Network name: Euroguidance
Network Description:
Euroguidance supports the internationalization of career guidance and counseling.
Euroguidance Network is a network of national resources and information centres for guidance. It is a co-operation of centres throughout European countries which link together the Careers Guidance systems in Europe. Euroguidance centers operate in about 34 countries.
Network goals:
● Promoting a European dimension and leadership,
● Providing quality information for lifelong guidance and mobility for learning purposes.
The main target group of Euroguidance is guidance practitioners and policymakers from both educational and employment sectors in EU and EEA member states and candidate countries.
In the Republic of North Macedonia, the National Euroguidance Center is the National Agency for European Educational Programs and Mobility.
Euroguidance is a network at the European level that is very important in the career. It provides guidance and counseling on educational and career development. At the link
http://euroguidance.eu/ you will find a special portal that is intended only for learning opportunities http://euroguidance.eu/study-in-europe/the-portal/.
Who is it for:
The Euroguidance network is most often used by career counselors in secondary vocational schools, universities, and youth NGOs, but also by anyone who wants to engage in career guidance and counseling.
Benefits:
The benefits offered by this network besides the networking of career counselors are also different types of training held by providers or institutions from all over the EU. These include opportunities to share good experiences and practices, various career guidance and guidance tools, career guidance and guidance methods and techniques, guidelines, manuals, guides, and other materials related to career counseling and guidance, and various training and events organized by the Euroguidance Centers.
Facts and figures about the network:
There are 75 career centers in the Republic of North Macedonia, 52 of which are located in high schools, funded by a USAID project, and implemented by the YES network (Foundation for Support of Youth Entrepreneurship) in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science in 2015. The purpose of these centers is to provide counseling and career guidance, as well as to help students continue their education. As of 2017, 23 career centers are located in higher education institutions/universities. Almost every public or private university in the Republic of North Macedonia operates a career center.
There are also NGOs working on career education, counseling, and mentoring through various types of funding programmes, including the Erasmus+ programme.
Link to the official website of the network:
https://www.euroguidance.eu/about-us
Relevant institutions for the development of educational policies in the Republic of North Macedonia are the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy. In addition, the Agency for Youth and Sports, the Bureau for Development of Education, the Center for Vocational Education, and the Center for Adult Education also contribute to education policy issues.
Professional orientation
The Employment Agency provides professional guidance to the unemployed and those looking for a new job, by testing and interviewing them, as well as informing them about the necessary skills for additional employment opportunities.
Vocational orientation also includes individual counseling when choosing a profession according to the aspirations, interests, and abilities of the person for a certain profession and the needs and opportunities of the labor market. Vocational guidance is given to the unemployed, students, and people with disabilities if it is important for their choice of profession and professional development.
For the students in the last year of primary and secondary education, the Agency and the competent institutions in the field of education organize counseling regarding the choice of profession, through lectures organized by scientists and professionals, as well as visits to exhibitions, and informative films, companies, etc.
After individual counseling for choosing a profession based on the special qualities, knowledge, interests, and aspirations of the student, the agency recommends the most appropriate type of occupation.
Vocational orientation activities in employment centers can be divided into:
1. Providing information on the characteristics of the occupation, opportunities for continuing education in secondary and higher education, necessary skills for certain occupations, and employment opportunities;
2. Professional orientation and counseling - based on professional interests, abilities, and other characteristics of the person;
3. Professional selection of candidates for training, retraining, or additional qualification and assistance to employers in selecting new employees.
Vocational Guidance Services are free.