Societal contexts, issues, research questions and interventions in the domain of vocational counselling

International audienceVocational (or career development) issues are produced in societies having specific characteristics andthey bear the mark of their societal origin. Two categories of factors play a significant role in theirdefinition: (1) broad general societal phenomena such as collective beliefs and representations and (2)the concrete ways in which work and education (and training) are organised and employmentdistributed. In our societies, six major vocational issues have successively emerged during the lastcentury. Each of them has given rise to theoretical constructions that model them in a certain way.Vocational interventions (e.g. career counselling) have been developed within these different scientificapproaches in relation to the (social, economical, etc.) ends and concrete goals they aim at. Threekinds of issues are typical of today‟s situation: they are about the capacity to develop and invest inone's own competencies, to cope with transitions and to anticipate one's own future. These issues findtheir meaning within the broader question addressed to each individual: how should I best direct mylife? Those issues are quite difficult to deal with and most people need to be helped by skilledcounsellors. They also have to develop their self-reflexivity and their competencies. Therefore thetraining of counsellors, and an offer of life long education and training to people, are major challengesfor all developed economies