Career Guidance in the Life Course

This publication gives an overview over the basic structure of the German guidance system to the interested public and to the partners in Europe and beyond. In general, the German system provides access to educa tional and career guidance services for all citizens at any stage of their lives – whether they are in education or training, employed, unemployed or looking for continuing education. The structure of guidance pro vision reflects the German education and employment system with its shared responsibilities between the Federation, the Länder and the municipalities. Hence, the provision of career guidance is traditionally based on the distinction between educational guidance (Bildungsberatung) in the educational sector and vocational guidance (Berufsberatung) in the vocational training and employment sector. Cooperation across the sectors is in this context crucial.


Educational and Career Guidance in the Context of Lifelong Learning
Germany's wealth is its people, their skills and knowledge and their potential.Lifelong learning, full development of individual competences and the maintenance of employability are crucial in this respect.Therefore, it is necessary not only to integrate unemployed people into the labour market through learning and better training but also to promote the potential of employed people and support and accompany them in managing their education and career.
To achieve these goals, people need to be supported by high quality guidance both in general and in continuing education as well as in vocational education and training and in the labour market.In the context of lifelong learning, educational and career guidance is a connecting link between the needs of the citizens and the demands of the educational and labour market.Germany looks back on a long tradition of well established school and career guidance.Nevertheless, social and economic changes cause new challenges for the ongoing further development of guidance structures.The "Expert Group for Innovations in Further Training", set up by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and the Government's Conception for Lifelong Learning (2008) as well as the Coalition treaty of 2013 recommended improvements in guidance provision and the promotion of quality and professionalism.Better coordination and co-operation within the guidance system, improved transparency of services and regular further training of practitioners will be important fields of action.
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has initiated various measures which aim to enhance the relevance of guidance to lifelong learning and which extend the required infrastructure: To facilitate access to guidance for continuing education, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in co-operation with the Länder has commissioned the development and testing of a nationwide Educational Guidance Service Telephone.In addition, the "Local Learning Programme" intended to enhance cooperation and coordination for a coherent management of education provision at a local level including guidance services as a central action point.To improve the quality of guidance, the Ministry supported a project to develop quality standards and a quality development framework for guidance delivery.To improve early career orientation in schools and to facilitate the transition from school to work, the Federal Government is promoting the assignment of career start coaches and volunteer mentors with funding.
The contribution of guidance is indispensable for the achievement of the aims of the EU 2020 and ET 2020 strategies and to meet the European Youth Guarantee.The European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN), which Germany sees as a strong partner for the enhancement of lifelong guidance, provides stimulus and a framework for international exchange.Quality guidance supports the individual's education and career paths and avoids detours.Regarding the future challenges our society faces -ongoing changes in the economy and society with an increased need for multiple career choices, an aging society, skill shortages in the labour market and increased mobility to meet globalisation trends -it is evident that well developed and professional educational and career guidance can play a significant role in solving these problems.In Germany we try to meet these challenges by fostering the role of guidance and its continuous improvement.
Involving all relevant stakeholders in the process of shaping the future guidance system is essential if we want to design guidance services in a way that serves the needs of individuals in managing their educational biography and career.
I am pleased to present with this brochure an overview of the German guidance system and the goals already achieved to the interested public and to our partners in Europe and other parts of the world.

Introduction
In order to enable individuals to manage their educational and working life effectively and make well-informed decisions about their career, all citizens in Germany have access to guidance and counselling services at any stage of their lives -whether they are in education or training, employed, unemployed or out of the workforce.This brochure will provide an overview of the basic structure of the German guidance system -especially for foreign readers or those interested in a brief survey -without any pretension to detailed comprehensiveness.
The structure of guidance provision reflects the constitutional legislation for the German education and employment systems with its split responsibilities between Federation, Federal States (Länder) and municipalities.The responsibility for education and culture lies with the 16 Länder, including the school sector, the higher education sector, and (partly) adult and continuing education.Employment and labour market policy, however, are under the responsibility of the Federal Government, as well as vocational training and vocational further training policies.This also includes the provision of career guidance by the Federal Employment Agency (FEA) with its local Employment Agencies (EA).In addition to Federal institutions and the Länder governments, the local municipalities are important players in the provision of guidance services -either through their Adult Education Centres (Volkshoch schulen) or through their social welfare services.
In the context of these legal responsibilities the German career guidance system is traditionally based on a distinction between educational guidance (Bildungs beratung) in the educational sector on one hand and vocational guidance (Berufsberatung) in the vocational training and employment sector on the other.

Career Guidance in the Life Course Structures and Services in Germany
In view of the increasing importance of lifelong learning in the modern knowledge-based society and the growing necessity of adequate guidance services, this differentiation is increasingly losing its meaning in favour of integrative and lifelong guidance provision across all sectors.Therefore, co-ordination, networking and co-operation are necessary preconditions for improving the transparency and coherence as well as the efficiency and effectiveness of the multiple guidance services.
Guidance for education, career and employment in Germany is based on the comprehensive definition of guidance commonly agreed between the partners in the European Union.It comprises all forms of educational, vocational and career guidance and counselling including career orientation and education, assessment of competences and self-information facilities.To facilitate reading, the term "career guidance" or briefly "guidance" is used here to indicate all forms of educational, vocational and employment-related guidance activities.

Structure of the educational system in Germany
The school system differs from Land to Land.Nevertheless, in general it has the following structure: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary education and continuing education (see diagram on page 5).
All pupils in Germany attend primary school (Grund schule) which covers grades 1 to 4 (in some Länder, grades 1 to 6).After primary education, lower secondary education follows in Secondary Schools (Hauptschule/ Sekundar schule), Intermediate Schools (Realschule) or in Grammar Schools (Gymnasium).Many of the Länder increasingly set up integrated and comprehensive schooltypes which offer several educational tracks and lead to various school-leaving certificates.After lower secondary education up to grade 9 or 10, compulsory full-time general education is completed.
For pupils with special educational needs whose development cannot be adequately assisted in general education various types of special schools (Förderschulen) have been set up.

