Dutch secondary education counsellors and tutors guide students in their study profile choices. Case studies were used to identify factors that characterise profile recommendations. In Case Study 1, vignette (fictitious) students asked for advice. Of the 12 participants, eight provided product advice (study profiles) and 12 provided process advice…

Efforts to create career learning environments which provide students with work experience, skills for making choices and career guidance dialogues, appear to stagnate in vocational education and training (VET) institutions in the Netherlands. In this case study we explore how teachers and their managers make sense of career guidance. We found…

Worry is an important mediator in the relation between stressors and health. This pilot study examined whether a smartphone-based in time worry-reduction training was feasible and improved physiological health (i.e. increased heart rate variability [HRV]). A total of 26 high-worriers were randomised to an experimental or active-control condition…

We explore how children experienced texting with a child helpline, based on 724 qualitative responses representing 586 individual SMS counselling sessions. The data were collected through a questionnaire distributed immediately after receiving counselling and two weeks later. The children expressed the importance of feeling listened to and…

When students have an unclear image of an occupation, it has negative effects on their career. To form a realistic picture of work, it is important that students have practical experiences and career-related guidance. A two-year project has yielded insight into collaboration between schools and work organisations. We present the results of a desk…

As a result of the changing notions of work, schools are increasingly acknowledging that they have a strong responsibility in guiding students not only in their academic growth, but also in their career development. This paper presents the results of a study about the effects of teacher training on career dialogues promoting career competency…

In order to lower dropout rates and stimulate student success in higher education, the Dutch government implemented a new law demanding that every higher education institute offer a matching activity to applying students. This article evaluates how students and teachers experience this matching activity. Data were collected in a Dutch university…

In post-industrial societies, careers are to a large extent unpredictable. Therefore, individuals are expected to demonstrate more and more self-directedness. Universities in general embrace the idea of developing more self-directedness among their students but mostly fail to create the learning environment needed to foster this. In this article,…

To prepare students for the flexible labour market of nowadays, schools are increasingly acknowledging their responsibility to guide students in their career development. The project "Career Orientation and Guidance in Secondary Vocational Education" was developed to encourage Dutch schools to initiate and/or continue the creation of a…

This study evaluated the effect of single session email consultation (SSEC) on empowerment of parents. Practitioners in a control group (n = 19) received no training and practitioners in an experimental group (n = 21) were trained to use empowerment-oriented techniques in online consultation. Parental empowerment was measured (n = 96) through a…

The purpose of this study was to examine career conversations between teachers and students in competence-based vocational education in the Netherlands. A total of 32 career conversations were observed and analysed with respect to four elements: content, teacher activities, student activities and relationship. Results showed that career…

Between 1998 and 2002 an estimated 250 mentoring programmes were started in Dutch secondary vocational education in order to decrease motivational problems and drop-out rates, especially among youngsters from ethnic minorities. Currently there are only two schools in secondary vocational education that include mentoring as part and parcel of their…