In Brief (TL;DR)
The guidance teacher is the key figure who supports students in the important choice of their post-graduation path, between university and the world of work.
By analyzing individual aptitudes and market opportunities, this professional guides young people toward the most informed choice for their university or professional future.
Essential support based on analyzing the student’s aptitudes and the opportunities offered by the job market and the academic world.
The devil is in the details. 👇 Keep reading to discover the critical steps and practical tips to avoid mistakes.
Choosing a path after high school graduation is one of the most delicate and significant moments in a student’s life. The decisions made at this stage can profoundly influence their professional and personal trajectory. In this complex scenario, a key figure is emerging within the Italian school system: the guidance teacher (docente orientatore). This professional is not just a teacher, but a strategic guide who supports young people in the delicate transition from high school to the world of university or work. Their role has recently been strengthened by the reform linked to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), which aims to make guidance a structured and continuous process.
The goal is ambitious: to provide students with the tools to make informed choices, enhancing personal talents and aspirations in an ever-evolving job market. The guidance teacher acts as a bridge between the world of education and real professional opportunities, with a keen eye not only on the Italian context but also on the European one. Tackling this challenge requires an approach that balances the rich Mediterranean cultural tradition with the drive for innovation, preparing young people for a future that demands increasingly versatile and specialized skills.
The New Face of School Guidance in Italy
The guidance system in Italy has undergone a profound transformation thanks to the new Guidelines introduced with Ministerial Decree No. 328 of December 22, 2022, in implementation of the PNRR. This reform has made guidance a strategic priority, moving beyond the idea of an occasional intervention to transform it into a systematic path that accompanies the student throughout their life project. Starting from the 2023/2024 school year, two new central figures have been introduced: the tutor teacher (docente tutor) and the guidance teacher (docente orientatore). While the tutor focuses on personalized support for a group of students, helping them develop self-awareness and build their E-Portfolio, the guidance teacher takes on a more strategic role at the school level.
Who the Guidance Teacher Is and What They Do
The guidance teacher is a teacher with specific training tasked with coordinating guidance activities within the school. Their main function is to collect, analyze, and integrate data on educational offerings (universities, ITS Academies, etc.) and job market trends, at local, national, and European levels. This information is then made available to students, families, and tutor teachers to facilitate informed choices. In practice, the guidance teacher is responsible for defining the guidelines for guidance activities, organizing meetings with industry experts, universities, and companies, and collaborating closely with tutor teachers to ensure continuous and consistent support.
Synergy with the Tutor Teacher
The strength of the new guidance model lies in the close collaboration between the guidance teacher and the tutor teachers. These two figures, despite having distinct tasks, work in synergy for a common goal: to combat school dropout rates and ensure the educational and professional success of students. The tutor teacher, by closely following a small group of students, identifies their potential and needs, supporting them in creating the E-Portfolio, a digital document that collects experiences and skills. The guidance teacher, in turn, provides the tutor and the entire class council with the tools and information necessary to contextualize each student’s path within the real opportunities offered by the local area and the global market.
The Tools of the Trade: Between Tradition and Innovation
To be effective, the guidance teacher’s work relies on a rich and diverse toolkit. The modern approach to guidance goes beyond simply transmitting information, integrating methodologies that place the student at the center of the decision-making process. Techniques for analyzing personal characteristics are used, such as aptitude and professional interest tests, which help young people become aware of their inclinations. These are complemented by individual and group interviews, thematic workshops, and practical labs, often organized in collaboration with external bodies, universities, and companies.
An increasingly central role is played by the “Unica” platform, introduced by the Ministry of Education and Merit. This portal not only offers a vast overview of study paths and professions but also hosts each student’s E-Portfolio, a fundamental tool for documenting their educational journey and acquired skills. The guidance teacher is responsible for managing and enriching the information on the platform, making it accessible and meaningful for their school community. For a deeper look at the available tools, it may be useful to consult the guide to the toolkit and resources for the success of the guidance teacher.
