Adult Guidance Services and the Learning Society : Emerging Politics in the European Union

Adult guidance services, the "brokers" between individuals and the labour and learning markets, take on a new significance in the context of The Learning Society and the end of the "job for life".

This work analyzes contrasting approaches to the delivery of guidance services in the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Italy and France, focusing on the effects of marketization and the impact of European Union policies.

The book compares services delivered through quasi-markets with other regimes, addressing key questions such as - what effect do the new performance indicators have on who gets what?; what is happening to quality, equity and professionalism?; what adult guidance service arrangements are the most effective to meet the needs of a learning society?

This book should interest academics and public policy analysts, and all those interested in education, training and the labour market in the European Union, especially guidance policy makers and practitioners.