A HUGE Influence!
There are many things that have impressed me since I moved to Finland, but one area at the top of that list is the guidance and access to guidance counselors that students have in school and in the workplace. With a system full of so many different paths and choices it is important to have kind, caring and understanding counselors in place to help students make those choices. It also involves a tremendous amount of time and individual counseling for young people.
Life-long guidance (people truly have access at all stages of education and well into the workplace) in Finland stands out because it is a strong research based practice. Because Finland is a small country, everyone knows everyone who is working in the field. There are clear connections between researchers and practitioners that develops cooperation between the different sectors and creates a well informed vision for the future. In fact, many guidance counselors are former teachers who have continued their learning to gain qualifications to be a study counselor. Every meeting I had with a counselor or a researcher, I walked away with a list of names of other people working in guidance that I should meet. It was school guidance counselors who often met me at the door of the school and welcomed me in with open arms. Before long I began to hear counselors say, "I heard you met with my friend the other day, what have you been thinking about since then." I was quickly being encouraged in my own study path and benefiting greatly from their guidance.
Life-long guidance (people truly have access at all stages of education and well into the workplace) in Finland stands out because it is a strong research based practice. Because Finland is a small country, everyone knows everyone who is working in the field. There are clear connections between researchers and practitioners that develops cooperation between the different sectors and creates a well informed vision for the future. In fact, many guidance counselors are former teachers who have continued their learning to gain qualifications to be a study counselor. Every meeting I had with a counselor or a researcher, I walked away with a list of names of other people working in guidance that I should meet. It was school guidance counselors who often met me at the door of the school and welcomed me in with open arms. Before long I began to hear counselors say, "I heard you met with my friend the other day, what have you been thinking about since then." I was quickly being encouraged in my own study path and benefiting greatly from their guidance.
Goals of Guidance

Life-long guidance in Finland has three main goals:
1. support personal growth and development
2. promote the development of study skills and to help in learning difficulties
3. counsel and guide students in educational, vocational and professional orientation
Now, like most people who work in schools, a guidance counselor's job is so much more than what can be summed up in three bullet points. I met with people who were in charge of training guidance counselors in vocational schools at (JAMK University of Applied Sciences) and they helped break down these goals a little further.
Guidance counselors give support to students in the following areas:
Psycho-Social Support
And if this wasn't enough to accomplish in a day, counselors sometimes have hundreds of students on their caseload!
1. support personal growth and development
2. promote the development of study skills and to help in learning difficulties
3. counsel and guide students in educational, vocational and professional orientation
Now, like most people who work in schools, a guidance counselor's job is so much more than what can be summed up in three bullet points. I met with people who were in charge of training guidance counselors in vocational schools at (JAMK University of Applied Sciences) and they helped break down these goals a little further.
Guidance counselors give support to students in the following areas:
Psycho-Social Support
- life situations and life history of the student
- self-knowledge and self esteem of the student
- life management experiences
- student welfare services
- multi-professional cooperation
- the learning and study process
- individual study plans
- counseling and support when planning studies and choosing courses
- learning methods and strategies
- students are aware of their strengths and weaknesses as students
- educational and occupational plans
- career development
- plans for the future
- knowledge of working abroad
- promote students skills for planning and realizing life-long learning
- skills to use different tools to search information
And if this wasn't enough to accomplish in a day, counselors sometimes have hundreds of students on their caseload!
When Does All This Counseling Happen??