EU Guidance Definition:
"In the context of lifelong learning, guidance refers to a range of activities that enables citizens of any age and at any point in their lives to identify their capacities, competences and interests, to make educational, training and occupational decisions and to manage their individual life paths in learning, work and other settings in which these capacities and competences are learned and/or used."

1
Diagrammatic representation of the typical structure of the education system of the Federal Republic of Germany.
In individual Länder there are variations from the above pattern.
The age given for attendance at the various educational institutions refers to the earliest possible typical entry.Far more than 50 % of the relevant age group achieve A-levels (Abitur) in upper secondary schools.This final examination, which gives entry into higher education institutions, can be obtained either in grammar schools (Gymnasium), in comprehensive schools or in other secondary schools, as well as in certain vocational schools (see Facts and Figures).

Structure of the Education System in Germany
About 63 % of all people aged 25 to 35 have completed vocational training, the majority of them in the dual (apprenticeship) system.Education in the dual system is organized as in-company training which is accompanied by courses in vocational schools.The Federal Government is responsible for legislation regarding the in-company training, whereas the Länder governments make decisions about vocational schooling.
Higher Education, which is also under the legal responsibility of the Länder, is offered by autonomous universities, technical universities, universities of applied sciences and universities for economics, fine arts, music, theology, etc.Despite an increasing number of private academic institutions, 94 % of students attend public Higher Education institutions (Autorengruppe Bildungsberichterstattung, 2014).As part of concurrent legislation the admission to and graduation at such institutions are under the legal responsibility of the Federal Government.However, the Länder have been granted the power to enact their own provisions complementing federal law.
The Standing Conference of Ministers of Edu- cation and Cultural Affairs of the Länder (Ständige Konferenz der Kultusminister der Länder, KMK) coordinates the necessary harmonization of education matters to secure com parability.
In the German education system, fundamental changes are currently being implemented.The various efforts related to quality assurance and quality development, including the introduction of national educational standards, are especially important.In Higher Education major reforms have also been introduced during the last few years, especially following the Bologna process, which focuses on modernisation and internationalisation as well as the quality assurance of the system.

Educational guidance in general secondary education
The provision of guidance services in schools is the legal responsibility of institutions of general education in all the 16 Länder.Various forms of guidance are offered at the different stages of the school career.These involve advice and counselling on educational paths and on learning difficulties, psychological counselling and assessment by the school psychological services and classroom career education.In schools, guidance is provided by specially trained teachers, social workers, school psychologists and cooperating vocational guidance practitioners from the Employment Agencies (EA).

Individual advice and counselling in schools
School guidance focuses mainly on the choice of school type, school level and subjects.It begins with decisions related to school entrance but is particularly important at points of transition from one type of school to another.Guidance is especially important for pupils who proceed to secondary education, when the choice between the different types of school has to be made.Again, at the end of lower secondary and in upper secondary education, students need guidance und vocational orientation related to their individual interests and abilities, and their subject choices and academic opportunities.School guidance is also aimed at parents who influence their children' s school paths.
Some municipalities have established special centres or institutions offering educational guidance.In addition, most Länder offer online information resources for parents and students.

School Psychological Service
The School Psychological Service (Schulpsychologischer Dienst) exists in all Länder and is organized across schools in the local community.The service focuses on psychological counselling, psychological diagnostics and assessment, severe learning and behavioural problems as well as conflict management.It offers services to pupils of all ages, parents, teachers and other staff in schools as well as to institutions of primary and secondary education.The service is staffed with professional psychologists, who sometimes also have a teaching qualification.

Career education and vocational orientation
Career education or vocational orientation (Berufswahl unterricht, Berufsorientierung) is an integral part of the school curriculum in all Länder and a common guidance activity of most secondary schools.It aims at preparing pupils for the world of work by improving their career management skills and their abilities to seek and use information and make decisions.In some Länder, preparation for working life is a subject in its own right, which may be named differently e.g.Arbeitslehre (lessons in working life), Arbeit-Wirtschaft-Technik (WorkEconomy Technology).But career education is also more and more part of other subjects, such as economics, social sciences and law.It is frequently complemented by extra-curricular activities, often in co-operation with companies.The career education curriculum also involves internships and visits to enterprises as well as to the local Career Information Centre (Berufsinformationszentrum BIZ), which exists in every local EA.Two or three weeks of work experience in businesses, administration or private companies give pupils a vivid impression of the requirements in the world of work.The use of a career choice passport (portfolio approach) enables students to report their careerrelated experiences.
In addition, links with the world of work and industry as well as school-business partnerships are organised by a well-established national network (Arbeitskreise Schule Wirtschaft) operating across the country.This supports not only work experience programmes for teachers and students but also further training for teachers.It assists pupils in learning how to run a company (Schülerfirmen) and encourages twinning arrangements between schools and particular companies in order to give students practical experiences.
Whereas career guidance activities in lower secondary schools concentrate on the transition from school to working life, activities in upper secondary education focus on academic orientation and transition to tertiary education.Nevertheless, 24 % of all young people who started vocational training in the dual system in 2012 held an upper secondary qualification with entitlement for higher educa- Career counsellors from the EA offer individual career counselling to pupils and school leavers both in the employment office but also on a regular basis on the school' s premises.They give class lectures on vocational orientation, workshops and seminars, and organise class visits to the Career Information Centre (BIZ).At the BIZ they also arrange career fairs and career-related lectures and seminars.In addition, they support teachers who are responsible for school guidance in all matters related to career education and career orientation.These services are provided both in lower and upper secondary schools.The co-operation of schools and guidance service of the EA is regulated through a formal agreement between the Federal Employment Agency and the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder (KMK), complemented by agreements at Länder level (KMK 2004).