Guiding for the Future: The European Job Market and Mediterranean Culture
One of the most complex aspects of the guidance teacher’s role is preparing students for a job market that is both local and global. Italy, unfortunately, lags behind the European average in youth employment rates. Eurostat data show that recent Italian graduates struggle to find employment, a situation that pushes many talented individuals to seek opportunities abroad. In this context, guidance must provide a realistic view of employment dynamics, promoting not only traditional university paths but also highly specialized vocational training, such as that offered by the Higher Technical Institutes (ITS Academy), which boast very high employment rates. In this regard, a guide to ITS for the jobs of the future can be a valuable resource.
At the same time, guidance in a context like Italy and the Mediterranean must contend with a strong fabric of traditions and, at times, the weight of family expectations. Parents’ opinions often remain the most influential factor in post-graduation choices. The guidance teacher must therefore act with sensitivity, promoting a constructive dialogue between students and families and helping to overcome gender or cultural stereotypes related to certain fields of study. The challenge is to find a balance between tradition and innovation, leveraging cultural heritage as a basis for building new skills and novel career paths capable of meeting the needs of an increasingly digital and interconnected economy. Measuring the effectiveness of these interventions is crucial, as discussed in the article on how to measure the effectiveness of guidance for the future.
Conclusions
The figure of the guidance teacher is emerging as a fundamental pillar for the future of young people and for the competitiveness of the Italian system. In an era of rapid change, their role goes far beyond simple counseling, transforming into a strategic act of mediation between individual aspirations, job market dynamics, and the cultural specificities of the region. The reform introduced by the PNRR has provided the regulatory framework and resources to enhance this function, but the real challenge is played out on the ground, in the ability of individual schools and teachers to interpret this role proactively and innovatively. Investing in the continuous training of these professionals and in the creation of solid networks between schools, universities, and businesses will be decisive in ensuring that every student can not only dream of their future but also build it with awareness and competence.
Frequently Asked Questions
The tutor teacher and the guidance teacher are two new roles introduced in Italian high schools to support students, but with distinct and complementary functions. The *tutor teacher* focuses on the individual student, helping them personalize their learning path, overcome difficulties, and develop their potential. The *guidance teacher*, on the other hand, has a more strategic and cross-cutting role: they work with groups of students to facilitate the connection between school, the world of work, and university. Their task is to provide an overview of post-graduation opportunities, analyzing job market trends at the local and European levels.
The guidance teacher helps students make an informed and conscious choice for their future. Specifically, they organize training modules, workshops, and meetings to help students recognize their aptitudes. Additionally, they collect and provide up-to-date data on university courses, Higher Technological Institutes (ITS), and the most in-demand professions in the job market, including at the European level. They facilitate dialogue with professionals, companies, and universities, supporting students in creating their E-Portfolio, a digital document that gathers school and extracurricular experiences.
The introduction of the tutor teacher and the guidance teacher responds to specific needs of the educational system and the job market. These roles, established by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), were activated from the 2023/2024 school year to combat high school and university dropout rates. Another fundamental goal is to reduce the *mismatch*, which is the gap between the skills acquired in school and those actually required by the professional world, thus promoting a more effective and conscious entry into the workforce for young people.
The guidance teacher is tasked with preparing students for a broader horizon than just the national one, including the European job market. This is done by promoting the development of *transferable skills* (soft skills) such as critical thinking, adaptability, problem-solving, and language skills, which are valuable everywhere. They also provide information on study paths and professional opportunities in Europe, encouraging an open and flexible mindset, which is essential in an increasingly globalized and interconnected economic context.
Effective guidance is not limited to promoting only innovative or digital professions but seeks a balance with the cultural and productive heritage of the local area, especially in a Mediterranean context. The guidance teacher helps the student understand how innovation can also be applied to traditional sectors, such as craftsmanship, tourism, or the agri-food industry, to make them more competitive. The goal is not to impose a choice, but to value the student’s personal aspirations, whether they lead to a tech startup or to renovating a family business, thus combining tradition and the future.
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