NCGE Resources
(Covid-19) Euro-Quest - FREE remote resource for schools
www.euroguidance.ie/euro-quest As we are all doing our best to adapt to a ‘virtual learning environment’, we wanted to highlight Euro-Quest as a resource that might be helpful to you as part of your virtual guidance delivery. Developed by NCGE / Euroguidance Ireland - Euro-Quest promotes educational mobility. It gives an overview of Europe, highlights the study, training opportunities available, gives advice and suggestions about living and studying abroad and empowers students to research available courses. Euro-Quest is FREE to use, and students can access and complete from home. It is particularly suitable for TY and 5th year students. Register TODAY to take part! In each school delivering the resource, one staff member is required to act as the ‘Euro-Quest Leader’. In support of students, the Euro-Quest Leader will - register to and access - a unique (Leader) course page and has ongoing responsibility for the following: Once it is decided who in the school will fill this role, please formally register your school’s participation by completing the form here On completion of this form NCGE / Euroguidance Ireland will forward details regarding accessing the course and student enrolment. More information, including FAQs can be accessed at - https://euroguidance.ie/euro-quest Additional support available: We at NCGE/ Euroguidance are available should you have any question or comment in relation to the resource. 
This function will ideally be performed by the Guidance Counsellor or TY Coordinator (but can also be a subject teacher in the school).
https://euroguidance.ie/euro-quest/enquiry
You can contact us at euroguidance@ncge.ie
We are conscious, that especially at this time, you may need assisance in accessing / liaising with students in the delivery of Euro-Quest, so please do not hesitate to get in touch, we are on hand to answer your queries.
RECORDED WEBINAR - Telephone and Remote Platform Approaches to Career Development
Adults lead busy lives. Invariably, they may have many responsibilities including family, work (or seeking work/enterprise development) and education (or planning to return to education). For the guidance counsellor, working on career development with such adults, there may be a combination of ‘one to one’ engagement, group work, telephone calls, e-mails, texting, Facetime or Skype and other remote platform approaches. Technology can be transformative, improving the experience and outcomes, for both the client and the guidance counsellor. Improved access may support immediacy, anonymity (which many adults may favour) and also offer a supporting mechanism to ‘face to face’ guidance. Furthermore, telephone work can be empowering to the client, who may experience a greater sense of control in choosing their own environment. In order to use technology well, it is important to review how existing skills can be transferred to other mediums, such as the telephone. In the short film below, Liane Hambly, an independent consultant with over 25 years’ experience in the career development field, looks at some of the key components of integrating telephone work into guidance practice including areas such as: * skills and tactics that need to be adapted and strengthened; * reflecting back to the client what is communicated through tone, pace and silences; * reflective and deep listening; * tailoring questions and action steps and * taking into account the client’s learning and information processing style.
AEGS - AGMS - Texting Module Guide
NCGE has been working closely with our IT provider to ensure that the Texting Facility within the AGMS is fully operational for all services. This Texting Facility allows AEGS staff to send texts (via the AGMS), with prior permission of the client already provided. Please note:
Providing for a ‘cap’ of 500 texts per AEGS, funded for each of the ETB AEGS by NCGE, this extra 500 Texts per service is now available and supports the following:
( i) Allows AEGS to contact those hard to reach clients who may not have suitable internet access, to provide information and offer continued and additional guidance supports where appropriate.
(ii) Provides a process whereby the client receiving guidance online can provide their noted consent to their data being entered onto the AGMS following the guidance session (in line with GDPR).
NCGE has developed a short guide to using the Text facility within the AGMS and this is available below.
SalePulse (the IT provider) have informed NCGE that some queries have come to them regarding some services experiencing difficulty using the texting facility.
Salespulse have informed NCGE that the correct/best browser for the AGMS texting facility is Internet Explorer because the system was built using that browser.
Services using ‘Edge’ browser will experience difficulties as ‘Edge’ will not generate the pop-up boxes properly.
(Covid-19) Supervision: Information for Supervisors and Guidance Counsellors
The Dept of Education and Skills recognises the importance of continued supervision of school Guidance Counsellors during the school closures The below information has been issued to supervisors and Guidance Counsellors for the organisation of the supervision programme at this time.
as a result of Covid-19.
**CLICK** Download Supervision Document
(Covid-19) A Guide for Parents on supporting children and young people with daily routines while schools are closed
Please click below to access this DES / NEPS Resource
(Covid-19) Talking to Children and Young People about Coronavirus. Advice for Parents and Schools
Please click below to access this DES / NEPS Resource
Looking at Guidance
Presentation from workshop delivered by Post Primary Inspectors (Guidance) at IGC Conference 2020.
Download (2.8 MB)Self-Care and Mental Health issues for Adult Education Guidance Services
In November 2019 NCGE hosted CPD for AEGS staff, including workshops delivered by Dr Marie Rooney on ‘Supporting the practitioner to support the client: Self-Care and Mental Health issues for Adult Education Guidance Services’. The resource booklet developed by Dr Rooney for this workshop is now available and provides information, references and resources that may be useful in the support of AEGS staff and clients. The booklet provides information that may be useful to FET guidance provision regarding: The booklet can be accessed below.
Developing a Policy on Assessment in Post Primary Schools
Important Information | Sample Templates
This document has been created in line with the recent DES Circular 0058/2019 (revising DES Circular letter 0035/2017).
Circular 0058/2019 applies to all instances where psychometric tests (either ability, aptitude or achievement) are administered.
This publication contains four sections as follows:
See below for download link.
Guidelines on Provision of AEGS to 16-17 year olds
In 2014, the Department of Education and Skills requested NCGE to develop Guidelines on the Provision of Adult Educational Guidance Services to 16 and 17 year olds to enhance and support the existing DES AEGI Operational Guidelines 2012. These Guidelines are intended to support the Adult Educational Guidance Services (AEGS) nationally and were intended to inform AEG Services and their managing agencies - the Education and Training Boards (ETBs). The provision of guidance to young people who have left school, with low or no formal qualifications, may require specific guidance interventions. Such interventions should be cognisant of the age of the individual and the legal requirements for the provision of services to children. The AEGS are specific services that have traditionally worked with adults who are at least 18 years of age. In 2014, driven by developments in DEASP INTREO ‘Activation’ policies, the AEGS began working with the ‘young adult’ age cohort. This required the development of policy, conducive to the needs and requirements of young people aged between 16 and 18 years of age. The guidelines presented here were developed in consultation with the DES Inspectorate, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI),the Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC), the Adult Educational Guidance Association of Ireland (AEGAI) and the Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI). NCGE engaged legal training consultants to provide legal training to AEGI services to inform and support the development of these guidelines. NCGE is grateful to all of these organisations for their co-operation, collaboration, advice and information and will continue to seek such collaboration to revise the Guidelines in line with current Guidance delivery within FET. Please note:
Alongside these Guidelines, staff are urged to consider ongoing and current developments within the wider FET landscape and recent GDPR (data protection) legislation.
NCGE is currently (January 2020) engaging with legal advice and will make such revisions to these guidelines as may be necessary.