The role of counselling and guidance in promoting lifelong learning in france

TLDR: In all developed countries, the structure of people's lives is undergoing radical change in the distribution of activities by age, leading to a shift to older age groups undertaking functions previously reserved for an earlier time in life as mentioned in this paper.

Abstract: Until the latter part of the twentieth century, education and training were confined mainly to the first phase of a person's life. Young people progressed on a straight line from school to work or to vocational education and training or to higher education, with little opportunity to change direction. Once they had left the educational system they were unlikely to return. But, nowadays, in all developed countries, the structure of people's lives is undergoing radical change in the distribution of activities by age, leading to a shift to older age groups undertaking functions previously reserved for an earlier time in life. These tendencies are linked to changes in the labour market structure, and are accompanied by readjustments in the social arrangements that regulate ‘who does what, when’. These include policies to defer statutory retirement ages, extend compulsory education and training, and to postpone the age at which young people become entitled to unemployment and social benefits in the tr...