Guidance in Education, Career and Employment in Germany -Structures and Services
Besides the co-operation with educational institutions, the guidance work of the local EA is closely linked with the chambers of commerce and crafts, employers' organisations, trade unions and other public institutions.The EA also collaborates with the social and youth welfare department and with organisations and agencies for people with special needs.Through local networks on vocational orientation and guidance common one-stop-shops so-called Youths Vocational Centers (Jugendberufsagenturen) are increasingly set up to enable "custom-made transitions".This involves better support for disadvantaged pupils and prevention measures on drop-out.Such approaches also serve the implementation of the European Youth Guarantee.
A wide variety of printed and online media on careers, training opportunities, study programmes and labour market information as well as self-assessment tools which is provided by the Federal Employment Agency is available in the BIZ but also in schools and online.
In addition, the local employment agencies have special Psychological and Medical Services which offer -in case of necessity -psychological testing and assessment by professional psychologists as well as medical examinations to assess mental and physical aptitude for particular training pathways or occupations.These special services are used on the recommendation of counsellors, in particu lar to support the career choices and career development of target groups with special needs (e.g.disabled and/or disadvantaged persons).
The service is complemented by special support measures for the youth and financial support schemes for apprentices as well as for target groups with special needs (e.g. for rehabilitation, work experience, internships, and courses of vocational preparation).
tion.This shows that not all students who passed the Abitur (A-level) take up their studies immediately (BiBB, 2014).

Career guidance in secondary schools by Employment Agencies (EA)
The provision of vocational guidance for youth and adults in relation to all issues of career choice and career development and the relevant educational paths is a legal task of the Employment Agencies (Social Code III, § § 29-33).This particularly includes vocational counselling and career orientation for pupils in schools.
Career education in secondary schools is generally supported by career counsellors from the EA.The reason for this unusual practice, compared to most other countries, is the importance of the German apprenticeship training system for the vocational qualifications of a majority of school leavers.Choosing a career and an occupational field linked to in-company training are more effectively done if they are supported by guidance counsellors who have expertise in labour market issues and have close connections with training companies and employers.The local Employment Agencies therefore offer a service combining guidance, individual counselling and placement into apprenticeship training places.This benefits not only young people but also employers hiring apprentices because it facilitates their recruitment.

Study and career guidance in Higher Education
In general, by legislation of the Länder, Higher Education institutions are supposed to provide information and guidance for HE students and applicants and to co-operate with other actors in this respect.

Central counselling services and faculty-based guidance
Nearly all institutions of higher education maintain a central counselling service which provides students with orientation and information on all study-related questions: choosing a university, choosing a field or course of study, study programmes, and examination regulations, as well as counselling regarding learning difficulties or personal problems.This service also offers special courses on issues like examination preparation, self-organisation, stress and time management.In addition to face-to-face counselling, most student counselling services maintain a self-help information area and organise information events for upper secondary graduates as well as introductory courses for freshmen.Here, co-operation is essential with a variety of partners including upper secondary schools, the EAs, scientific and academic institutions, and employers' associations.
Decentralised faculty-based expert guidance and information on subject-related matters are provided by designated professors or scientific staff, who fulfil this function alongside their research and teaching jobs.

Other services in Higher Education
Most German HE institutions have established Career Services/Centres which offer support in the transition from university to employment through special training courses, career fairs and other labour-market-related events.Career Services usually collaborate with experts from the local EA, employers' associations, chambers of commerce and crafts and local or global enterprises.Moreover, they increasingly engage in reforming study programmes and in developing core competences so that graduates may better meet labour market requirements.
The student support service (Studentenwerk) is responsible for students' social affairs including housing, canteens, financial assistance, and family affairs.They provide counselling in social and personal matters but also on student job opportunities.Some of these services also offer career counselling.
International students and students going abroad receive guidance on various topics from the Foreign Exchange Office (Akademisches Auslandsamt) of the universities.
Special HE teams respectively higher education guidance practitioners have been established in those EAs which are located in areas with large universities.These teams provide a special counselling service for students and graduates, as well as placement services for graduates and unemployed persons with a higher education degree.The teams normally offer their services on the premises of the university as well as in EAs.
In addition to the public services which are based in schools, HE institutions and employment agencies, numerous private and semi-private career guidance practitioners and management consultancy firms, as well as private training companies, offer guidance to students and university graduates, often charging fees while the other described guidance services are publicly funded.

