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TIBOR BORS BORBÉLY-PECZE DEVELOPMENT OF A LIFELONG GUIDANCE SYSTEM AND POLICY IN HUNGARY – IN LINE WITH EUROPE
domestic and EU sources, but their long-term functioning is not secured. Connecting the already existing but still segmented developments at national and also EU levels could also guarantee maximum use of those improvements. However, working out a cross-sectoral standardised professional protocol and a scoring system for funding individual services remains a key issue. The National Lifelong Guidance Council, which has been in operation since 2008, could be complemented by delegates from the social welfare and culture sectors. The first version of the National Career Development Portal will soon be finalised and adjusted to serve all sectors. In 2009 and 2010, a survey was conducted on a sample of 3500 respondents, including persons from the culture sector, in connection with the development of the career guidance system. A Virtual Community of Guidance Practitioners has been set up on the National Career Development Portal, providing them with appropriate professional support. Over the past decade, the Budapest Cultural Centre has come to be recognised tacitly as a resource centre for advice provision. With minimum investment, these improvements can be made operational, provided that the respective supervising ministries (Ministry for National Economy and Ministry of National Resources) of the sectors shown in Diagram 1 place these activities in an institution suited to playing the role of resource centre. By doing so they would also define, at the level of the Budget Act, those operational tasks which are or should be carried out by the relevant institutions (Employment Office, Budapest Cultural Centre, National Institute of Vocational and Adult Education, Educatio Nonprofit Kft., the Educational Authority, the National Family and Social Policy Institute, Hungarian Chambers for Industry and Commerce). Diagram 1. Structure of the cross-sectoral system and policy development at national level in the field of lifelong guidance
culture
higher education
adult education
sectors VET
public education
serving guidance practitioners
Source: Author’s own elaboration
social welfare services
employment service
reaching citizens