Characteristics

The challenges associated with this particularly disadvantaged target group may have implications for guidance-related policy. It is possible, for instance, that guidance services for particularly hard to reach groups should limit their focus to pre-educational and pre-employment elements such as punctuality, motivation and self-esteem. Also, if the guidance is to be effective there has to be access to resources that aid in dealing with the difficult circumstances and other barriers that the clients experience.  

Implications for future programme development

The circumstances, personal issues and complex barriers the service users in the GOAL target group in Iceland face, need to be dealt with first (or at least simultaneously with other guidance focuses) if clients are to be able to participate in adult learning. This means that a programme like this is not only resource intensive, it impacts on what the counselling focuses on. Counsellors may need to focus on basic behavioural issues such as punctuality. Counsellors may also need to develop competences that enable them to meet the target groups needs effectively e.g. competence related to psychological counselling, or these services may need to be drawn into the network.