25 May 2022 (Wednesday)

9:00

Meeting at the hotel lobby and transport to study visit venue

10:00 – 11:30

Study visit at Mareena

Mareena is a Slovak NGO that provides career guidance and support to people in need of international protection and foreigners living in Slovakia. Over the years, the organisation has designed and implemented various projects and instruments to support foreigners through the process of job searching and social integration and launched successful social media campaigns to promote positive image of foreigners living in Slovakia.

https://mareena.sk

11:30 – 13:00

Lunch and transport to other study visit venue

13:00 – 14:30

Study visit at Profesia

Profesia is one of the most successful and well-recognised companies in Slovakia. It administers the largest job portal in the country and provides up-to-date labour market data and insights. In 2019, the company launched a programme that targets jobseekers with disabilities and aims at increasing their employability. One of the key outputs of the programme has been a handbook for jobseekers with disabilities and a series of inspiring videos of people with disabilities who successfully found a job.

www.profesia.sk
www.sosrdcom.sk

17:00 – 17:30

Welcome drink at the Pisztory Palace

17:30 – 19:00

Keynote presentation

In a world where individualism is prized at the expense of solidarity, the idea of the common good has often been overshadowed, if not ignored. And yet, modern societies have, as one of their historical and foundational principles, the notion of a social contract. This entails a specific kind of relationship between the state and its citizens, one that ensures security and well-being for all. Career guidance is one of the services that contributes to the fulfilment of such a social contract, and has much to offer in helping societies and its members flourish, bringing benefits to all. And yet, career guidance is facing new challenges as new times are ushered in. This presentation considers some of the local and global concerns that have an impact on the way we think of career guidance in post-modernity. It argues that our field can be one of the ’territories of hope’ that revitalise the social contract, ensuring that the common good prevails by promoting a world that is more caring, and more just.

Prof. Ronald G. Sultana studied career guidance at the University of Reading (UK), and carried out doctoral research on career education at the Universities of Waikato (NZ), and post-doctoral research at Stanford (USA), where he was a Fulbright Fellow. He is professor of sociology and comparative education at the University of Malta, where he directs the Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Educational Research. In 2020, Sultana was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Université Laval (Quebec) for his work in career guidance. A list of his publications is available at: http://www.um.edu.mt/emcer/publications

19:00 – 20:00

Networking

26 May (Thursday)

09:00 – 09:30

Overview of the career guidance system in Slovakia – main features and challenges (Euroguidance)

09:30 – 10:00

Support and advocacy for social inclusion within the career guidance system

The Research Institute for Child Psychology and Pathopsychology (VUDPaP) is one the key guidance-related public instituions in Slovakia. The institute is currently responsible for the implementation of the national project “From standardization of the guidance system and prevention to inclusion and success in the labor market” which aims at introducing innovative training of career practitioners at schools and counselling centres, establishing process standards within the career education system  and supporting multidisciplinarity.

https://vudpap.sk/x/projekty/standardy/

10:00 – 10:30

Coffee break

10:30 – 11:00

Facilitating transitions of young people with disabilities

An NGO that offers a broad array of social and career serices targeted primarily at young people with disabilities or socially disadvantaged young adults (e.g. those leaving orphanages). The goal of these services is to support young people with disabilities (either social or physical) in making successful life and career transititons. Clients are seen as equal partners, and the services fully respect their needs and aspirations.

https://alternativacentrum.sk/

11:00 – 11:30

Supporting labour market integration of adults with disabilities through Erasmus+

An educational institution which main objective is to promote and develop activities for the active participation of citizens at the local, regional, national, and international level in various fields of social life, in particular in the areas of:

  • adult education and lifelong learning;
  • development of social responsibility;
  • and (re)integration of job seekers with disabilities into the labour market.

http://ozbuducnost.sk/

11:30 – 12:30

Lunch

12:30 – 13:00

New Erasmus+ Programme: opportunities for career professionals (National Agency Erasmus+)

13:00 – 14:30

Group activity: Develop a project idea with your fellow European colleagues

14:30 – 15:00

Coffe break

15:00 – 15:30

Presentation of projects and follow-up discussion

18:00 – 19:00

City train tour of Bratislava

19:00 – 22:00

Joint dinner at the restaurant Leberfinger

27 May (Friday)

09:00 – 10:00

Keynote presentation

As modern people of the 21st century, can we still draw upon the “wild” nature? And do we have anything to offer in exchange? Can career guidance play a role in this? These questions are deeply connected with self-knowledge and building self-esteem as an important part of career development. The aim of the presentation is to provoke a discussion about the relationship between modern man and nature, we will talk about the concept of “sustainable well-being” of the individual as well as the whole society. We will highlight the role that career counselling plays in this and how we can draw inspiration from eco-psychology and other relevant approaches, as well as how to translate all this into everyday practice.

Helena Košťálová lives in Prague and works at the EKS (NGO) as a lecturer, career development professional, methods specialist and author of scientific publications. She is interested in all levels of career counselling – from policy level and theories to practical work with clients. At EKS, she organizes coaching meetings with clients at any age and conducts in-service training for career development practitioners. At Charles University, Helena is working on her PhD thesis in school counselling. She is proud of being awarded with the Czech National Career Guidance Award for eight times.

 

10:00 – 10:30

Coffee break

10:30 – 11:30

World café discussions

11:30 – 12:00

Summary and reflection

12:00 – 13:00

Lunch