A design by metal working students proudly displayed outside their vocational school
Guidance happens all the time and in different methods. Here is the course that is laid out for students in both comprehensive school and upper secondary school. Guidance is also available in high education and adult education institutions.
Comprehensive school (9 years)
In charge of guidance and counseling:
In lower secondary school (grades 7-9) students get to do 1 or more days of on the job learning to explore different career fields. Students are required to find a place to "work" for the day and then they return to school and discuss the experience with their guidance counselor. Students are entitled to 76 hours of both individual and group counseling during these three grades. At the end of grade 9, students must apply for which upper secondary school that they want to attend. It is a study counselor's job to help both the student and the family complete the online application process and to transition into further educational opportunities.
Comprehensive school (9 years)
In charge of guidance and counseling:
- class teachers
- subject teachers
- guidance counsellors
- in classes
- study excursions
- workplace visits
- individual guidance
- web-based and distance guidance
In lower secondary school (grades 7-9) students get to do 1 or more days of on the job learning to explore different career fields. Students are required to find a place to "work" for the day and then they return to school and discuss the experience with their guidance counselor. Students are entitled to 76 hours of both individual and group counseling during these three grades. At the end of grade 9, students must apply for which upper secondary school that they want to attend. It is a study counselor's job to help both the student and the family complete the online application process and to transition into further educational opportunities.
Upper Secondary education (3 years)
General upper secondary school
In charge of guidance and counseling:
|
Vocational college
In charge of guidance and counseling:
|
Methods:
- workplace visits and study excursions (general upper secondary school)
- in groups
- integrated into teaching
- individual guidance
- web-based and distance guidance
- on-the-job learning (vocational institution)
In upper secondary school students receive guidance for both their current study needs (class scheduling, study skills, and careers) and assistance in making plans for further study plans, career goals or other life needs. In general upper secondary school, students are required to take one compulsory course and an optional advanced-level course. These courses talk about planning study programs, learning strategies, self-awareness, further education and work opportunities. In vocational college, study counselors help students create an individual study plan to support their commitment and motivation to obtain their qualification. A vocational qualification includes 60 hours of guidance which includes time with the workplace supervisor. Study counselors also act as a liaison between multiple stakeholders involved- students, parents, supervisors and other welfare coordinators.
My Thoughts on Guidance

I had the privilege to sit in on a meeting between a guidance counselor and a third year student at a vocational school while he applied for application to the University of Applied Science in Helsinki. Some of this conversation was in Finnish and some in English for my benefit. What I was struck by was how many different choices this young student had to pursue and how helpful it was to have someone asking him the right questions. It was clear that there had been many meetings previous to this one and lots of conversations about what this young man wanted to do. This was simply the meeting to get it done. As they walked through the application process, I could see how comfortable this student was with his counselor. He asked great questions and she responded with unbiased supportive answers. When you have system that has no dead ends and endless opportunities to pursue what you are interested in, it is vital to have someone guiding you each step of the way.
Finnish students have space to be themselves in school. There are areas to relax and enjoy breaks during the day, areas in school to find counselors and talk about decisions as well as an importance placed on the individual developing into their best selves. Guidance makes this possible. Students have a sense of what needs to get done in order to accomplish their individual goals and no two paths to reach those goals are the same. The access to guidance that students have helps to promote the individual motivation and accountability that Finnish students have.
One of my research questions was to understand the motivation and the reason why Finnish students make the choices they do. The answer to this question is a lot simpler than I thought it would be. When you ask a student why they made the decision they did, the answer is almost always "because that is what I wanted to do." Having the space and the people to talk to about your dreams and interests helps a person make those decisions. Having a educational system that honors those decisions, makes a student successful.
Finnish students have space to be themselves in school. There are areas to relax and enjoy breaks during the day, areas in school to find counselors and talk about decisions as well as an importance placed on the individual developing into their best selves. Guidance makes this possible. Students have a sense of what needs to get done in order to accomplish their individual goals and no two paths to reach those goals are the same. The access to guidance that students have helps to promote the individual motivation and accountability that Finnish students have.
One of my research questions was to understand the motivation and the reason why Finnish students make the choices they do. The answer to this question is a lot simpler than I thought it would be. When you ask a student why they made the decision they did, the answer is almost always "because that is what I wanted to do." Having the space and the people to talk to about your dreams and interests helps a person make those decisions. Having a educational system that honors those decisions, makes a student successful.