME & C total todayabout 95 persons with qualifications as per item 1 above, they are of rather younger ages asa result of the recent strengthening of these services; the majority of the staff are female.

The structure is rather flat: The Officer-in-Charge, (an experienced school counsellor) is underthe Director of Secondary General Education.

In some cases, other regular teaching staff with technical background and relevantdiploma/post-graduate qualification may be used as part-time visiting counselling serviceproviders to ensure that students of grade 9 who may be interested in choosing atechnical/vocational option are appropriately informed and guided.

The computation of the number of staff required is roughly based on the ratio of 1 full-timer to650 students for the Gymnasia (grades 7, 8, 9) and about 1: 800 for the Lyceums/Technicaland Vocational School (grades 10, 11, 12). The actual formula used (or being negotiatedbetween the Association of Teacher Counsellors and the ME & C) is somewhat moresophisticated, but the result is roughly as per above.

It should be clarified, however, that schools which are within the “Zone of EducationalPriorities” (which are classified as such on account of social and other schooling problems),

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are given higher priorities and there may be found that in such schools the ratio is about1:300 students.

Schools of a small-medium size are serviced by School Counsellors who are shared withother neighbouring schools.

For the ML&SI /PES, there are no specific quota of Officers assigned to such services. Thisdepends mostly on staff availability.

6.3 What education and training qualifications are the different types orcategories of career information, guidance and counselling staff required tohave? (Where qualifications are required, please indicate whether it isgovernment or a professional association that requires them, and describerelevant professional licensing bodies).

For example teaching qualifications, university degrees in psychology, special diplomas in guidanceand counselling, post-graduate qualifications, completion of in-service courses and so on. Pleasedescribe the length of the education and training and the type of qualification that it leads to. Pleasedescribe any differences in requirements between the different settings in which services areprovided.

The basic qualifications described in Item 1 above are usually supplemented by furthertraining sessions some organized by the Association of School Counsellors (a form of a TradeUnion) and other by the Pedagogical Institute of the ME&C for in-service teachers.

Furthermore, in-coming school counsellors are, now, required to attend an one year, of pre-service training and orientation courses organized by the Pedagogical Institute of which about20% of the programme is devoted to school counselling.

There are, also, opportunities for short scholarships and of visits to other institutions abroad.

The related qualifications by type of staff position and level of education and training can besummarized below:

! Information Librarians: (such a specific post does not exist)

Teaching qualifications; preferably degree in! Classroom Career Teachers psychology; diploma/post graduate qualification

and School Counselling: in guidance and counselling; pre-service training;in-service training

! Counsellors in Government Agencies: The Career information and counsellingstaff of the Department of Labour consist of two types of Labour Officers. The firstgroup consists of persons which are required to hold only a Secondary SchoolLeaving Certificate, though some of them have higher qualifications. Among theirduties and responsibilities is included “the collection of information on labour mattersand the preparation of relevant reports.”

The second cadre of Officers enter the Service at a higher level and are required tohold a university degree or title, or equivalent qualification in one or a combination ofsubjects such as: Economics, Social or Political Sciences, Psychology, Statistics, etc.which are relevant to labour matters. If a candidate has experience in the duties ofthe post this is considered to be an advantage. Among the duties and responsibilitiesof this cadre of Officers it is specifically mentioned: “In addition to the collection andanalysis of information, the conducting of studies and the preparations ofprogrammes, inter alia, for guidance and counselling of human resources as well asfollowing up the implementation of such programmes and the submission of reportson their implementations”. At the higher level of the hierarchy the duties and

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responsibilities of both kinds of Officers converge whereas a specified number ofyears of experience is required.In the case of HRDA, one of the functions of which is ‘the provision of services forinformation and guidance in relation to the selection of profession and employment’,the Schemes of Services for these Officers is of a general nature requiring that thecandidates should hold a University degree or title or equivalent qualification in anysubject relevant to the responsibilities of the Authority. A relevant experience or apost-graduate degree or title in any one of the above subjects will constitute anadvantage for the holder in the decision for recruitment.

! Counsellors in Public Agencies: Usually with qualifications in Human ResourceManagement and Aptitude and Psychological testing.

