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Managing cultural diversity remains a challenge in secondary schools in Spain. In this paper, we approach cultural diversity from the standpoint of school counsellors, who are key professionals attending to immigrant pupils. Through the use of qualitative research techniques (semi-structured interviews and discussion groups), the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are identified by counsellors. The findings show the need to implement pupil-focused responses sensitive to their cultural identity and based on the collaboration of all agents involved. Likewise, the school is defined as a privileged setting in which to celebrate cultural diversity and the pivotal role that counsellors play in this process is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a framework to examine the kinds of careers that rural disadvantaged youth would like to know about in a career guidance intervention as also related findings from two different rural disadvantaged contexts in India. Differences across gender, age group, region, and participation/non-participation in youth programmes are also explored. The results validate the importance of comprehensive career needs assessment and provide specific directions for designing and adapting career guidance interventions for rural disadvantaged youth. Implications for research and practice are discussed in general as well as for the specific contexts included in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sociodemographic and career-related characteristics of two types of youth who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs) in Hong Kong were examined and compared: longer-term (≥5 months, n = 787) and transitional (<5 months, n = 3,939). After controlling for sociodemographic variables, multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that longer-term NEETs are more likely to be associated with risk factors such as taking a carer role, seclusion at home, involvement in deviant activities, having addiction or health problems; whereas higher educational attainment, identification of career interest and plans for future work/study/ training, and higher career adaptability appeared to be protective factors for NEETs and identifiers of transitional NEETs. Implications are drawn for research and career support services for NEETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuition fees and increasing mental health needs in students are changing the nature of Higher Education (HE) and creating tensions between HE and embedded counselling services. These are illustrated and explained using Bourdieu's concepts of field and capital. It is recommended that the field of counselling should expand to meet evolving student need by employing Mental Health "agents", or Mental Health Advisors, qualified in other professions such as occupational therapy or social work. These professionals can import capital into counselling services that is acknowledged and respected within the wider field of HE. This acquired capital may be deployed to generate positive relationships between counselling services and their HE institutions and could strengthen the long-term position of university counselling services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]