Training of Career Guidance Counsellors in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands there are career guidance counsellors for children, adolescents and adults. The guidance counsellors for younger people are called: studiekeuze-adviseur, beroepskeuze-adviseur or decaan. In English this can be translated as: “dean or course/job-guidance counsellor”. The guidance counsellors for adults are called: “career guidance practitioners” or just “guidance counsellors”. The latter can also work as “re-integration” counsellors.

In this article the term “career guidance counsellor” shall be used.

In the Netherlands the profession of a career guidance counsellor is not regular by law and no specific training is required to do the job of a career guidance counsellor. Therefore anyone can call him/herself a guidance counsellor. In secondary education often teachers who know how to deal with adolescents automatically get the job of career guidance.

However, several professional trainings exist that prepare for the profession of a career guidance counsellor.
These trainings vary; there are courses that last several days, but also trainings that take four years.
There are three tertiary education institutions that offer a training for career guidance counsellors:

• Saxion in Deventer:  www.saxion.nl 
• Fontys in Tilburg:  www.fontys.nl
• Windesheim in Zwolle: www.windesheim.nl

There are several associations that are involved in the quality management of career guidance counselling that also organise courses and trainings.

• NOLOC: Nederlandse Orde van Loopbaanadviseurs, Outplacement en Carrière Coaches. This association for over 1200 members promotes the expertise of its members (adult career guidance counsellors) and sets guidelines for the profession. Further information is available on the website: www.noloc.nl.
• NOBOL: Nederlandse Organisatie van Bureaus voor Outplacement en Loopbaanbegeleiding. This association organizes and assembles advice agencies for career guidance counselling. To become a member of NOBOL one has to be certified by the CMI. The NOLOC and NOBOL have formulated a code of conduct for career guidance counsellors. Only guidance counsellors who meet this code may become a member of these associations. Further information is available on their website: www.nobol.nl.
• CMI: Career Management Institute. This association certifies career guidance counsellors. To become certified one has to have completed one of the three tertiary studies for career guidance counsellors and at least five years of work experience in the field at the area of career guidance counselling. However, as the profession is not legally regulated, this certificate is not required. Further information is available on their website: www.cminl.nl 
• NVS-NVL: Nederlandse Vereniging van Schooldecanen en leerlingbegeleiders. This association represents career guidance counsellors who work in secondary education. This organisation organises courses, looks after the interests of its members, publishes articles etc. Further information is available on the website: www.nvs-nvl.nl
• Stichting Register BKA: registers advice agencies for career guidance counselling for all age target groups. BKA is an independent foundation with the aim of quality improvement. Further information is available on the website: www.beroepskeuze.nl 

Short trainings in the field of career guidance counselling can for example be attained at the following agencies: