Reflections on ethical challenges in green guidance

Eva Kavková; Tomáš Šprlák

doi:10.20856/jnicec.5308

Authors

Eva Kavková EKS
Tomáš Šprlák Association for Career Guidance and Career Development

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20856/jnicec.5308

Keywords:

Green guidance, Sustainability, Ethics, Impartiality, Well-being

Abstract

This article explores the ethical challenges of incorporating 'green guidance' into career counselling, a concept introduced by Peter Plant in 1996. Green guidance advocates for integrating environmental justice and sustainability into career decision-making. The article discusses diverse perspectives on the ethical implications, particularly the balance between impartiality and socio-political responsibilities. Despite some concerns about neutrality, the article argues that career guidance should evolve to prioritize environmental sustainability and client well-being. Practical approaches for integrating green issues into career counselling are suggested, drawing on insights from the 'Exploring Green Guidance' project in Europe. The article concludes that addressing climate change in career guidance is an ethical and practical necessity for future career development.

Author Biographies

Eva Kavková, EKS

Eva Kavková is founder and director of the EKS, an NGO based in Prague, Czech Republic, that provides career education and guidance. Eva works as a career coach and lecturer and focuses on work with disadvantaged and vulnerable groups (migrants, long-term unemployed, women on parental leave).

She has been heavily involved in networking, international cooperation and advocacy work and she was instrumental in establishing the Expert Chamber of Career Counselling in the Czech Republic.
Tomáš Šprlák, Association for Career Guidance and Career Development

Tomas Šprlák has previously managed guidance and counselling services for the Slovak Republic employment services, where he played a role in creating guidance programs tailored to vulnerable groups, including those who are low-skilled, long-term unemployed, NEETs and Roma people. In recent years, he has been responsible for the continuous professional development and quality assurance of regional public guidance services for working adults in France.

Currently, Tomas works as a freelance career counsellor and project manager for the "Exploring Green Guidance" project (www.green-guidance.eu) under the Slovak Association for Career Guidance and Career Development.

References

Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS). (n.d.). AGCAS code of ethics. https://www.agcas.org.uk/AGCAS-Member-Code-of-Ethics

Bakke, I.B., Hooley, T., Kavková, E., Košťálová, H., Lucas Casanova, M., Ostroha, L., & Šprlák, T., & Wrzosek, M. (2024). Evidence on green guidance: A review of the literature. Exploring Green Guidance. https://repository.derby.ac.uk/item/q73y6/evidence-on-greenguidance-a-review-of-the-literature

Ball, C. (2023). Jobs of the future report. Universities UK. https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/what-we-do/policy-and-research/publications/jobs-future

Canadian Career Development Foundation. (2021). Code of ethics for career development professionals. https://ccdp-pcdc.ca/en/pdf/Code_of_Ethics_2021_EN.pdf

Career Development Association of New Zealand. (n.d.a). Code of ethics. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o26ji-P6nw-kM1y9444IbTU4TkzT5ay_/view?pli=1

Career Development Institute (CDI). (2018). Career Development Institute code of ethics. https://www.thecdi.net/write/Documents/Code_of_Ethics_update_2018-web.pdf

Carosin, E., & Canzittu, D. (2021). Pour une approche juste et durable des compétences à s’orienter tout au long de la vie à l’école [For a fair and sustainable approach to career management skills at school]. Les compétences à s’orienter [Career management skills] (p. 69-96). Mardaga; Cairn.info. https://www.cairn.info/les-competences-a-s-orienter--9782804720636-p-69.htm

CERIC (2023). Career development in 2040, 10 Major Changes Impacting the futures of work and workers in Canada. CERIC. https://ceric.ca/publications/career-development-in-2040/

Chang, Y., & Mann, A. (2024), Enhancing green career guidance systems for sustainable futures, OECD Education Working Papers, 318. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/e6ad2d9c-en

Dickerson, A., Rossi, G., Bocock, L., Hilary, J. and Simcock, D. (2023). The skills imperative: An analysis of the demand for skills in the labour market in 2035. NFER. https://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/the-skills-imperative-2035-an-analysis-of-the-demandfor-skills-in-the-labour-market-in-2035/

