Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In March 2018 the then Department of Education and Skills commissioned Indecon International Consultants to carry out a review of career guidance. The objective of the review was to examine aspects of career guidance in the Irish education and training system in order to improve the existing career guidance tools and information and to enhance engagement with enterprise. The review was published in April 2019 and contained 18 recommendations.

On publication, an internal Taskforce was created, however the work of the Taskforce was impacted significantly in 2020 due to the response required to the COVID pandemic in respect of continuity of education. It was also impacted by the establishment of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (D.FHERIS), as the recommendations contained in the report span both Departments.

The Taskforce through their deliberations identified two main streams of work arising from the recommendations:

- Provision of high quality information, data and education and career guidance support to learners.

- An overarching policy function in relation to guidance.

In order to progress implementation of the Indecon recommendations, both Departments have agreed that each will take responsibility for responding to the recommendations that relate to their respective mandate. It has also been agreed that the Internal Taskforce would be dissolved and that a High Level Interdepartmental Steering Group would be established to oversee implementation.

The Department of Education is focused on the overarching policy function in relation to guidance. Proposals are in draft form for the establishment of appropriate structures to support this work including various inter-departmental Guidance policy working groups and subcommittee groups to consider how best to implement the recommendations including the development of a coherent, long term strategy for life-long guidance.

Since the publication of the Indecon report, the Department of Education has begun to make progress on some of the recommendations in collaboration with other relevant sections of the Department. We have also been carrying out some background research and gathering baseline data to support the development of the strategy for life-long guidance. This includes current data regarding guidance allocations at post-primary, numbers of guidance counsellors attending Department funded counselling supervision, numbers of teachers applying to train as guidance counsellors, and guidance counsellor supply and qualification issues. The Department is also considering the current process for recognition of guidance counselling qualifications to work in schools and possible future needs for a “competent authority” to consider equivalent qualifications.

Work is underway in relation to the Inclusion recommendations related to young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and those most in need of guidance from under-represented groups. A number of officials from relevant areas of the Department are working closely with the National Disability Authority and the National Council for Special Education. Some collaborative work has also been undertaken in partnership with the professional bodies on labour market information for example the delivery of a training webinar for Guidance Counsellors in relation to Computer Science education, training and career pathways.

The Department has recently established a working group, comprising the Directors of Studies from the Higher Education Institutions who provide the Guidance Counselling programmes recognised by the Department for those working as Guidance Counsellors in Post Primary Schools. The purpose of this working group will be to consider guidance counselling post-graduate training under the inclusion/ SEN umbrella. This group plans to hold its first meeting in early January.

The Department has also had discussions with the National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE) about the potential to extend relevant parts of their webinar series to further address the Inclusion/SEN in guidance training for guidance counsellors.

The Department is supporting Dublin City University on its proposal to provide an outreach programme in Guidance Counselling in the South East region where the supply of Guidance Counsellors has been identified as an issue. This programme previously ran very successfully in the North West (Sligo). We expect this programme will commence in September 2022 and will provide an additional 20 -25 Guidance Counsellors into the school system.

Department officials also met with officials in DFHERIS - who are leading on the recommendations related to the provision of high quality information, data and education and career guidance support to learners, to share ideas and discuss future development of the recently launched career information portal The Right Course: