From 10th to 14th February 2020, the Escola Secundária José Estêvāo hosted the International Training of the project REFORM in Aveiro (Portugal). The training was attended by 28 experts in the field of education, counsellors, educators and teachers from primary and secondary institutes.
The training was based on peer to peer learning, exchange of good practices, teaching techniques and mutual support. The participants developed new skills, competences and knowledge, and they exchanged good teaching methods in order to improve their career counselling competences.
The main aim was to train the participants in using the REFORM Integrated Learning Methodology for Career
Counselling (CC-box) to prepare own individual and group training sessions for delivering initial career guidance and counselling for students of three age groups (12-14 years old; 14-16 years old and 16-18 years old). Taking into account different age stages, it became clear that there is a need for a different frame of approach suitable and in accordance with teens’ cognitive, emotional, psychological and social needs and abilities.
Moreover, the self-awareness process has been recognized as the starting point for the counseling interventions, as well as the main aspect to focus on in the period of adolescence, together with the education in values. And this is why teachers, parents and consultants should collaborate and work as a team.
The training helped participants to understand that the most useful and effective approach for career counselling is to combine experiential and cognitive activities.