Guichard, J. (2016). Life-and working-design interventions for constructing a sustainable human (e) world. Studia Poradoznawcze/Journal of Counsellogy, 5, 179-190. https://cnam.hal.science/hal-03245058/document

Hooley, T. (2022, October 10). Green guidance: Why career development needs to pay attention to environmental change. Career guidance for social justice - Exploring the possibility for better careers and a better world. https://careerguidancesocialjustice.wordpress.com/2022/10/10/green-guidance-why-career-development-needs-to-payattention-to-environmental-change/

Hooley, T. (2023). Impartiality: A critical review. Journal of the National Institute for Career Education and Counselling, 50(1), 41–53. https://doi.org/10.20856/jnicec.5005

Hooley, T., Bakke, I.B., Casanova, M.L., Kavková, E., Košťálová, H., Ostroha, L., Šprlák, T. & Wrzosek, M. (2024). Practitioners’ perspectives on green guidance: An international survey. Exploring Green Guidance. https://www.green-guidance.eu/resources/green-guidance-survey-report/

International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance (2017). IAEVG Ethical Guidelines. https://iaevg.com/Ethical-guidelines

IPCC. (2022). Climate change 2022: Impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009325844

Masdonati, J., & Rossier, J. (2021). Vers une orientation au service de la durabilité [Towards an orientation in the service of sustainability]. In J. Masdonati & J. Rossier (Eds.)

Psychologie de l’orientation tout au long de la vie [Lifelong guidance psychology] (pp. 269–283). Dunod eBooks. https://doi.org/10.3917/dunod.cohen.2021.01.0269

National Career Development Association (NCDA). (2015). NCDA code of ethics. https://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/asset_manager/get_file/3395?ver=738700

Nazrul S.I., Winkel, J. (2017). Climate change and social inequality. DESA Working Paper No. 152, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs. https://ideas.repec.org/p/une/wpaper/152.html

Packer, R. (2019). Greening HE careers education and guidance? An investigation into the perspectives and experiences of career development practitioners from English universities. Master’s Thesis, University of Derby.

Plant, P. (1996). Economy & ecology: Towards a change of paradigms in careers guidance. Paper at the IRTAC/BCSCA/CGCA International Conference on Counselling: Enhancing Personal Issues in the Global Community, Vancouver, Canada, May 1996.

Plant, P. (2020). Paradigms under pressure: Green guidance. Nordic Journal of Transitions, Careers and Guidance, 1(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.16993/njtcg.25

Pouyaud, J., & Cohen-Scali, V. (2016). Perspectives actuelles du conseil psychologique en orientation. Psychologie du Conseil en Orientation, 61(1), 43-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psfr.2014.09.003

Rochat, S., & Masdonati, J. (2019). Sustainable Career Cards Sort (SCCS): Linking career choices to the world needs. In J. G. Maree (Ed.), Handbook of Innovative Career Counselling (pp. 505-520). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22799-9_28

Rochat, S. (2021). Éco-orientation: quelles interventions pour quelles problématiques? [Eco-orientation: What interventions for what problems?] L’orientation Scolaire et Professionnelle [Education and Vocational Guidance], 50(4), 537-562. https://journals.openedition.org/osp/14894

Roe, D. (2020, December 7). ‘Green’ Guidance. Career guidance for social justice - Exploring the possibility for better careers and a better world. https://careerguidancesocialjustice.wordpress.com/2020/12/07/green-guidance/comment-page-1/

Tytler, R., Bridgstock, R., White, P., Mather, D., McCandless, T., Grant-Iramu, M., Bonson, S., Ramnarine, D., & Penticoss, A.J. (2019). 100 Jobs of the future. Ford Australia. https://100jobsofthefuture.com/

United Nations. (n.d.). The Paris agreement. https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement

World Bank (n.d.). Social dimensions of climate change. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/social-dimensions-of-climate-change

World Economic Forum (2023) Future of Jobs report 2023. https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/