Strengthening of orientation and guidance measures

In 2019, orientation and guidance measures were in place and ran on a regular basis.

In 2021, 12 priority actions have been defined, to meet the objectives set up by the memorandum:

1. implementation of a communication plan;
2. creation of a register of the service offer;
3. development of a guidance web portal;
4. establishment of the Cités des Métiers network, in a concerted manner between the four Cités des Métiers, and Forem, which is in charge of the coordination of the Carrefours des métiersguidance centres;
5. definition of a common minimum offer in guidance on the whole French-speaking part of Belgium territory through a common action plan 2021 for all the CdM/Carrefours des métiers;
6. proposition of a common guidance charter for all guidance stakeholders throughout life;
7. creation of a training, resource, research and development centre;
8. articulation of the actions in relation to STEM professions;
9. focus on the professions of the future;
10. development of a political governance of the system;
11. translation of the general objectives into legal and regulatory texts;
12. submission of one or more project portfolios in partnership with all partners.

Since January 2021, several working groups have started to implement the defined actions.

Of the 12 actions defined, some of them are financed by the Recovery Plan in Wallonia.

Actions 2 to 7 and 12, are carried out by multi-operator working groups associating actors from Wallonia, the French Community and the COCOF.

The actions are steered by a lifelong guidance (OTLAV, orientation tout au long de la vie) strategic steering committee, which meets quarterly, co-chaired by the cabinets of the Minister for Employment and Vocational Training in Wallonia, the Minister for Employment and Vocational Training in Brussels and the Minister for Higher Education and Adult Education in the French Community.

This committee brings together representatives from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry responsible for IFAPME and Competence Centres in Wallonia, as well as actors from Public Employment Services, Vocational Training Operators, etc.

On the budgetary level, the actions are financed by the structural credits of the different entities, and reinforced on the one hand by the credits of the Walloon Recovery Plan for specific actions in Wallonia, and on the other hand by European funds to reinforce quantitatively and qualitatively the guidance offer on the territory of the French-speaking part of Belgium.

The French Community is a key partner in the project and works in close partnership with the Carrefours des Métiers and the Cités des Métiers to offer appropriate guidance from the beginning of schooling. Guidance counsellors from compulsory education and higher education will soon join the teams in the three Walloon Cités des Métiers and the nine Carrefours des Métiers in Wallonia.

The deployment of the lifelong guidance system is also included in the Axis 1 of the Walloon Recovery Plan (plan 15).

A step towards this common vision was taken on 5 May, a Charter for lifelong guidance was signed by all the partners: the Walloon Region, the French Community, the Brussels Region, COCOF, Cités des Métiers, Actiris, Bruxelles Formation, Forem, IFAPME, etc.

The objectives of the charter are multiple: to ensure coherence and quality in the service offer, to make users' journeys more fluid and to move in a common direction. This Charter sets out and details the main principles that must be applied by all the players in the lifelong guidance system:

1. cooperation,
2. open-mindedness, respect, honesty, equality,
3. dfficiency,
4. neutrality,
5. transparency,
6. solidarity and commitment.

In 2023, guidance counsellors from both compulsory education and higher education joined the teams at the three Walloon Cités des Métiers and the nine Carrefours des Métiers in Wallonia. In September 2023, the Carrefours des Métiers were officially designated as associated centres of the Cités des Métiers in Wallonia. This integration included the commitment of 15 counsellors from compulsory education, the involvement of four counsellors from university academic hubs within the Cités des Métiers, and the incorporation of three counsellors from the skills validation consortium into the system. In terms of communication, a showcase website for the three Walloon Cités des Métiers was also created.

In 2024, the implementation of the guidance pathway for young people and students (ESF project) involved the commitment of nine counsellors, reflecting the intention to broaden the target audience. Development efforts for the guidance web portal have intensified, and working groups for co-construction are being organised to provide Walloon citizens with an accessible guidance web portal.