Services of Employment Agencies and Job Centres
The EAs offer -in addition to placement services and unemployment insurance benefitscareer guidance as a public service free-of-charge to all citizens irrespective of their age, education status or individual working and living conditions.According to a Federal law (Social Code III, § § 29-33), this service is a legal obligation of the FEA.
Career guidance and counselling is more than ever perceived as a continuing process throughout the educational and working life, from educational and career choices to job changes, including any phases of unemployment, up to retirement.
Accordingly, the EAs provide information and guidance related to all questions of career choice and career development, types of training or study course, occupational change and mobility, further training and retraining, placement and self-employment, as well as to all labour-marketrelated issues including labour market schemes and financial assistance.Although guidance offered by the EA is comprehensive and very well developed for students and school leavers, in practice for a long time the service for adults has focused mainly on the registered unemployed and those at risk of becoming unemployed.Guidance for employed adults shall be strengthened through the extension of guidance on continuous education through socalled "continuous education counsellors".
Guidance and placement are facilitated by a wide variety of printed and online media (see page 15).In addition to information portals on occupations and continuous education the FEA offers electronic matching (Online-Job-Exchange) and online applications tools both for employers and applicants.
The counselling of unemployed and job seekers in the EA is mainly carried out by placement officers, who usually have successfully completed a basic training in counselling.Basing their work on an analysis of strengths and weaknesses (profiling), they check skills, competences and aptitudes required for vacant jobs.An action plan describes the next steps and responsibilities of the unemployed person and the placement officer.If occupational integration requires further training or any other activities in order to improve the person's employability, these are also written down in the action plan and have to be put into practice.
Since 2005, there have been substantial changes in legislation with respect to the occupational integration of longterm unemployed persons (Social Code II), merging unemployment benefits and social assistance in what is now called basic subsistence for claimants who are capable to work.This assistance applies to all persons who have been unemployed for more than twelve months and to those who have never previously worked in insured employment.In this context, vocational guidance is obligatory following the policy principles of "support and challenge".This means that unemployment benefits are only granted if support options, including vocational guidance and its outcomes, are accepted.
Guidance and support under Social Code II is mostly delivered in joint Job Centres which are organised by the local EA and the municipality, or by the municipality alone.Here, claimants under Social Code II receive intensive counselling, following a case management approach.In this context vocational guidance not only involves placement and counselling on vocational options and training but also includes information on benefits and other financial support.
Young unemployed under the age of 25 are served by a special unit (Team U 25) and in case of multiple problems receive even more intensive coaching (the legal ratio is one case manager for 75 young people).They are entitled to receive a job or training offer immediately.
Employed or unemployed persons who wish to take up further training or retraining in order to improve their employability or job perspectives can claim a voucher for financial assistance from the EA (Bildungsgutschein; § 81 Social Code III).The voucher is only issued after a counselling interview by the EA on the applicant's personal aptitude, motivation and individual circumstances as well as on the type of education and training needed.However, EAs are not allowed to recommend any particular educational institution, training provider or course.The beneficiaries of the voucher are supposed to find a recognized and accredited training provider and course by themselves, assisted either by the nationwide database on educational and training courses, KURSNET (see page 15) or by other guidance and counselling services outside the EA.

Guidance for continuing education by the municipalities
Guidance services for adults outside the FEA often focus on adult general education and on continuing vocational education and training (CVET).Most municipalities maintain adult education centres (Volkshochschulen) which provide both general education and CVET.Information and advice regarding their programmes and assistance in individual learning issues are part of their regular tasks, which are mostly carried out by lecturers, who usually hold an additional guidance qualification, alongside their main teaching job.
In addition, a growing number of municipalities maintain independent Municipal Educational Guidance Services, which often have been initiated and funded by the Federal Government as well as by Länder programmes.They are open to everybody.

Guidance for further training by Federal Government programmes
Within the framework of the lifelong learning strategy, the Federal Government initiated and funded several programmes which promoted continuing vocational training and related guidance activities.As part of the programmes Learning Regions -Supporting Networks (Lernende Regionen -Förderung von Netzwerken 2001-2007) and Local Learning (Lernen vor Ort 2009-2012) the government promoted the establishment and professionalization of educational guidance services in the municipalities.
Another programme initiated and funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF in order to strengthen lifelong learning is the Education Grant (Bildungsprämie) which is designed to promote continuing education and training for employed persons through financial assistance.A voucher up to about 500 € is issued after an obligatory counselling session, which focuses on the personal conditions of financial assistance but also on the aims and preferences which the person has for his/her further education, and on possible training courses.Guidance in this context is provided by certified private institutions (mostly by adult education centres, chambers of commerce and crafts, trade unions or private training institutes).
Furthermore, the BMBF in co-operation with the Länder developed a concept for a nationwide telephone service for educational guidance, which will be tested in a piloting phase.Similar hotlines and internet portals restricted to some regions, municipalities and Länder already exist.

Provision of career guidance by industrial federations and social partners
The chambers of commerce and crafts, industrial federations and social partners also provide services for information and advice related to VET and CVET addressed to schools, universities and enterprises, but also to apprentices, employed or unemployed persons.
In particular, according to the Federal Vocational Training Act ( § 76 Berufsbildungsgesetz) and the Crafts Act ( §41a Handwerksordnung), the chambers of commerce and crafts have a legal obligation to provide information and advice for employers and apprentices (Aus bildungsberatung) in all matters relating to the dual training system.Guidance practitioners in the chambers give advice to trainees, parents and teachers in vocational schools, companies, trainers, and works councils on questions related to apprenticeships in the dual system.Such questions may concern the course of the apprenticeship, examinations and the training contract with the employer as well as regulations for youth protection in the workplace.Also, in case of difficulties in the vocational school or conflicts in the company, trainees may seek help from a guidance practitioner in the chambers of commerce and crafts.
Chambers of commerce and crafts also provide some guidance for adults aiming for further training or selfemployment.In addition, chambers of commerce and crafts offer advice to their member enterprises on issues like upskilling their staff or recruiting qualified staff (qualification consultancy).
Trade Unions also provide career guidance and assistance to their members (employed or unemployed) on questions related to further training.Often this is provided by workers' council and union representatives.In this respect pilot projects have enabled members of the workers' council to qualify as "Educational Coaches" (Project "Learning and Working", German Trade Union Federation DGB) or as "Learning Mentors" (2010) (trade unions IG Metall and ver.di).In addition, the German Trade Union Federation has developed counselling competences for guidance practitioners in the chambers of crafts in a project called "Campaign for Guidance in Crafts".Part of this was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Private services
There is a growing private sector for guidance provision, in particular since the abolishment of the guidance monopoly of the FEA in 1998.In addition to management consultants and private career guidance practitioners, the number of non-profit organisations who offer guidance services has increased considerably.One reason for this is that several Federal and Länder government programmes on training and labour market issues require guidance activities for their beneficiaries.So far, the private market has been less strongly regulated than the public sector.

