Organization of the Counseling and Vocational Guidance Centers within Pre-University Education

1.IntroductionToday's world is characterized by a high degree of risk and uncertainty. The knowledge economy, in which the rhythm of production of knowledge is very fast, prints an unprecedented economic and social dynamics. All of us live in an anxiety era which is characterized by unexpected and rapid changes in technology and in the labor market (Gikopoulou & Agogi, 2008: 19). In the new economic and social context, with so many high educated graduates, obvious differences between individuals are not given by the level of knowledge but by a range of skills such as communication skills, leadership skills, multi-tasking skills, management of the uncertainty and so on. As a consequence, traditional models of learning and professional development are changing; in the sense that such interpersonal skills must be learned by graduates in order to harmoniously integrate into economic and social life.Under these circumstances, career counseling and vocational guidance become an important component to fulfill any educational endeavor. But, given the fact that the adolescence and the period of secondary school are the most important to put the foundations of a successful vocational and personal life, counseling and guidance assume greater relevance in this stage of life.Recognizing the importance of counseling and vocational guidance, the European Union allocates relevant financial resources in order to develop this type of activities within educational institutions. However, in order to achieve this goal, the mere investment of resources for counseling and professional guidance systems of the Member States is not enough but they need to be targeted and managed in the most efficient manner.This paper summarizes a series of proposals on steps to managerial approaches to streamline the counseling and career guidance activities undertaken in secondary education. A part of the conclusions of a large study on organizational requirements imposed by the need to increase their relevant counseling and vocational guidance are presented. The study which enabled the formulation of these findings was carried out under the project "We build together your future career!" coordinated by "Spiru Haret" University, during May 2014-October 2015.2.The Role of Professional Counseling and Vocational Guidance within Secondary EducationSchool counseling programs are an integral and an essential part of the educational process, provided to students during the years of study. The need for such activities is due to the complexities of human development, to the specific needs of adolescents and to the permanent changes taking place in the current socio-economic context."School counseling services offered as part of a comprehensive and developmental program address development of academic/educational, career, personal/social skills and competencies based on important school data, and are provided for every student, as well as school personnel, families, and the community at large." (Johnson & Dinnall, 2009: 7) Kagan and Havemann define vocational guidance as "the technique of helping a person selects the right lifetime occupation, often through test of attitudes and interests." (Kagan & Havemann, 2005)At present, at European and international level, there is a great interest to transform school counseling programs into a critical component of every student's school experience. The importance of the counseling and guidance programs is increased while the current social context is very dynamic, as demonstrated by demographic and social changes, as well as of the expectations of the labor market.All the transformations of the society change the way in which the education and the educated person is perceived. Society requires that individuals have the ability to adapt and learn throughout their life, which means that the completion of educational cycles is no longer a goal, but a step in a lifelong learning process. …