Career Guidance in Germany

This brochure, published by the National Guidance Forum of Germany, gives an overview of the basic structure of the German guidance system especially for our partners in the European Union and beyond. In general, the German system provides access to educational and career guidance services for all citizens at any stage of their lives – whether they are in education or training, employed, unemployed or looking for continuing education. The structure of guidance provision reflects the German education and employment system with its shared responsibilities between the Federation, the Lander and the municipalities. Hence, the provision of career guidance is traditionally based on the distinction between educational guidance  (Bildungsberatung) in the educational sector and vocational guidance  (Berufsberatung) in the vocational training and employment sector. Cooperation across the sectors is in this context crucial. Beginning with an introduction into the German educational system, the brochure follows the life course describing guidance provisions in schools, vocational education, higher education, and for employment, unemployment and continuing education. Additional sections deal with guidance for special target groups and guidance through the internet. With chapters on quality and professionalism in guidance and on European cooperation, the brochure also considers systemic issues of professional development. Social and economic changes remain a permanent challenge for further developing lifelong guidance in the context of lifelong learning needs.

Bildungs- und Berufsberatung in Deutschland

 Diese Broschüre gibt den ausländischen Partnern in der Europäischen Union und darüber hinaus einen Überblick über die Grundstruktur des Systems der Bildungs- und  Berufsberatung in Deutschland. Für jeden Lebensabschnitt – sei es in Schule, Studium, Aus- und Weiterbildung, im Beruf oder bei Arbeitslosigkeit – bietet das deutsche Beratungssystem grundsätzlich allen Bürgerinnen und Bürgern Zugang zu Beratungsdiensten. Charakterisiert durch die geteilten Zuständigkeiten zwischen Bund, Ländern und Kommunen, die das deutsche Bildungs- und Beschäftigungssystem prägen, beruht das Beratungssystem traditionell auf der Unterscheidung zwischen Bildungs- und Weiterbildungsberatung im Bildungsbereich auf der einen und Berufsberatung für den Ausbildungs- und Beschäftigungssektor auf der anderen Seite. Bereichsübergreifende Kooperation und Vernetzung sind deshalb wesentlich. Nach einer kurzen Einführung in das deutsche Bildungssystem beschreibt die Broschüre die Beratungsangebote in Schule, Ausbildung und Hochschule, im Arbeitsleben und bei Weiterbildungsbedarf. Beratung für besondere Zielgruppen sowie Beratung über das Internet werden in eigenen Abschnitten näher betrachtet. Kapitel über Qualität und Professionalität und die europäische Kooperation in diesem Bereich berichten über die permanenten Bemühungen um die professionelle Weiterentwicklung des Beratungssystems. Denn der gesellschaftliche Wandel stellt eine kontinuierliche Herausforderung für die Verbesserung lebensbegleitender Beratungsangebote im Kontext lebenslangen Lernens dar.

This is the German translation of the Council of Education Ministers' Resolution (2008) on better integrating lifelong guidance into lifelong learning strategies.

It defines 4 key axes of action for the reform of guidance services in Member States:

This is a research based project that aimed to provide a comprehensive comparative and evaluative analysis of the function and outcomes of labour market and career advice and guidance programmes and services for out-of-work individuals and workers at risk, in five European countries (France, Germany, Spain, Slovenia, and the UK).

Advice and guidance programmes and services for adults are defined in this study as mediating services aimed at increasing the employability and the mobility of individuals, not only geographical or occupational mobility, but also mobility between different statuses (unemployed/inactive, trainee, learner, volunteer, precarious job-holder, stable job-holder, qualified job-holder).

The three key results of the project were the development of criteria for assessing the outcomes of advice and guidance programmes and services (as transitions for individuals), a typology of these services across different institutional, legal and funding contexts, and an analysis of the functions of these services as agencies for transitions.

The results of the project could thus lead to an increased attention in the policy but also in the practitioner and in the research communities to different and relatively contrasted frameworks of implementation of advice and guidance services and programmes and to their implications for individuals. They also provide the basis for reviewing the way in which advice and guidance services are assessed and evaluated.