6.4 What, typically, are the types of competencies (or knowledge and skills) thatthese different types or categories of workers are required to have?

For example communication skills, group facilitation skills, individual and group assessment skills,labour market knowledge, knowledge of career development theory.

Other special competencies (knowledge and skills) related to the different categories/types ofstaff engaged in the relevant services of the Ministry’s of Education and Culture are notrequired as a pre-service selection qualification, other than what may be assessed in theirperformance during the organized pre-service training and induction courses described inItem 3 above. Poor performance in service effectiveness may disqualify them.

Developmental work is promoted during their service through appropriate seminars andexposure to the various information systems.

The relevant PES Officers receive on-the-job and other ad-hoc training (see also Item 6below)

6.5 How are the competencies or knowledge and skills required of those whoprovide information, guidance and counselling changing, and why? What isbeing done to meet these changing knowledge and skill needs?

There are no discernible changes in competencies requirements other than the preferencesshown for applicants with first degree in psychology/sociology.

The system, however, is becoming more and more aware of the need to upgrade therequirements for special competencies and skills such as in communication, group facilitation,assessment skills and knowledge of career development theory, though the system may notbe flexible enough to make such requirements mandatory, on account of trade union“protection” measures aimed at upholding established practices.

6.6 What opportunities exist for information, guidance and counselling servicestaff to update their knowledge and skills?

For example: Do industrial agreements allow time for recurrent education and skills upgrading? Whattime, and what programmes, do government agencies provide for the purpose? What recurrenteducation and skills upgrading courses are provided by tertiary institutions?

For the Counselling services of the ME&C there are no specific and systematic provisions ofupgrading training courses, though there are, occasionally, such opportunities organized byvarious institutions and by the Association of Counselling Teachers.

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For the services which are provided by the ML&SI, the situation is a follows:

There is no systematic program for continuous updating of skills of the Department of Labouror the HRDA. Occasionally members of the staff do attend Seminars or Symposia on subjectsof interest to the department locally or abroad. The whole issue is currently being studiedwithin the efforts undertaken to fill this and other gaps in the training of Civil Servants. Thecentral in-house training institute, the Cyprus Academy of Public Administration, is noworganizing a complete series of training programmes for the Officers who will comprise the‘Learning Units’ to be established in each Organisation. These Units will be responsible fordefining learning policies, identifying learning needs and preparing action plans. The final aimis to decentralize training to the respective Public Service Organisation.

6.7 Please describe any policies that exist to systematically make use of groupssuch as alumni, parents and local employers in delivering services.

For example by acting as mentors, or by visiting classes to provide information on careers.

No specific policies for systematic use of other, external to the system, groups in the deliveryservices; occasional use of such visitor services are made rather on the initiative of individualschools and counsellors.

Note by the Consultant

The Schemes of Service could be modified also to provide for incentives to engage womenprofessionals who can offer “living examples” as to the possibilities for young women toengage in careers which break through the traditional “gender choices.

7. DELIVERY SETTINGS

Here we would like to know about the delivery of services in different settings.

Schools

7.1 Are separate career education lessons a normal part of the schoolcurriculum? If so, for each school grade, please indicate whether or not suchlessons are required and the mandatory number of hours per year.

Regularly, all students of grade 9 (grade 3 of the Gymnasium) are exposed to class lessonsfor 1 teaching period (45 minutes) for one semester.

7.2 If separate career education lessons are not provided, are policies in place tointegrate career education into other subjects? Details can be provided in anAnnex.

Other opportunities for a total of 1-2 teaching periods during the school year may be offeredon an ad-hoc basis when a particular visitor might be invited to provide related information.

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7.3 Are periods of work experience1 required as part of the secondary schoolcurriculum? For each school grade please indicate whether or not suchexperience is required, and how many hours per year are required.

There is an opportunity in grade 11 (grade 2 of the Lyceum) to be exposed to the world ofwork for one week during the year as part of their career education.

This practice is going to be given greater importance as a result of the introduction of the‘Personal Evaluation Student File’ where one of the evaluation criteria is the combined resultof “Action”, “Creativity” and “Social Service”.

There are also thoughts of introducing the practice of Summer Work Placements for thestudents of the Lyceums as well.

The Secondary Technical and Vocational Schools have their own particular arrangementswhereby they place their senior students in industry for 1-2 days per week or in the summer,for some specializations, such as those attending hotel and hospitality programmes.

7.4 What other types of career information, guidance and counselling servicesare typically provided for school students (that is, apart from career educationlessons and work experience)?

For example careers fairs; personal counselling; access to career libraries; alumni programmes;parent involvement programmes; internet or computer-based programmes.

Students are regularly exposed to career and education fairs some of which are organized bythe ME&C and some by the Association of Counselling Teachers.

The public employment service

7.5 What information, guidance and counselling services are provided by thepublic employment service?

For example: what is the relative balance between career and job information services and guidanceand counselling; what types of clients typically seek and receive assistance; how are these servicesrelated to overall national labour market and employment policies?

For the time being the work of Public Employment Services (PES) is concentrated more oncareer and job information services rather than on guidance and counselling. This is due,apart from tradition, to the small number of staff and their involvement in other pressing tasks.There are two types of clients of the PES: people unemployed and people who register withthe Services seeking a better job. The PES are providing information and guidance (nocounselling as such) for existing job opportunities, and for prospects of work and trainingprogrammes.

1. This refers to periods that students are required to spend in workplaces in order to assist their career

decision making and in order to understand the world of work. It does not refer to those periods ofworkplace experience that are included in vocational education programmes in order to allow students todevelop or practice the work-related skills and competencies included within the vocational educationcurriculum.

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Tertiary education

In answering this section, please separately describe services in university-level tertiary institutions(those offering programmes at ISCED-97 levels 5A and 6) and in non-university-level tertiary institutions- such as community colleges and polytechnics (those offering programmes at ISCED-97 level 5B).

If applicable, also describe services in post-secondary non-tertiary institutions (those offeringprogrammes at ISCED-97 level 4) and in institutions offering continuing education or further educationand training programmes.

7.6 Please describe information, guidance and counselling services that areprovided within tertiary education.

For example: Are they a normal and standard service within tertiary institutions or are they onlyprovided in some institutions? Are they normally provided separately from or together with personaland study counselling services? Are they normally provided separately from or together with jobplacement and graduate recruitment services?

Special sessions are also organized by large business organizations in cooperation with theStudent Affairs Services of Tertiary Education Institutions. The information, guidance andcounselling services are, generally, offered at the institutions of tertiary education (Universityand non-university level institutions) by the Student Affairs Services, as part of a more wideagenda of student services. These services may also include job placements and graduaterecruitment services.In some such institutions, especially those which offer programmes of an industrial nature(technology, engineering, hotel etc), there is, usually, a mandatory period of work placementsboth during the semester and during the summer periods.

The private (for-profit) sector 2

7.7 What is known about career guidance and counselling services provided bythe private (for-profit) sector: such as management consultants, outplacementservices or private practitioners?

For example describe their client base, the level of their fees, the sorts of services that they provide,and what is known about growth in these services over time.

There are at present no detailed and reliable data on the work of private career guidance andcounselling services. During the last few years Private Employment Services (PRES) haveexpanded their activities especially in the areas of recruitment for managerial or specializedposts with high qualifications. In these cases the PRES act also as personal advisors topeople on their register as well as personnel advisors to firms that do not have their ownpersonnel department. The PRES are not, up to now, geared towards the placement of localskilled and unskilled workers and, therefore, do not offer guidance and counselling service tothem. Some guidance and counselling services are provided to special types of people, e.g.Cypriot expatriates or young people wishing to pursue a professional degree (likeaccountancy). The level of their fees for the above services is usually set at one month’ssalary for each successful placement paid by the employer. The sort of services they providecould be otherwise described as brokerage rather than guidance and counselling. In this areaone could say that their growth has been noticeable in the last few years.

2. Section 8 asks about the role played by the private sector in producing educational and occupational information

for use in information, guidance and counselling services.

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7.8 Please describe any steps that governments have taken to try to encourageprivate (for-profit) organisations to provide guidance and counselling servicesor to regulate the ways in which such services are provided.

For example by providing vouchers that can be used to purchase services; by changing legislation;by contracting out services; by setting staff qualification levels; by regulating fees that can becharged.

Through the enactment and application of the Law Providing for the Establishment andOperation of Private Employment Offices of 1997 and the Relevant Regulations, theGovernment has tried on the one hand to ‘privatize’ employment/placement services and onthe other to regulate the private organizations in the provision of such services. All physical orlegal entities commanding the set criteria are required to apply and obtain a license from theMinistry of Labour and social Insurance. Already some 80 such licenses have been issuedand many other applications are under consideration. The enactment of the above legislationshould be considered as the first step towards the development of the private services oninformation, guidance and counselling on an orderly basis. The necessary changes in the lawto provide for issues like staff qualification levels and level of fees to be charged, as well asthe provision of other incentives, including contracting out, are the next step to be taken. Forthe moment concerted work has began by the HRDA to develop Standards for VocationalQualifications for a number of trades, which will facilitate information, guidance andcounselling work.

Other organisations

7.9 What role do other organisations -- for example in the community sector --play in providing information, guidance and counselling services? What typesof clients do they serve? What types of needs do they attempt to meet?

7.10 Have governments attempted to increase their role (for example bycontracting out services)? If so, why? Have they attempted to regulate theways in which they provide services?

The answer to both these questions is that the Government is considering utilizing theservices of Community and Non-Governmental Organisations to promote the provision ofinformation, guidance and counselling services. Already, the Department of Labour of theMinistry of Labour and Social Insurance is studying the setting up of internet points in YouthClubs in the towns as a self-service approach to matching vacancies/training/unemployment.

For the National Youth Organisation, see also earlier references.

Note by the Consultant

The School Counselling system should adopt a strategy of permeating theinformation/counselling/career guidance services into the whole School, by encouraging (andtraining) all teachers to help their students, thus utilizing a combination of both the “official”and the “unofficial” system.

8. DELIVERY METHODS

Here we would like to know about delivery methods, including the ways in which they are influenced bygovernment policies.

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8.1 Career information, guidance and counselling services can be delivered in avariety of ways. In the last five years, how have these been influenced bygovernment policies? (These might be policies to improve the use ofresources, policies to increase access, policies to better meet client needs,policies to encourage equity, or other types of policies. To guide your answer, alist of some of the ways in which information, guidance and counsellingservices are delivered is given below in bullets).

• Batteries of psychological tests• Telephone information, guidance

and counselling• CD-ROM-based self exploration and

job-search packages• Internet-based self

exploration and job-searchpackages

• Careers fairs and exhibitions• Educational experiences such as

transition years• Organised workplace experience or

community experience

• Group guidance and counsellingsessions

• Individual face-to-face interviews• The systematic use of community

members such as employers, parents oralumni: for example as sources of careerinformation or as mentors and rolemodels

• Career information libraries• Paper – and – pencil self assessment

techniques: for example the Holland SelfDirected Search

a) The Counselling Services of the ME&Chave at their disposal the following technical resources:

! CD-ROM – based self exploration packages ! Career information library! Paper-and-pencil self assessment techniques (e.g. Holland Self Directed Search)! The services of the Cyprus University for psychometric testing/aptitude test and career

guidance tools (FHL) are now available to all youth 16-24 years old, including thestudents of the Secondary Schools.

They also organize visits to education and career fairs and exhibitions and they organizeworkplace experience postings. (Lyceums: 1 week; Technical Schools: 1-2 days/week andSummer Work placements)

There are plans to enhance these exposures by encouraging students to engage incommunity services as part of the assessment programme “Action, Creativity, CommunityService” which will supplement the student’s traditional academic achievements assessment.(see, also, Item 3 in Section 7)

The services are of two basic forms;(i) class sessions: one period for one semester for the grade 9 students(ii) individual (generally voluntary) counselling etc. services and face-to-face interviews in

the Gymnasia, the Lyceums and the Technical Schools.

