Evaluation of assistance for school groups at the BIZ (career information centre)

In Austria there are a total of 67 career information centres (Berufsinformationszentrum, “BIZ”) at selected regional branch offices of the Public Employment Service. These centres offer a variety of information materials on professions, job opportunities, labour market trends, vocational training and further training. One of the focus areas of the BIZ is an offer which addresses school groups: accompanied by their teachers, they can visit the BIZ, where they receive information about a variety of professions and vocational training options and get an overview of the services offered by the BIZ and the Public Employment Service.

An evaluation of this offer studies its target group orientation and precision using different methodological approaches such as expert interviews with BIZ workers, participant observation of the school group visits of the BIZ, a questionnaire survey with the pupils following their visit of the centre, and reflection with the teachers and vocational orientation staff.

The analysis involves:

• Creation and implementation of a concept for orientation of the offer on its target group and for addressing this target groups
• Content focus areas
• Encouraging the target group to independently search and use the offer
• Providing personal assistance for the target group during their visit
• Pupils (and teachers, maybe parents) obtaining and expanding information
• Promotion of follow-up activities.