Why ICT and LMI?

Labour market information (LMI) has never been more important for careers professionals. The labour market is in a constant state of change as new jobs are created and older jobs are replaced by new technologies. New companies start up and older ones close or change. This has many implications for career choices and pathways for our clients.

It is essential that all those working with people in career guidance and advice keep up to date with what is happening in the labour market. In this way, we can impart realistic career education and guidance. With the constant financial pressure on governments and organisations, managers and practitioners must make use of all available technologies, which will improve service to clients. In many cases, this means using ICT in guidance services and encouraging clients to actively manage their career through the use of online tools and services.

Objectives

The following training modules have been developed from best practices across Europe (see ICT and LMI in Lifelong Guidance Case Studies). The overall objective is not to teach ICT skills, but to share “lessons learnt” and address some of the challenges facing managers and guidance practitioners in implementing such practices.

A range of resources to trainers and managers are provided in this handbook, including:

  • Structured modules, activities and exercises;
  • Guidelines for localisation of the training content;
  • A localisation checklist;
  • Example self-assessment tools for trainees;
  • Glossaries.

The aim is to provide a basis from which localised training can be developed for guidance practitioners and managers. The guidelines are not a generic training programme; they are intended as a framework to support local institutions in building relevant training material that meets the needs of their specific context. Local resources, links, videos and other tools may have to be added in order to make the modules fit-for-purpose in a specific training context.

Target groups

The guidelines primarily address managers of guidance services and trainers who are experienced in training guidance practitioners. These two groups can use the guidelines to develop specialised training modules for guidance professionals and managers in their own context.

‘Guidance professionals’ may include qualified, experienced guidance practitioners, practitioners currently undergoing training or working towards a qualification in a careers related field. For this group the modules assume that the trainee has the relevant background knowledge in career theory, guidance techniques etc.

We can identify two main types of assistance from guidance practitioners and managers:

  • Support into employment – shortage skill areas, supply and demand;
  • Support in career education – engagement with employers/schools/colleges.

When localised by a manager or a trainer familiar with the specific context of the trainees the guidelines can serve as a useful starting point for developing more in-depth training in these two main areas.

These guidelines can be further simplified to develop training modules that target semi-professionals who provide information and advice.