This article gives an overview of career counseling and counselor training in Finland. Changes with respect to theory and practice are also discussed.
The need for an individual to get support and advice when making important decisions and choices concerning the life course is common in all societies. Help has traditionally been available from supporting persons and through different religions and ideologies. Educational and vocational guidance organized by society, however, is a relatively new phenomenon (Lindh. 1988). In Finland, professional vocational guidance and counseling began in 1939 when a psychologist's position was created in the employment office in Helsinki. The duties of the psychologist were to give guidance to students and others in need of vocational guidance.
During the 1940s and 1950s, 13 municipalities became involved in vocational guidance. In 1960 the Vocational Guidance Act (Suomen asetuskoelma, 1960) was enacted, which made vocational guidance a state administered function. A nationwide organization of vocational guidance offices was developed under the labor administration. These offices were independent units, apart from the employment offices. In 1973, these two organizations, vocational guidance offices and employment offices, were joined into one employment service. Today, 120 multiservice employment offices offer vocational guidance services. About 250 psychologists are working as career guidance counselors in these offices. The vocational guidance under the wing of the labor administration has been, and continues to be, the only guidance system in Finland directly available to citizens. In contrast to most other countries, no private or academic vocational guidance has been established. Anna Raga Nwnmenmaa i s an associate professor in educational psychology in the Department of Subject Teacher and School Counselor Training, and Penm Sinisalo is an associate professor in psychology in the Department of Psychology, both a t the University of Joensuu, FLnland. Correspondence regarding this article should be sent to Pentti Sinbalo, University of Joensuu, PO. Box 11 1. Flh%30101. FLnland