Research Findings

1

Mediating the transitions to work European
perspectives on employment advice and career
guidance 8 - 9 June 2007Faculty of Social
Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

• Research Findings

2

Defining Successful Outcomes for Users A
cross-national comparison of stakeholders
perspectives

• Dr Sharon Wright
• University of Stirling

3
Outline

• What is a successful outcome for users?
• Elements of cross-national consensus
• Country-specific approaches
• Illustrations of type-specific outcomes
• Key tensions

4
What is a successful outcome?

• Employment
• Training/education
• Social inclusion/participation
• Making an informed decision
• Skills, ability and confidence to get and keep a
  job
• Work-ready attitude
• Construction of a professional project
• What the user needs (wants?)

5
Diversity of perspectives

• Evidence of consistency in the perspectives of
  policy makers, managers and advisers in Slovenia,
  Spain and France
• In the UK, these perspectives were more diverse
• There were a range of examples of divergence in
  the expectations of users and advisers

6
What is a successful outcome?

• Overall, a strong consensus that the role of an
  adviser is to motivate the individual
• Distinction between
• Intermediate goals
• Final outcomes

7
Country-specific definitions of successful
outcomes for users

• Slovenia
• recognition of wider societal influences on
  personal experiences of unemployment
• Emphasis on wider social inclusion, rather than
  just labour market participation
• Importance of individually-tailored services and
  holistic approach
• Focus on intermediate goals rather than final
  outcomes

8
Country-specific definitions of successful
outcomes for users

• UK
• Focus on final outcomes rather than intermediate
  goals
• Concentration on work-first approach
• Spain
• Despite having less emphasis on workfare than the
  other countries, the general aim was short or
  medium term labour market placement

9
Table One Guidance Profile, by Country
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Type 1 Open Resources providing what the client
needs Adviser, UK A successful outcome is when
a user walks out and has got something tangible
in hand Adviser, Slovenia
11
Its when youre able to allow somebody, maybe
through a bit of a counselling approach, to
actually open up and start to think and use you
as a sounding board . . . Its providing people
with this base where they can explore ideas that,
that in other situations can be cramped by other
peoples agendas. So, youre providing an
impartial . . . setting for them to carry out
this exploration and to arrive at a decision that
is well-formed and researched Adviser, UK
12

• Type 1 Open Resources
• Successful outcomes achieved through
• a holistic approach tailored towards individual
  needs
• Adviser, Slovenia
• empowering and motivating the individual
• Adviser, UK

13
Type 4 Workfare We employ personal advisers in
Jobcentre Plus on behalf of the state to get
people into work as quickly as possible Policy
Maker, UK
14
Table Two Suitable jobs, by country
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Type 4 Workfare One of our weaknesses is that
we have not got enough time for guidance.
Actually, I am not sure that is our job. The
heart of our mission is placing job
seekers. Manager, France
16
Type 4 Workfare Somebody who is a skills coach
or a careers adviser is rather more an advocate
of the individual, they are rather more on the
individual's side and helping them to navigate
their way through the system and get what they
want . . .  I don't think we will ever get in
the position, and I don't think we should try
actually, where the welfare to work system is
actually delivering advice and guidance to
individuals. Policy Maker, UK
17
Conclusion

• Transforming users towards successful outcomes
• Changing attitudes
• Altering (lowering) expectations
• Facilitating a realistic view of the problem
• Increasing motivation
• Increasing acceptance of individual
  responsibility
• Upgrading skills
• Changing behaviour

18
Job seekers often do not know what they need.
The advisers work consists in showing them that
their expectations do not match their real
needs. Manager, France
19
ConclusionKey tensions

• Balancing needs of employers/local labour markets
  and needs of users
• Balancing the needs of users with the reality
  of their situation in the labour market
• Balancing the expectations of users with what the
  service can offer