Qualification consultancy for enterprises
Qualification consultancy supports companies in developing human resource development strategies and further training options for their employees.It is particularly aimed at small and medium-sized companies (SME) which often face difficulties in these matters.Besides raising the awareness and motivation for investment in training and qualification, such consultancy can help companies to plan, implement and evaluate the further qualification of their staff.In addition to the social partners and institutions of higher education, private and semi-private providers offer this service.The Federal Ministry of Education and Research as well as some Länder governments have funded a number of related programmes and activities in order to enhance activities in this field, which is crucial for the successful implementation of the idea of lifelong learning in enterprises.
The provision of guidance for employers and com- panies is also a legal task of the FEA.Special Employer Service Teams in EAs assist private companies in all matters relating to staff recruitment, filling vacancies, upskilling of staff, apprenticeship training and further training, and provide information on labour market developments and changing occupational structures.They also provide information on financial assistance in relation to further training or on the occupational integration of employees with special needs.

Guidance for special target groups
Guidance needs often depend on individuals' particular characteristics and situations: parents with young children or people returning to work, youth at risk, disadvantaged people, people with disabilities, senior citizens, people with a migrant background, highly skilled people etc.A variety of guidance services which are often carried out by public or non-profit organizations funded by Federal or Länder ministries, municipalities or by the EA, cater for these guidance needs.The following sections only present the most important services.

Guidance for people with disabilities
Germany is committed to actively supporting the United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities through appropriate measures.Guidance plays a major role in the implementation of these rights.
School guidance for pupils with disabilities is mainly provided within special schools and by the psychological service.The School Psychological Service also co-operates with the Municipal Medical Service and in particular with parents concerning the decisions regarding enrolment in special schools.Here, the inclusion of young people in mainstream general education has priority.In special schools, career education and preparation for the world of work and for career decisions are often also provided in connection with practical lessons and work experience periods.Teachers, social workers and rehabilitation experts from the Health Care Service and the EA work together.
Young disabled people receive regular vocational training in companies and vocational schools, following the dual VET system but with additional assistance according to their individual needs.If the nature and seriousness of the disability make it necessary, they attend special vocational training centres (Berufsbildungswerke) or similar specialized institutions which are financed by the FEA.They also receive guidance on their course and career choices as well as career orientation from counsellors of the special Rehabilitation Team in the EA.Individual coaching throughout the training is delivered by guidance practitioners and by the social, psychological and medical services of the special training centres.
The local EAs offer vocational and career guidance for both young and adult people with disabilities in a separate specialised service called the Rehabilitation Team.In order to provide easy access for persons with handicaps, they also provide services within special schools and rehabilitation centres.
In addition, in some cases the Health Insurance, Pen- sion Insurance and the Accident Insurance are responsible for vocational rehabilitation and offer guidance services to people with disabilities.
In HE institutions, representatives for the dis- abled offer guidance and information to students, applicants and staff with disabilities and chronic illnesses on questions related to studies and social issues.The student support service (Studentenwerk) also maintains a special guidance service for disabled students which primarily deals with social and financial issues.
Commissioned by the integration authorities and the bodies responsible for rehabilitation, special Integration Services (Integrationsfachdienste) offer vocational and career guidance for the disabled (Social Code IX § 109).This service focuses particularly on severely disabled adults, who are in need of intensive personal support, and on their employers.In addition to information, guidance, support and placement, a major task of the Integration Services is the assessment of competences, abilities and interests of their clients.They co-operate with various partners who are involved in the process of vocational rehabilitation (e.g.rehabilitation bodies, EAs, employers, chambers of commerce and crafts).
Following Social Code IX ( § § 22-25), the bodies responsible for rehabilitation are required to maintain local Common Service Agencies (Gemeinsame Servicestellen) which -as a first port of call -offer guidance on all issues of medical and vocational rehabilitation to disabled people and refer them to other relevant services.(United Nations, 2006) dropping out of education, young people who leave school with little or no qualifications as well as young offenders and youth with family or social problems need special assistance in relation to social and occupational integration.

Guidance for disadvantaged youth
There are a number of programmes at Federal, Länder and municipal level as well as temporary projects which address these needs.Guidance is often an integral part of these programmes which follow a holistic approach offering a wide range of intensive services.Most programmes and projects aim at improving the young people's vocational skills and abilities in order to enhance their chances of entering regular in-company vocational training.Therefore, assessments of abilities, competences and interests are often carried out at the beginning of these interventions.They involve practical experience and internship periods in order to support career orientation as well as to improve the young people's self-confidence.Guidance in these settings usually focuses on developing career management skills and aims at helping young people to develop their competences, setting their goals and taking responsibility.All of these programmes and projects are subject-oriented and comprehensive, involving all aspects of a young person's life.Hence, these programmes and projects co-operate with a wide network of institutions including, as a priority, schools and EAs.
However, the numerous initiatives and programmes supporting the transition from school to work led to growing confusion within the so-called "transition system".In order to improve coordination between the numerous actors and to increase transparency, initiatives have begun in the last years on federal and state-levels to systematize the provisions and measures as part of a transition management.

Coaching for the transition to work
Coaching for the transition to work, which started 2008 initiated as a programme by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS), has been included in legally regulated structures (Social Code III, §49).It aims at easing the transition from school to training for pupils who may have difficulties entering the labour market for reasons of low school achievement or social risks.Starting from the 7 th grade, pupils can be supported by an educational coach (Berufseinstiegsbegleiter) who assists them in their career choice and application process.If necessary, the coaches can maintain their assistance for up to six months after the start of a vocational training course.The coaches are based at lower secondary schools and work in co-operation with all local actors involved in career education and guidance, with employers and with voluntary mentors.The FEA organises the programme and commissions suitable organisations to run the programme.

BMBF programme Educational Chains (Bildungsketten)
This initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research started in 2010.It complements and expands the educational coaches programme.It also aims at avoiding school-dropout and improving the transition into the dual training system in order to prevent skills shortages.It combines new and existing instruments.The starting point is an analysis of potential in grade 7, which also takes account of out-of-school or spare-time interests and talents.The support measures are based on the results of this diagnosis and involve individual curricular and extra-curricular measures.Pupils with particular needs for support are accompanied by educational coaches throughout their final school years and also at the beginning of their vocational training.Altogether 20.000 young people were supported since 2009/2010.60.000 pupils took part in the analysis of potential and 450.000 in the programme career orientation (since 2010) (BMBF c)).The programme is intended to be sustainably based in the legally regulated structures.

Vocational preparation programmes of the Länder and the FEA
Young people who do not meet the requirements to enter vocational training or who have not achieved a secondary school degree may carry on with a year of vocational preparation (Berufsvorbereitungsjahr) in vocational schools, which is offered in almost all Länder.Or they may participate in other vocational preparation courses initiated and financed by EAs, and carried out by private training providers or non-profit organisations.
These courses include work experience and practical training, which help the young people to acquire vocational skills and capabilities, as well as social pedagogical assistance and career orientation and guidance.
During the apprenticeship training in a company the EA can also grant so called "training aids" to support the apprentices' vocational education and training process through remedial lessons, social pedagogical guidance and assistance.

Guidance for people with a migrant background
About 20 % of the population in Germany has a migrant background.Of these, 11 % of the total population are German citizens, and 9 % hold a foreign passport (Statistisches Bundesamt (b), 2012).Most of them have special guidance requirements, including the need for more information on the German labour market and educational system.Furthermore, their foreign qualifications are often not easily recognized in Germany.Many migrants may only have limited knowledge of the German language.People with a migrant background often have lower qualification levels and work in low-income sectors; for these reasons they are more likely to be unemployed.
In general, people with a migrant background have access to all guidance services.But in order to better understand their cultural background and meet their specific language and information needs, specialized services have been established.

Youth Migration Service
Practitioners from Youth Migration Services support young migrants under 27 years and those with a foreign background in their educational and vocational integration process through career guidance.The aim is to enhance equal opportunities and equal participation for migrants in all aspects of political, vocational, cultural and social life.Applying a comprehensive case management approach, the Youth Migration Services draft individual action plans based on interests, competences and needs in discussion with the young person.The social workers and professional pedagogues who work in over 400 offices across the country often have a migrant background themselves so that they may speak the youngsters' mother tongue and have a better understanding of their problems.They also co-operate with and refer young people to other local services.The Youth Migration Service is financed by the Youth and Children Plan by the Federal Ministry for Families, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ).

Information and Qualification Network (IQ-Network)
A number of projects and non-profit organisations at Federal, Länder and local level address the career guidance needs of youths and adults with a migrant background.They are usually located in the larger cities with a sizeable migrant population.In the IQ Network, which was initiated in 2005 by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS), several guidance projects and organizations specializing in guidance for people with a migrant background work together.The nationwide network of six centres and further transfer projects is funded by the FEA and co-ordinated by the Central Agency for Advanced Training in the Skilled Crafts.The IQ Network aims to enhance the job situation of adult migrants though guidance and counselling, vocational qualification, skills assessment and business start-up support.

Guidance in the context of "The Recognition Act for the procedure to assess professional qualifications"
The Federal Government's Recognition Act was enacted in April 2012.In its context the existing provisions by the IQ-Network took over the task as contact and information centers to support people looking for recognition of their foreign qualifications.Complementing the face-to-face counselling services, a multilingual internet information portal (http://www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/html/en/index.php) and a telephone hotline is provided by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).It provides information on the recognition process and access to further guidance and counselling.

Information and guidance through the internet
The significance of information on education, career and employment on the internet has increased considerably with the continuous development of modern information and communication technologies and the changing use of new media.Hence, the extent of such provision has risen substantially.
The following boxes present the most important nation-wide internet portals and databases by public providers.In addition, all Länder run their own portals to support continuous and vocational education and training.They often refer to guidance services, some even with a search function.In addition, there are many privately sponsored websites, which are not considered here.

Web-based guidance services in the education sector (selection)
The largest online databases on educational systems and structures including information on educational and school-based guidance services are the German Education Server (Deutscher Bildungsserver) (http://www.bildungsserver.de)and the corresponding Länder Education Server (Länderbildungsserver).
InfoWeb for Continuing Education (http://www.iwwb.de)with search tools for courses, local guidance services and financial assistance.
The Higher Education Compass (Hochschulkompass) (www.hochschulkompass.de)provided by the "German Rectors' Conference" (Hochschulrektorenkonferenz) is a comprehensive online portal on academic education and university courses including academic further education and international study opportunities in other countries.
Comprehensive internet portals on the choice of studies and careers for pupils and graduates of secondary education which include academic and non-academic education (www.studienwahl.deand www.berufswahl.de)are offered by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder (Kultusministerkonferenz der Länder) in co-operation with the FEA.
For the recognition of foreign vocational qualifications the Portal Recognition in Germany (http://www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/html/en/index.php)gives information on the process of recognition in several languages and provides access to telephone and face-to-face guidance provisions on this matter.

Internet services by the Federal Employment Agency
Online job exchange (Jobbörse) (http://jobboerse.arbeitsagentur.de/)which includes online self-assessment tools, online application tools and a matching programme for applicants and vacancies eLearning-Programmes (www.lernboerse.arbeitsagentur.de)for clients of the Employment Agencies BERUFENET (http://berufenet.arbeitsagentur.de),a comprehensive database of occupational descriptions, training, career and labour market information and BERUFETV (http://berufe.tv),films, videos, photos on professions and professional fields KURSNET (http://kursnet.arbeitsagentur.de),a comprehensive database on educational and training opportunities, academic subjects and rehabilitation measures The Career Development Navigator (Berufsentwicklungsnavigator BEN) (https://ben.arbeitsagentur.de/ben)combines the provisions listed above in one portal.
"planet-beruf" (http://www.planet-beruf.de/), a career choice programme for lower secondary school students, school leavers and teachers as well as parents abi.de (http://www.abi.de), an internet portal on vocational training and academic opportunities for secondary education graduates with entrance qualifications to higher education

Quality and professionalism in career guidance and counselling
Issues of professionalism and quality in career guidance have recently gained importance due to the increased awareness of the role of guidance in implementing lifelong learning strategies.The Federal Government' s "Conception for Lifelong Learning" (2008) accordingly highlights the importance of transparency, easy access and quality of guidance and the qualification requirements for guidance practitioners (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (b), 2008).

Quality standards and quality assurance
In Germany there are a number of sector-specific or provider-specific quality standards and quality assurance systems in operation.However, no generally agreed quality standards which are applicable in all sectors of guidance in education, career and employment are in place.Moreover, only a few legal regulations guarantee minimum standards of quality in guidance, since they mostly refer to the citizen's entitlement to guidance but not to how guidance should be delivered.
The basic standards for career guidance formulated in Social Code III for the provision of guidance by EAs require that the individual's autonomy and the recognition of the client's aptitudes, interests and abilities as well as his or her social environment and the general labour market prospects are considered.The law requires that the kind and intensity of guidance service depend on the individual client's needs.Confidentiality and impartiality are also basic standards.In addition, the FEA and the Job Centres have defined more detailed quality guidelines for vocational guidance and case management in their own contexts.
However, in the growing private and semi-private sector, no general requirements for quality or qualification of staff are yet in place.Some providers and professional associations have established their own standards, e.g.: The German Association for Vocational and Educational Guidance (Deutscher Verband für Bildungs und Berufs beratung e.V., dvb) has set up a guidance practitioners register (BerufsBeratungsRegister) where counselling practitioners who fulfil defined quality standards can be registered and listed http://www.bbregister.de.
The German Association for Counselling (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Beratung e.V.) accepted in 2009 "Essentials for continuing education in counselling" (Essentials für Weiterbildung in Beratung/Counselling) including professional standards for quality and service delivery http://www.dachverband-beratung.de.
Since 2012 the German "Society for Information, Guidance and Therapy at Universities" (GIBeT) offers a training certificate for guidance practitioners in higher education (www.gibet.de/fortbildungszertifikat.html).
Several professional associations refer to the "Ethical Standards" and the "International Competences for Guidance Practitioners" of the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG 1995(IAEVG , 2003)).Some Länder, regional authorities and municipalities have introduced obligatory standard systems of quality assurance for the guidance services they fund.For example, in Hessen the quality mark for guidance "audited educational guidance organisation" identifies good quality.In several regions the Learner-and Client-oriented Quality Certificate (LQW) is used, as for example in Berlin and Lower Saxony.
The German National Guidance Forum in Education, Career and Employment (nfb) developed general, cross-sectoral quality standards and a competence profile for guidance practitioners as well as a quality development tool for organisations.In this process relevant actors and stakeholders from policy, research and practice collaborated as part of an "open process of co-ordination for quality develop- ment in career guidance" (www.beratungsqualitaet. net) from 2009 to 2014.The project was carried out in cooperation with the Institute for Educational Science at the University of Heidelberg; it was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Professional status, education and training of guidance practitioners
As in the case of quality assurance, there is no legal regulation of the qualifications, training and professional status of career guidance practitioners and counsellors in Germany.Each sector or provider of guidance defines its own requirements -normally a higher education degree (Bachelor or Master) and some additional further training are a prerequisite.
School-based guidance and counselling usually requires teacher training and some additional guidance-related further training.The Länder define the requirements and provide for the training.School psychologists have a Master' s degree in psychology and in some Länder a teaching qualification, too.
The Federal Employment Agency runs its own University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule der Bundesagentur für Arbeit, HdBA) where career counsellors study a threeyear multi-disciplinary Bachelor programme which closely links theory to practice in the local Employment Agencies.
In addition to the study programme at the HdBA, there are in-house training and further education for staff in local Agencies and Job Centres who have various academic backgrounds and move from other posts to career guidance.
Student counsellors in HE usually have a Master' s degree in any academic subject and sometimes some additional training in counselling.There is no common regulation.
Guidance in continuing education is often delivered by lecturers in the training institutes alongside their teaching job.In general, they hold a pedagogic qualification but in many cases have had no additional education or training in counselling.However, with the establishment of special municipal guidance services, the demand for professional training has increased.
A module-structured course programme "Edcuational Guidance and Competence Development" for guidance practitioners is offered by the Network of Regional Training Centres in Educational Guidance (Verbund Regionaler Qualifizierungszentren RQZ).Graduates receive a (higher education) certificate.The course programme was set up as part of the "Learning Regions programme -Supporting Networks" supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.Some universities offer Bachelor's and Master's pro- grammes in career counselling with different focuses, e.g."Vocational and Organisational Guidance Science" (University of Heidelberg), "Guidance for Education, Continu-ous Education and Career" (Westfälische Wilhelms-University Münster) or "Guidance in the world of work -coaching and supervision" (FHS Frankfurt/Main).

