Future Directions (2000)
The main theme of the YOUTHSTART conference Future Directions: Guidance as a Force for Social Inclusion was improving the experience of young people of the guidance they receive in schools, Youthreach and FÁS. The two day conference held in March 2000 focused on guidance for young people at risk, early and unqualified school leavers.

Delegates at the conference examined ways in which the education, training and employment services can collaborate to improve guidance provision for these young people. It was unique in that it involved the coming together for the first time at national level of a cross section of guidance practitioners from the formal education system, Youthreach and similar programmes and FÁS.

The experience of innovative guidance projects developed through the YOUTHSTART programme and by guidance counsellors in school was presented throughout the conference through a series of 25 different workshops on best practice in guidance. One of the highlights of these presentations was a video made by young people that portrayed the problems they experienced at school. This video My Name’s Not Down is available from NCGE.

Recommendations included the need for students in schools, as in the non-formal sector, to have access to a trusted adult who understands their needs and demonstrates genuine care and concern; more training should be given to equip staff to carry out their guidance role in Youthreach; counsellor/student ratio should be reduced in schools to enable counsellors to attend to the needs of early school leavers in the context of a whole school plan; and structural measures are needed to enable guidance to act as a force for social inclusion.
Click here for the conference proceedings

Focus on Guidance For Social Inclusion
In June 2002, NCGE organized and participated in the seminar Focus on Guidance for Social Inclusion, a follow up to the NCGE/Youthstart conference in 2000: Future Directions: Guidance as a Force for Social Inclusion. The event was attended by guidance counsellors, teachers, young people, staff from non-formal education programmes and projects, and policy makers from Ireland and other EU countries.

Issues such as staff burnout, boundaries for practitioners, supervision and family counselling were brought up at the open discussion and addressed by panel members. The importance of pre-entry and post-exit guidance for young people in this target group and also for adult returners was emphasised. Although not the focus of the seminar, initiatives to prevent the social exclusion of young people and prevent early school leaving were discussed.

The importance of pre-entry and post-exit guidance for young people in this target group and also for adult returners was emphasised. Although not the focus of the seminar, initiatives to prevent the social exclusion of young people and early school leaving were discussed.