TRANSNATIONAL VOCATIONAL-GUIDANCE IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

In the Single European Market, which will come into effect at the end of 1992 transnational vocational guidance will play an important role as one of the measures to enhance mobility within and between the twelve member states of the European Community (EC). The mobility of goods, services, capital, and people are essential to obtaining economic growth, which, in tum, is one of the most important political goals of the Single European Market. Of the four types of mobility, vocational guidance deals with people. Transnational vocational guidance supports individuals in their attempt to become more mobile across country borders. In order to map the existing transnational guidance provisions in the EC, a study on eight border regions was made in 1990 (Plant, 1990a). The idea was that this small-scale picture would point to some of challenges for guidance in the large-scale Single Market. From 1992 guidance services in the EC will have to adapt not only to rapid changes in national labour market conditions. but also to the demands of information on education, training, employment opportunities, study grants etc. in other member states. In these terms, psychological counselling dealing with possible personal problems in relation to transnational mobility is not at the heart of the matter.