Professional organisations and associations
Most

European co-operation
As one of the founding members of the European Union, Germany has a long tradition of co-operation with other European countries and stakeholders in the field of guidance in education, career and employment, among others in the context of EU programmes PETRA, Leonardo DaVinci and Erasmus as well as EU programmes on lifelong learning.

Euroguidance and EURES networks
Germany is also engaged in European co-operation with the objective of promoting mobility.Accordingly, the FEA co-operates as the This Central International Placement Service (ZAV) offers guidance and counselling as well as placement for studying, working and further education abroad with the aim of promoting transnational educational and professional mobility and experience.It may be used not only by Germans wishing to study or work abroad but also by people looking for work or study opportunities in Germany.In order to fulfil its task, the Central Placement Service co-operates with other international Public Employment Services, particularly with European Employment Services in the EURES network, and with companies abroad looking for German staff.In order to fulfil its task, the Central Placement Service co-operates with other international Public Employment Services, particularly within the European network EURES (European Employment Services), and with companies abroad looking for German staff.

European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN)
German Young people from socially disadvantaged groups often need additional support to enter training or employment or to continue their education.At-risk youth in danger of Article 27 of the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities includes obligations to: enable persons with disabilities to have effective access to general technical and vocational guidance programmes, placement services and vocational and continuing training; promote employment opportunities and career advancement for persons with disabilities in the labour market, as well as assistance in finding, obtaining, maintaining and returning to employment.
experts were participants of the EU Commission's Expert Group on Lifelong Guidance(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007).Subsequently, Germany actively supported the establishment of the European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN), in which it has been an active member.ELGPN represents Member States' interests at EU level on matters concerning lifelong guidance policy and system development and implementation(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015).The network identifies lifelong guidance policy issues for further policy development and implementation at national level and supports exchange and collaborative action at EU level.The German delegation consists of a representative from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF, a member designated by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK), a member from the Federal Employment Agency and a member from the National Guidance Forum nfb as a non-governmental organization.Key issues for co-operation in the ELGPN are the priority areas named in the EU Guidance Resolution 2008: promotion of the development of career management skills (CMS), the improvement of access to guidance (including accreditation of prior and experimental learning and the use of Information and Communication Technologies), improvement of quality and quality assurance in guidance (including evidence-based development of policy and practice) and the intensification of co-operation and co-ordination of guidance policy and systems at regional, national and European levels.cedefop, ReferNet Germany: VET in Europe -Country Report, 2010 council of the europeAn union, Strengthening Policies, Systems and Practices on Guidance throughout Life.Doc.9286/04, EDUC 109 SOC 234, 2004 council of the europeAn union, Better Integrating Lifelong Guidance into Lifelong Learning Strategies, Doc 14398 EDUC 241 SOC 607, 2008 die BeAuftrAgte der Bundesregierung für migrAtion, flüchtlinge und integrAtion.Bericht der Beauftragten der Bundesregierung für Migration, Flüchtlinge und Integration über die Lage der Ausländerinnen und Ausländer in Deutschland, Juni 2010 deutsches Jugendinstitut (DJI) (Hg.), Berufsorientierung.Programme und Projekte von Bund und Ländern, Kommunen und Stiftungen im Überblick, DJI, 2010 elgpn, Lifelong Guidance Policies: Work in Progress.A Report on the Work of the European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network 2008-10, Jyväskylä, 2010 IAEVG, Ethical Standards, in: Educational and Vocational Guidance Bulletin 58/1996, 2pp: http://www.iaevg.org IAEVG, International Competences for Educational and Vocational Guidance Practitioners (2003): http://www.iaevg.orgJenschke, Bernhard, History of IAEVG 1951-2011.Bielefeld: wbv, 2012.kultusministerkonferenz (KMK), Pressemitteilung, 15.10.2004:Rahmenvereinbarung über die Zusammenarbeit von Schule und Berufsberatung zwischen der Kultusministerkonferenz und der Bundesagentur für Arbeit, Mettlach, 2004 nAtionAles forum BerAtung, Eckpunkte für ein zeitgemäßes und zukunftsfähiges Beratungsangebot in Deutschland.Ein Plädoyer für notwendige Reformen der Struktur und des Umfangs von Beratungsangeboten für Bildung, Beruf und Beschäftigung und zur Verbesserung des Zugangs und der Transparenz, Berlin, 2009 schiersmAnn, Christiane u. a., Qualität und Professionalität in Bildungs-und Berufsberatung, Bielefeld: wbv, 2008 sekretAriAt der kmk, The Education System in the Federal Republic of Germany 2008.A description of the responsibilities, structures and developments in education policy for the exchange of information in Europe.Bonn, 2010 stAtistisches BundesAmt, Bevölkerung und Erwerbstätigkeit: Bevölkerung mit Migrationshintergrund -Ergebnisse des Mikrozensus 2012.Fachserie 1 Reihe 2.2.Wiesbaden: Statistisches Bundesamt, 2013 united nAtions (un), Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Department of Public Information, United Nations, 2006 All laws referred to are available under Bundesministerium der Justiz: http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de Annexes of the professional development of career counselling is carried out by professional organisations, of which some represent guidance practitioners, as well as by training institutes for guidance practitioners and by scientific experts in the field of career guidance.There are numerous professional associations.Only those of major relevance for educational and career guidance are listed in the box below.

National Resource Centre for Voca- tional Guidance NRCVG
in the Euroguidance network.The Euroguidance network aims at promoting mobility, supporting the development of the European dimension of career guidance.It helps counsellors and individuals to understand the opportunities available to them through the common European labour market.The German Euroguidance centre has been set up at the Central International Placement Service of the FEA (Zentrale Auslands und Fachvermittlung, ZAV).