Quality in Career Guidance: Issues and Methods

Quality issues in career guidance can be tackled from a range of different perspectives, related to economic, ethical and/or effectiveness criteria. With selected examples mainly from the USA, Canada, and Europe, this paper highlights how quality is described and measured in terms of statements, guidelines, standards or “hidden customers”. Some guidelines or standards are aimed at the general public; some are directed towards guidance professionals and their competencies; others deal with the quality of career information. Power issues lie embedded in such efforts: who defines, maintains and, in particular, controls such guidelines or standards? Finally, possible alternative future quality approaches are outlined in terms of green, ethical and knowledge-based quality criteria.