The use of community members as sources of career information, as mentors and as rolemodels is only done on an ad-hoc basis by individual Schools/Counsellors.

b) National Youth Organization Services:library and CD-ROM facilitiesc) Tertiary Education: library; career fairs, exhibitions and psychometric tests (such as

the F.H.L.) offered by the Cyprus University’s Student Affairs Service.

d) PES:

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! Group guidance and counselling sessions: PES Officers meet with pupils of the thirdgrade of Gymnasiums who might not wish to continue their formal education, to informthem of the possibilities offered by the Apprenticeship Scheme.

! Internet-based self-exploration and job-search packages: A nation-wide ComputerizedCandidate System (CPS) has been installed as from May 2000 and a self-serviceinternet-based facility is under serious study at present. The CPS performs the followingfunctions: registration, updating maintaining history of candidates, registration ofemployers and vacancies, renewal of candidate registration, matching candidates andvacancies or vice versa through the specification of selection criteria, ranges or exactvalues for a candidate or a vacancy, (monitoring interviews of candidates withemployers, selection of candidates with employers, selection of candidates forparticipation being developed), production of statistical data. All Counsellors haveaccess to the CPS.

! Individual face-to-face interviews: This is the main approach followed at present by thePES for all those registered either as unemployed or seeking a better job. Following apersonal interview jobseekers are registered through the CPS whilst presenting theirdiplomas, certificates and other evidence of their qualifications. Those clients areprovided with an unemployment card indicating the dates on which the holder shouldvisit the PES for the renewal of registration, for information on new opportunities foremployment, for advice regarding participation in suitable training programmes and forupdating of their records. Upon registration, the Counsellor matches through CPS thequalifications and other personal data of the candidate with the vacancies availableand, with his/her consent, issues a first employer response form. The records on bothcandidates and vacancies are updated on the basis of the results of the interviews.

e) Private Agencies: library, CD-ROM, personal interviews, some aptitude andpsychological tests.

8.2 Please describe any recent or current initiatives to develop Internet-basedinformation, guidance and counselling services.

There are thoughts for the improvement of the services through the introduction of internet-based facilities. More particularly the Department of Labour has established the NationalResource Center for Guidance, which will be fully operational by the end of 2002. The Centerwill inform through internet all those interested on educational and training programmes inCyprus and in other European countries. The Center, which has been established in order toenhance the vocational guidance services of the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance,complies with the requirements of the participation of the Republic of Cyprus in the LeonardoDa Vinci Program of the European Union.

8.3 Can examples be provided of the use of screening tools to match client needsor client type to the type of service provided? If such screening tools exist,please describe the reasons for developing them, and describe where they areused.

The ME&C and the Tertiary Education institutions do not appear as yet to make use ofscreening tools to match clients needs

The PES use the usual matching procedures for the unemployed, described above.

The Private Agencies: some of them may be using forms of testing though not much reliableinformation is available.

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Note by the Consultant:

The efficient use of the School Counsellors’ time could be improved if they would workthrough a “group training approach” during which they could train their students in how to helpthemselves by using interactive, user friendly computerized systems with which they could:

• i) find information by themselves• ii) review/identify their individual characteristics through self-testing package

9. CAREER INFORMATION

Here we wish to know about the educational and occupational information that is used in information,guidance and counselling services.

9.1 What is the public sector’s role in producing career information?

For example indicate which Ministries are responsible for its production; how it is produced; whetherit is produced on a national level or at the regional/provincial/state level. Also indicate if governmentslegislate to control how information is classified, distributed or stored.

The production of career information or its control of how it should be classified, distributed orstored for the use by the counselling and guidance services is not regulated by a mandatorypolicy or practice, though such relevant information had been provided, in a rather systematicway, by the following:

a) Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance (ML&SI): its PES releases regularly informationabout vacancies and about numbers of unemployed, by sector of economic activity

b) The Human Resource Development Authority (HRDA) publishes annually a “HumanResources Balance” which provides forecasts for one year ahead; this activity is to bedeveloped into a more medium-to-longer term forecast.

c) The Statistics and Research Department of the Ministry of Finance: publishes annuallythe “Education Statistics Report”.

d) The Counselling Services of the ME&C: publishes the “Studies Guide” which containsinformation about:! study options after the Gymnasium! study options in the new Comprehensive Lyceums! study options and requirements for Tertiary Education Institutions (Local and in

Greece)! Scholarships.

They also publish job profiles and include the requirements for the respectiveeducation and training pathways which could lead to such occupations.

e) Colleges and other Institutions: publish their catalogues which are, also, on the internetf) PES: compile lists of education and training courses available, for use mainly by the

unemployedg) HRDA and the Cyprus Productivity Center (CPC): publish semi-annually information

about the training courses sponsored/run by themThe information sources, as per above, are directed and made available to the schools aswell as to the other relevant services.

9.2 What forms does career information typically take?

For example: printed guides containing information on a large number of jobs and courses; individualleaflets or information sheets; CD-ROMs; Internet-based services.

The form in which career information is given is usually in printed guides and in leaflets.However, recently there have been developments in producing such information on CD-

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ROMs. Some mini video cassettes are also used to describe how particular jobs/occupationsare performed.

9.3 Typically, which client groups is it aimed at?

For example school students; public employment service clients; tertiary students; the general public.

The career information is mostly directed to secondary school students, to tertiary students, tounemployed registered with the Employment Services, to students and parents who areconsidering study options, and to graduates seeking employment.

9.4 What methods are used to gather it?

Methods used to gather information: mostly desk work based on published statistics

9.5 Please describe the steps that are taken to ensure that it is accurate andtimely.

No explicit steps to ensure that information is accurate and timely other than the professionalsense of responsibility of the respective Officers and the administrative control of theirimmediate Supervisors.

9.6 Please describe the steps that are taken to ensure that it is user-friendly andoriented to user needs.

The degree of its user-friendliness and effectiveness is mostly a matter of the competency ofthe respective Officers and their Supervisors

9.7 How is it typically distributed?

For example through career information centres; through public libraries; through communityorganisations; to schools and tertiary institutions.

Distribution is available mostly at: career information centers, school libraries, offices ofCounsellors

9.8 What role does the private (both for-profit and not-for-profit) sector play inproviding career information?

For example: What is known about the size and nature of the market for privately published guides tojobs or to tertiary education? What examples can be provided of privately funded career informationweb sites? Are there examples of the mass media taking an active role in providing careerinformation?

Private counselling/career agencies have been reasonably active, though they do not controla large share of the “market”. Tertiary education institutions usually have such information ontheir web sites. Mass media does not appear as yet to be focusing on such services.

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9.9 Have governments tried to increase the role of the private sector in providingcareer information?

For example by contracting out the production of material.

Government has been, recently, experimenting the contracting out of the production ofinformation material. The ML&SI has taken an initiative in this direction for the production ofinformation within the EURO GUIDANCE project and for the organization of the NationalResource Center for Guidance.

Labour market data usually include information about unemployment statistics, regionalvariation in employment and unemployment for a variety of occupations, earnings, andgraduate employment and unemployment by education level.

10. FINANCING

Here we wish to know about: the ways in which information, guidance and counselling services arefunded; the ways in which costs are shared; and the financial resources devoted to information,guidance and counselling services.

10.1 What method(s) do governments use to fund information, guidance andcounselling services?

For example: direct service provision; contracting out/tendering; public-private partnerships. Ifpossible indicate the percentage of total government funding of information, guidance andcounselling services that flows through each of these methods.

Government funds the information, guidance and counselling services mainly by directprovisions (i.e. salaries of the staff, the facilities and other resources used, publications andother related operational costs, including organization and participation in seminars,scholarships etc).

At present the funding of information, guidance and counselling services is done through theannual Government Budget, except in the case of the HRDA activities all of which arefinanced through the imposition of an overall levy of 0,5% on the payroll of all private andsemi-public companies and organizations. The total cost of the Counselling and CareerEducation Service of the Ministry of Education and Culture has been estimated at CP3,15 mlnfor all the three school years 1997-1998, 1998-1999, and 1999-2000. For the same period(1997-2000) the cost of the Vocational Guidance Service of the Ministry of Labour and SocialInsurance has been conservatively estimated at CP400.000. The total expenditure of HRDAfor the year 2000 was CP6,2 mln, a small fraction of which could be considered as anallocation to information, guidance and counselling. The above figures comprise expenditureon staff engaged in guidance, counseling and career education. (Note: One Cyprus Pound(CP) is equivalent to 1,74 Euros).

9.10 Please describe the ways in which labour market data is typically included incareer information.

For example through inclusion of data on unemployment rates and earnings; through the inclusionof data on regional variation in employment and unemployment for particular occupations; throughinclusion of the results of graduate employment and course satisfaction surveys.

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10.2 Are individuals required to meet some of the costs of governmentinformation, guidance and counselling services? If so, what sorts of clientsare asked to pay, and what is the typical level of fees charged?

The services provided by Government are offered free of any charge.

10.3 Please describe what cost and expenditure data is available to governmentand to stakeholders -- for example on the relative costs of different deliverymethods, or the cost of achieving particular outcomes, or the costs ofproviding services to particular types of clients -- when making policies forinformation, guidance and counselling services. Describe the ways in whichthis information is used, providing specific examples if possible.

10.4 Please provide the best available estimates of the cost (most recent year) togovernments of providing information, guidance and counselling services.

In answering this, where possible provide information on the ways in which this cost is dividedbetween different Ministries and between different levels of government. Where possible, provideinformation on trends in costs over time. Where possible break costs down by type: for example staffcosts; information production costs; capital and equipment costs.

In answering this, it might be helpful to include an Annex describing the problems that are involved inproviding expenditure and cost data for information, guidance and counselling services in yourcountry.

Costs breakdown for the various types of services offered by Government are not easy toestimate. The general allocations, however, have been given in Item 1 above.

10.5 Please provide an indication of the statutory salaries of information, guidanceand counselling service workers. As a base, take the case of guidanceofficers/counsellors with a guidance or counselling qualification at ISCED-97level 5 ( i.e. a university degree or equivalent) and indicate:

• The starting salary for those with the minimum required training• The salary after 15 years’ experience• The number of years from the starting salary to the top salary• Where available, please provide equivalent information for other

categories of guidance and counselling workers

Ministry of Education & Culture Services:

starting: CP 11.000 per year (scale A.8)after 15 years: CP 18.000 (scale A.10)number of years to top Salary Scale: Salary Scales are combined: A.8+A.10+A.11. Toexhaust the three scales one needs 21 years. Depending on the age of first appointment tothe beginning of salary scale A. 8, usually at the ages of 23-25, one could stay at the top ofthe scale for another 15 odd years till retirement at the age of 60.

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Ministry of Labour & Social Insurance:

For those holding a University Degree (see Item 3, Section 6 above), the Starting salary etc.would be the same as for the respective Officers of the Ministry of Education. For the Officerswho start with lower qualifications, the salary scales that could apply are A.2+A.5+A.7whereby the starting salary would be CP 6.500 reaching CP 8.500 in 15 years, and reachingthe top of scale A.7 in 25 years. Their entry age could be about 20-22, and therefore couldstay at the top scale for another 13 years.

11. ASSURING QUALITY

Here we wish to know about the ways that the quality of information, guidance and counselling servicesis evaluated, maintained and enhanced.

11.1 Please describe the steps that governments take to maintain and increase thequality of information, guidance and counselling services.

Government is appreciating more and more the value of the Counselling Services as aservice to the individual and the career guidance as a tool for labour market orientation, and isplacing greater emphasis in these areas.

More staff, more facilities and greater appreciation of its role characterizes the governmentpolicy as expressed in the directives of both Ministries of Education and of Labour

11.2 Do standards exist for the delivery of information, guidance and counsellingservices? How and by who were these developed? What status do they have?Do they differ between providers?3

No explicit standards exist in the delivery of these services. Such standards are beingdeveloped by the professionals working within their respective departments.

