Female travellers’ experiences of guidance counselling in adult education: observations from the field

The proposed changes in the further education sector, including the rationalisation of the VEC’s into Local Education and Training Boards (LETBs) and the closures of the Senior Traveller Training Centres (STECs, have implications for guidance counselling provision to the Traveller community. This article discusses female Travellers’ experiences of guidance based on exploratory research in one adult education centre. The findings highlight low levels of participation in education and employment, as well as the types of barriers experienced by the learners. It also demonstrates that female Travellers have particular guidance needs that require culturally sensitive interventions to support their progression.