Educational and Vocational Guidance in Denmark

2. Coordination of Guidance – Two ModelsThis chapter will present two models of coordinationfor guidance activities in Denmark. The first modelpresents the national level of coordination and thesecond model presents the coordination which is carriedout at regional level.Guidance counsellors in 27 sector-specific guidanceservices are involved in educational and vocationalguidance activities. The purpose of an organised coordinationof guidance activities is to make all guidanceservices in Denmark work together and function as awhole. Coordination promotes the development ofcross-sectoral networks through which guidancecounsellors can learn from and inspire one another.Furthermore, coordination makes it easier for guidancecounsellors – as well as clients – to get anoverview of the complex Danish guidance system.Knowing about the many different types of guidanceservices means that guidance counsellors can providea better service in the sense that they can redirectclients to another – more appropriate – guidance serviceif needed or desired.The coordination of guidance has two aspects to it;firstly, it has to take into account labour market andeducational policies, and, secondly, it aims to developand promote the professional guidance-related qualificationsof the guidance counsellors. The responsibilityfor the coordination of guidance activities is dividedbetween the national and the regional/local level asshown in the following table.The Danish Ministry of Labour developed the modelfor the regional coordination of guidance; a modelthat is meant to ensure regular and high-qualityexchange of knowledge and experience among guidancecounsellors in the education sector and in theAspectLabour market andGuidance orientatedLevel educational policiesNational National Labour Market Council The Danish National Council(LAR), National Labour Market for Educational andAuthority (AMS), education Vocational Guidanceauthorities(R.U.E.)Regional/ Regional labour Regional and localLocal market councils (RAR) guidance committees (VFU)labour market sector. The aim of the regional model isto organise and coordinate the responsibilities andinterests of the area of education, the labour marketand all other guidance activities. The regional modelis based on a clear division of responsibilities andtasks in relation to guidance. The regional labour marketcouncils (regionale arbejdsmarkedsråd, RAR) areresponsible for labour market policies, whereas theregional guidance committees (vejledningsfagligeudvalg, VFU) are responsible for guidance-specificcoordination activities.The National Labour Market Council (Landsarbejdsrådet,LAR), the National Labour Market Authority(Arbejdsmarkedsstyrelsen, AMS), the education authorities,and the Danish National Council for Educationaland Vocational Guidance (Rådet for Uddannelses- ogErhvervsvejledning, R.U.E.) are responsible at the nationallevel; this is outlined in a joint note of the relevantorganisations. The relations between R.U.E. and theother authorities coordinating guidance at the nationallevel consist in mutual orientation and consultation inrelation to important initiatives, priorities etc.In the following, the two models of coordination willbe described further. The ‘guidance orientated’ aspectwill be described in more detail than that of labourmarket and educational policies.10