11.3 Do standards exist for the competencies required by information, guidanceand counselling services staff? If so, how and by who were these developed?What status do they have? Do they differ between providers?4

Standards do exist for the staff e.g. ME&C requires a University degree plus Post graduateDiploma/Master qualifications in Counselling

ML&I engages Employment Officers as detailed in Item 3, Section 6 above

11.4 Are there formal requirements, for example expressed in regulations orlegislation, for the education and training qualifications required byinformation, guidance and counselling staff?4

The requirements of staff qualifications are usually contained in the Schemes of Service ofthe respective posts, which are developed in consultation with the Trade Unions, are finalizedby the Council of Ministers and are sanctioned by the House of Representatives as a legaldocument. 3. Please provide details in an Annex.

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11.5 Do guidelines exist on information quality standards to help groups such astertiary institutions, industry associations and individual enterprises producecareer information? 4

No explicit guidelines exist on quality standards

11.6 Please provide details of any professional groups, bodies or associations ofinformation, guidance and counselling services workers in your country.

In answering this please describe the extent to which such professional groups, bodies orassociations: work to raise standards of professional practice, for example through the professionaldevelopment and recurrent education of their members; are actively involved in lobbyinggovernments on professional issues, for example relating to service quality; and have an industrialrole to improve the employment conditions of their members.

11.7 Please describe any ways in which career information, guidance andcounselling professionals are involved in the development of policy: forexample through formal roles for professional associations; or throughproviding feedback to service providers.

There is an Association of Councelling Teachers, which mostly acts as a Trade Union fornegotiations with ME&C; it nevertheless acts also as a promoter of qualifications andprofessionalism.

These is, also, the Civil Servants Trade Union which is involved in the negotiations for theterms and conditions of work.

Note by the Consultant

The Authorities could design appropriate Indicators of Performance by which to compute:• i) the portion of long-term unemployed who have been found work, (through

appropriate re-training), and• ii) the portion of people who have remained in full employment (through correct

career choices, through continuous re-training/life-long learning)

12. THE EVIDENCE BASE

Here we wish to know about the ways in which the delivery of information, guidance and counsellingservices is evaluated and supported by data and research evidence. In answering this section pleaserefer in particular to national evidence where this is available, rather than to studies conducted in othercountries.

12.1 What information is available about the extent to which information, guidanceand counselling services are used? What is known about differences in levelsof use and access as a function of factors such as: socio-economic status orfamily background; geographical location; gender; age; educational level; andlevels of disadvantage? Do regular national statistical collections monitoraccess? Have access and usage levels changed over time?

There are no particular evidences about the extent to which information, guidance andcounselling services are used, other than through the Annual Reports published by theDepartment of the Counselling Services of the Ministry, and to a lesser extent by the ML&SI

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However, this is more in the form of data and information rather than as a document forperformance or effectiveness/evaluation.

12.2 How is the level of community need and demand for information, guidanceand counselling services established (for example by use of surveys, rates ofservice usage, waiting lists)? What is known about the expectations thatclients have of services?

No Surveys are known to have been made of Community needs and clients’ expectations.

12.3 What criteria are normally used to judge the benefits or outcomes ofinformation, guidance and counselling services?

12.4 Please provide details of any recent (last five years) studies that have beenconducted of:

• The costs of providing information, guidance and counselling services.• How costs vary as a function of the type of service delivered and the

characteristics of clients.• How the outcomes or benefits of information, guidance and counselling services

relate to their costs.• How the benefits or outcomes of information, guidance and counselling services

are related to the type of service provided and the characteristics of clients.

12.5 Please provide details of any recent (last five years) initiatives or pilotprojects that have been designed to provide insight into: the impact ofcareers services on individuals’ career choices; the ability to use careerinformation; the impact of services upon employers; the impact of servicesupon the development of a learning society.

No criteria are being used and no studies are known to have been conducted

12.6 Do any national research centres specialise in career information, guidanceand counselling services? Do they specialise in evaluative and policy studies:or do they mainly focus upon guidance techniques and methods?

No research Center is known to have, as yet, been engaged in these matters.

12.7 How useful have governments found the work of research centres indeveloping policy for information, guidance and counselling services?

12.8 Have governments taken steps to increase the evidence base for information,guidance and counselling services through support for relevant researchcentres? Has such support been on the basis of individual commissionedstudies, or are more on-going forms of support used?

Government has not, as yet, indicated that it explores this area of research and studies.