From 10 to 14 February 2020, the Escola Secundária José Estêvāo hosted the International Training of the project REFORM in Aveiro (Portugal). The aim of the project is to improve the quality of school and/ or professional guidance in schools. The training was attended by counsellors, educators and teachers from primary and secondary institutes. It offered a unique opportunity to discuss on the current situation career counselling in European schools, and an important moment of exchange of opinions, visions and reflections on this topic.

It has been highlighted that, despite the substantial differences of the school systems in the different partners’ countries (Italy, Bulgaria, Portugal, Romania and Poland), there is a common lack of attention, use of resources and investment of time in career guidance, which instead should be considered fundamental and mandatory to support young people in their growth.

A very interesting concept that emerged from the training is that career counselling must be focuses on the student and his individuality. In fact, in choosing their own personal and professional path, young people often are influenced by parents or friends. An effective counselling should start looking for the answers of questions like "who am I?", "What do I want?", "How can I achieve my goals?.” In fact, counselling becomes an important moment of self-awareness.

The training was structured into three parts, divided according to the age group of students to whom counselling is addressed. Each part was introduced by a presentation on the characteristics of each age group, followed by the practical demonstration of good practices and counselling activities, for individual and groups, appropriate to the relevant category:

• 12-14 years
• 14-16 years
• 16-18 years old

CESIE presented activities addressed to the age group 12-14. One of the selected best practices was Basic Clearing, an innovative and introspective technique from the SymfoS methodology, The participants have recognised it as one of the most interesting and stimulating activity among the others.

All the practices has been valued by the participants, who made suggestions and recommendations to improve them.  

The next partners’ meeting will be in Pitesti (Romania) in September 2020.