The impact in Guidance Counsellors at times of critical incidence

 Presented by Dr.Clare Finegan [BA PGD|MSc PGDEL DPsyc| Member IGC, NAPCP, IAEVG, PSI, AOTOS, Irish Teaching Council |Assistant Lecturer in Education, Guidance & Counselling | Maynooth University ]

This webinar generates valuable insights, provoke questions and reflection on the personal and professional challenges facing guidance counsellors when dealing with trauma impact in their workplace. Offering insight into the factors that can exacerbate the impact on the individual and the system.  Dealing with interventions and protective factors that were reported as effective to regain stability and long-term well-being for both the guidance counsellor and the student.

Research on the Effective Transitions Fund: The importance of practitioner integrity in supporting disadvantaged students

Presented by Siobhan Neary [Professor of Career Development Practice|Head of the International Centre for Guidance Studies (iCeGS) University of Derby United Kingdom] and and Lucie Heseltine [Careers and Enterprise Company United Kingdom]

This webinar presented the outcomes of the Effective Transitions Fund (ETF) which was commissioned in 2021 by the Careers & Enterprise Company in England. The project focused on developing an understanding of what career support needs to be in place to facilitate a sustained and positive transition for disadvantaged young people. In this context, disadvantage was defined as being on Free School Meals (FSM). Over 90% of students, achieved a sustained destination and expressed satisfaction with their post-16 choices. A key influence on the project’s success was the importance of the relationship developed between the career adviser/coach and the young person during the programme.

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? Are We Asking Children the Wrong Question?

Presented by Aisling Fleming Murray [Assistant Professor Guidance Counselling | Programme Chair MSc. & Grad. Dip. Guidance Counselling School of Human Development | Dublin City University | Doctorate Student]

This webinar explored how early career learning can foster curiosity, broaden horizons and promote inclusivity for children from diverse backgrounds. The question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” has long been a staple of childhood conversations. But are we asking children the right question? Recent studies of early career-related learning in primary schools in Ireland suggest there may be more effective ways to nurture children’s aspirations and understanding of the world of work.

Communication and teaching career information in guidance practice 

Presented by Anna Pallin [Doctoral student | lecturer in the Career Guidance and Counselling Programme | Umeå University sweden]

Is sitting and providing information, discussing the content of various websites, really something I should be spending my time on as a career guidance counsellor? This was a question that Anna, in her role as a practicing counsellor, often reflected upon—particularly when it seemed as though this was almost the only topic students wanted to talk about. This reflection marked the beginning of Annas research interest and the dissertation project she is currently undertaking, which focuses on young people’s career learning and their access to career information in various social spaces.

In this webinar, Anna will share some preliminary findings from one of the sub-studies included in the dissertation. This particular study is based on interviews with 25 career counsellors working in upper secondary schools across Sweden. From these interviews, five overarching themes was created, representing different approaches that counsellors adopt when using career information in their interactions with students. The ways in which these different practices can be connected to underlying theoretical perspectives on career guidance are discussed, along with the potential significance these practices may have for young people’s learning and career development. Here, Anna invites participants to engage in continued reflection on the role of information within our guidance practices.

Career Related Uncertainty: What is it? Do We Recognise it in Our Practice?

Presented by with Leena Itkonen [Doctoral student | career counsellor and educator | University of Helsinki Finland]

Leenas ongoing PhD research aims to enhance our understanding of university students’ career-related uncertainty through a multiphase design integrating qualitative and quantitative methods. This work comprises three studies, each contributing to the understanding of the career-related uncertainty among university students, offering insights that can also be instrumental for career counsellors.

The first study explores social representations of career planning, identifying six distinct frameworks, with one focused specifically on uncertainty (Itkonen & Kosonen, 2024). These diverse representations shape students’ thoughts, behaviours, and actions in career planning and can be instrumental for career counsellors.

The second study examines the interplay between students’ background factors, clarity of future plans, and career adaptability in enhancing graduate employability. We framed our research with the understanding that career adaptability reflects varying levels of uncertainty, where lower levels indicate reduced future orientation, planning, risk-taking, problem-solving, and proactivity, along with increased indecision. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed age and enrolment in professional programs as significant positive factors influencing employability capitals. Additionally, clarity of future plans and higher scores in career adaptability dimensions positively impact employability.

The third study addresses how university students describe and make sense of their career-related uncertainty. We identified eleven themes, further categorized into five experiential domains: self, social relationships, education, careering, and society. Our findings illuminate how students experience uncertainty within these domains, offering insights into the complex interplay between individual experiences and societal influences.

Introducing and Exploring Green Career Guidance

Presented by Korin Grant [Assistant Professor | Career Development Practitioner | University of Warwick UK]

For many career guidance practitioners the idea that our work plays an important role in addressing injustice and inequality is a key motivator and source of job satisfaction. Green career guidance continues this tradition by suggesting that practitioners align career guidance practices with sustainability initiatives for the betterment of all. This webinar introduces the concept of green career guidance, exploring key terms such as green jobs and sustainability as well as some policy drivers for the green economic transition. The webinar will look at career guidance approaches that align well with sustainability and consider challenges that practitioners may face – and how these may be overcome. The webinar will close with a summary of some key projects, resources and areas of research within green career guidance and action planning for career practitioners interested in taking this practice forward.

Responding to Student Grief: Roles, Boundaries and Best Practices

Presented by with Aoife Lynam [Assistant Professor in Psychology of Education | Trinity College Dublin | Advisory Board member of Irish Childhood Bereavement Network]

When students experience a bereavement, guidance counsellors often play a crucial role in providing support. “Responding to Student Grief: Guidance Counsellor’s Role, Boundaries, and Best Practices” will explore practical strategies to navigate these sensitive situations and explore theory underpinning our responses. This webinar explored how to offer compassionate, appropriate support, collaborate with families and staff, and understand the limits of the guidance counsellor’s role in the grieving process.

Career Practitioners Conceptions of Career Management Skills

Presented by with Jaana Kettunen [Professor of Guidance | Vice-director at the Finnish Institute for Educational Research (FIER) | University of Jyväskylä | President of the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG)]

This session presents findings from phenomenographic research exploring the qualitatively different ways career practitioners conceive of Career Management Skills (CMS). By exploring the qualitatively different conceptions, the session aims to promote engagement in reflection on our own practice and deepen our ways of understanding CMS.