The Climbing Frame is an electronic tool developed by Unionlearn, an organisation established by the Trades Union Congress in the UK to help Union Learning Representatives to promote lifelong learning in the workplace and to assist members to access learning opportunities.

The Matrix Standard is a unique quality standard to support the effective delivery of information, advice and guidance wherever it takes place. It has been found useful by trade unions in benchmarking and developîng learner support initiatives in the workplace

This guide (2009) brings these two frameworks together, showing how they complement each other and the benefits of this complementarity in delivering high quality support to learners.

Looking at Guidance is a report of the Guidance Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Science, Ireland. It consists of an analysis the findings of fifty-five reports on inspections of Guidance in second-level schools carried out from September 2006 to May 2007. The report comments on the quality of provision and whole-school support for Guidance, the quality of planning and preparation, the quality of teaching and learning, and the quality of assessment. The reports also draws on the outcomes of a questionnaire administered to over 1,100 students in the schools where inspections took place. The report discusses features of good practice and concerns identified in the inspections of Guidance.

This is the contribution of ESTYN, Her Majesty's Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales, to a review of careers services undertaken in the context of the Welsh Assembly Government's Action Plan "Skills that Work for Wales". The review was to determine how Careers Wales was in a position to respond to dynamic factors arising from policy developments, demographic changes, and economic conditions.

ESTYN analysed its inspection and thematic surveys across the 6 career companies that comprise Careers Wales, addressing issues of standards, the quality of education and training, and leadership and management. The inspections involved direct observation of the work of guidance practitioners, interaction with the clients, and discussions with staff and management.

This is an interesting example of how

• an inspectorate undertakes an assessment of a career guidance service
• an inspectorate can operate in a network model of guidance delivery so as to improve performance across the network of partners  (six different career companies were involved)
• the practice of group and individual guidance can be assessed through observation. 

La guida practica è un documento realizzato dalla Commissione Europea e dall'OCSE per rispondere alla continua evoluzione delle politiche dell'instruzione, della formazione e dell'occupazione.

L'obiettivo della guida è di aiutare i decisori dei Paesi dell'OCSE e dell'Unione Europea ad elaborare politiche efficaci di orientamento professionale nel campo dell'instruzione, della formazione e dell'occupazione.

Ce rapport, redigé par Prof Ronald Sultana pour le CEDEFOP en 2007/8, fait le bilan des progrés accomplis par les pays européens dans la mise en oeuvre des priorités définies par la résolution du Conseil Education de mai 2004 concernant l'orientation tout au long de la vie. Ces priorités sont:

• mettre en oeuvre des systèmes d'orientation tout au long de la vie
• élargir l'accès à l'orientation
• renforcer les mécanismes d'assurance qualité
• renforcer les aptitudes des citoyens à gérer leur apprentissage et leur carrière
• renforcer les structures intervenant dans le développement des politiques et des systèmes au niveau national et régional.

Prof Sultana a conclu que malgré les progrès importants accomplis, il reste beaucoup à faire pour développer et consolider les systèmes et politiques d'orientation tout au long de la vie. Les structures des Etats membres et de l'Union ont toutes leur role à jouer dans le réalisation de ce dernier objectif.

An examination of policies for career guidance was one component of a European Union programme (MEDA-ETE) being implemented by the European Training Foundation to support education and training for employment in the Mediterranean region. It involved 10 Mediterranean countries. The research on career guidance policies produced country reports on which this comparative analysis is based. The report covers:

• the socio-economic context
• the drivers for change
• current provision
• policy issues
• ways forward.

It also presents country profiles and comparative statistics.

This is a joint strategy and implementation plan for career guidance services in Northern Ireland of two government ministries/ the Department of Education and the Department for Employment and Learning. Based on extensive consultation exercises on its proposals of 2007, the document outlines a new comprehensive strategy for the delivery of career guidance services and the challenges involved. It articulates a vision for the future and maps the actions required to deliver it.

The vision is subdivided into five themes:

1. Careers education
2. Access to careers information
3. Improving careers advice and guidance
4. Improving quality
5. Improving professional development.

This is the Danish translation of the European Council of Education Ministers' Resolution (2008) on better integrating lifelong guidance in strategies for lifelong learning. The Resolution defined four key areas/axes to guide national reforms of policies and systems: