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Hilary LynchEnglish / Scientific PaperGuidance on the move!Abstract:Mobility is one of the highest educational priorities of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation andDevelopment (OECD) and the European Union (EU) Commission{http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/mobility/com329_en.pdf} at present. In lightof the recent global economic crisis, the need to be mobile for education and employmentopportunities has never been clearer. Guidance professionals need to be aware of all aspects ofmobility guidance from the initial ‘idea stage’ right through to the end of the mobility experience.Navigating the array of opportunities presented globally can be a minefield and structured, reliableguidance is essential. A clear incentive for educational mobility is the current progress in internationalqualifications recognition. In many counties, such as Ireland, a National Qualification Framework(www.nfq.ie) is in existence which allows students to view the credits and learning outcomes acquiredfrom national qualifications. Ireland is the only country to have aligned its National Framework ofQualifications with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) to date. The EQF applies to all typesof education, training and qualifications, from school education to academic, professional andvocational. It aims to relate different countries' national qualifications systems to a common referenceframework. Individuals and employers will be able to use the EQF to better understand and comparethe qualifications levels of different countries and different education and training systems so that allnew qualifications issued from 2012 carry a reference to an appropriate EQF level. I propose to have apractical workshop which is very useful and focused*, demonstrating the free mobility guidanceresources and working on examples from the workshop participants. This will highlight the practicalapplication of each resource from the initial ‘idea stage’ to the completion and analysis of theeducational mobility experience and qualification recognition. In addition, I can outline Ireland’sexperience of the EQF alignment process if participants (from countries who are undergoing/willundertake the same process) wish me to do so. My aim is that participants can bring clear, concrete,practical knowledge of mobility guidance back to their own countries.* This is what I have found most useful in my experience in international conferences.About the presenterDesignation:Organization:Contact Information:email:Language:Type of Presentation:Guidance Officer and Euroguidance Co-ordinatorNational Centre for Guidance in Education, Dublin, IrelandPrussia Street, Dublin 7, Ireland.hilarylynch75@hotmail.comEnglishScientific PaperHilary Lynch, B.Comm, MBS, Postgraduate Diploma in Guidance and Counselling is a Guidance Officer and the EuroguidanceCo-ordinator for Ireland at the National Centre for Guidance in Education (www.ncge.ie). She has worked extensively in theeducation and guidance fields, having taught in both mainstream schools and in those catering for students with specialeducation needs for a number of years. In her current role, she promotes positive mobility for educational opportunities,demonstrating the value of studying abroad, which is becoming an increasingly sought asset in today’s global economy and jobmarket. She wrote the Scoping Document on Guidance in Ireland for National Guidance Forum in Ireland and is a professionalmember of the Euorguidance Network www.euroguidance.net. Hilary has facilitated several international workshops as part ofher current role.44IAEVG-Jiva Conference, India, 2010