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The involvement of the European Union in career guidance policy: a brief history

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Abstract

The history of the involvement of the European Union in the development of policy related to career guidance is analysed in terms of three broad periods. In the first two of these, interventions were confined to pilot projects, exchanges and placements, study visits and studies/surveys, with particular attention to young people; whereas the period since 2000 has seen greater attention being paid to lifelong activities that support the implementation of EU policy priorities and their mainstreaming at national level. These trends reflect both the EU’s “creeping competence” and the emerging concept of “lifelong guidance.”

Résumé

L’histoire de la participation de l’Union Européenne dans le développement de la politique liée à l’orientation professionnelle est analysée en trois grandes périodes. Dans les deux premières périodes, les interventions étaient confinées à des projets pilotes, des échanges et des placements, des observation et des recherches/sondages, tout en donnant une attention particulière aux jeunes; alors que la période depuis 2000 a vu plus d’attention se développer pour les activités tout au long de la vie qui encouragent l’implémentation des priorités de la politique de l’UE et leur intégration au niveau national. Ces tendances reflètent à la fois la « creeping competence » (extension progressive de l’influence politique) de l’UE et le concept émergeant de « lifelong guidance » (conseil tout au long de la vie).

Zusammenfasung

Die Geschichte der Involvierung der Europäischen Union in die Entwicklung der Politik bezüglich Berufs- und Laufbahnberatung wird anhand von drei generellen Perioden analysiert. In den ersten beiden waren Interventionen beschränkt auf Pilotprojekte, Austausch und Platzierung, Studienbesuche und Studien/Befragungen mit spezieller Beachtung von jungen Personen, während in der Periode seit 2000 eine grössere Beachtung von lebenslangen Aktivitäten erfolgte, welche die Implementierung der politischen Prioritäten der EU sowie deren Etablierung auf nationaler Ebene unterstützen. Diese Trends widerspiegeln sowohl die „schleichende Kompetenz” der EU als auch das aufkommende Konzept der „lebenslangen Beratung”.

Resumen

La historia de la implicación de la Unión Europea en el desarrollo de políticas relacionadas con la orientación para la carrera se analiza a través de tres grandes periodos: en los dos primeros, las intervenciones se limitaban a proyectos piloto, intercambios y pasantías o estadías, visitas de estudio, y estudios/encuestas, con atención especial a los jóvenes. Sin embargo, a partir del 2000, se observa una mayor atención a las actividades a lo largo de la vida que apoyan la implementación de las políticas prioritarias de la UE y su incardinación en los contextos nacionales. Estas tendencias reflejan tanto la “competencia de entrar sigilosamente” (‘creeping competence’), como el concepto emergente de “orientación a lo largo de la vida”.

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Table 1 Key milestones

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Watts, A.G., Sultana, R.G. & McCarthy, J. The involvement of the European Union in career guidance policy: a brief history. Int J Educ Vocat Guidance 10, 89–107 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-010-9177-9

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