Vocational counselling - Artykul

It is a process during which a vocational counsellor helps their clients decide, in an aware and independent way, which profession or occupation they want to take up, adapted to the needs of the labour market.

Who can benefit from vocational counselling?

Vocational counselling is conducted by district labour offices and career and information centers in provincial labour offices. If you want to be provided this kind of service in your district labour office, you need to be registered as an unemployed person or a jobseeker. In provincial labour office such services are available for all adults.

What should you do if you want to receive this kind of advice?

You should appear in your district labour office, or the career and information centre in your provincial labour office, and ask for a counsellor.

There are two types of vocational counselling:

• individual counselling – a process during which a vocational counsellor, in an aware and purposeful way, motivates the client to actively co-operate in solving his problems by using special procedures and techniques,
• group counselling – a process during which a group of clients work together as a team in an open and accepting atmosphere to explore and define their vocational problems, assess and improve their skills, and making decisions connected with planning one’s vocational career.

What does vocational counselling offer?

Vocational counselling can help you:

• find out about your qualifications and vocational interests,
• plan your vocational career,
• write and print your application documents,
• prepare for a job interview,
• find out whether you have any business skills,
• learn about the general rules of setting up and running a business,
• learn how to cope with stress.

Vocational counselling also embraces initiating, organizing and conducting classes on active job seeking.

Useful information

Vocational counselling is organized according to the following principles:

• availability of,
• voluntariness,
• equal terms to everyone, irrespective of their sex, age, disability, race, ethnic origin, nationality, sexual preferences, political convictions and religious denomination, or trade union membership,
• freedom of choice of a vocation and the place of work,
• vocational counselling services are free of charge,
• confidentiality and protection of the personal data of the unemployed and those seeking employment who use vocational counselling services.

Vocational counsellor may also help employers in selecting candidates for a vacancy.

Legal basis
Act of 20 April 2004 on employment eromotion and labour market institutions (Article  38)

Development: Editorial team of Zielona Linia