Organizers

LABORATORY FOR RESEARCH AND INTERVENTION IN VOCATIONAL DESIGNING

The La.R.I.O.S. Laboratory was created in 1994 with the purpose of pursing research on and training in vocational counseling. The Laboratory organizes a post-graduate Master degree course in career counseling every year and organizes national and international congresses to stimulate the diffusion of scientific knowledge and good practices. It also edits the publication of a vocational counseling journal, GIPO - Giornale Italiano di Psicologia dell'Orientamento [The Italian Journal of Vocational Psychology] and of a series of books specifically on vocational guidance for the series "Percorsi di orientamento [Vocational Guidance Pathways]" (Giunti-OS, Firenze). The La.R.I.O.S. members attach great importance to relationships with international scholars in order to give impulse and stimulation to study and in-depth research. Some of its members belong to the Life Design International Research Group, to the Career Adaptability International Collaborative Group, and represent Italy in the University Network for Innovation in Guidance Erasmus-NICE. Reflections and research studies originated also from these collaborations have been published in the most prestigious journals devoted to this field. Among them a major role has to be recognized to the position paper "Life Designing: A Paradigm for Career Construction in the 21st Century", published in The Journal of Vocational Behavior (75, 2009) considered by The Career Development Quarterly (CDQ) the best contribution on vocational guidance in 2009. The work done at Larios is also appreciated by the international community to the extent that in the introductory chapter of The International Handbook of Cross-Cultural Counseling: Cultural Assumptions and Practices Worldwide, edited in 2009 by L. Gerstein, P. Heppner, S. Aegisdottir, A. Leung, and K. Norsworthy, words of praise are given to Larios for its intense activity both at national and international level.

LD, LIFE DESIGN INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH TEAM

LD, Life design international research team. It brings together scholars from several countries (Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, The Netherlands and the United States) with the aim to study in depth and spread internationally the view of the Life Design (LD), which, dealing with fundamental issues of people's lives, intends to help and support individuals in the demanding task of coping across the lifespan with the difficulties they may face in searching for and constructing their own personal and social realization. The LD position is described in an article, already translated in several languages, which was published on the Journal of Vocational Behavior (75, 2009).

ITALIAN SOCIETY FOR VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE

The SIO was founded in 2004 by university professors and practitioners interested in promoting and spreading the role and specificity of vocational guidance and in giving rules to this profession. The aim was to guarantee its users through developing research in the field, proposing good practices, and promoting vocational guidance as a process of personal realisation throughout the lifespan. The SIO, moreover, pledged to specifically engage in constructing and running a system of accreditation and certification of career counselors' competences. This was prompted by the need to create in Italy, too, some recognised standards to make this profession consistent with the different situations that could be found at European and International level. All SIO members must either have specific post-graduate qualifications granted by an Italian university (or equally valid credentials) or be university professors carrying out their institutional activity in the vocational guidance field. The association gives special emphasis to the diffusion of scientific knowledge and good practices and has organized many monothematic seminars on several topics held by important scholars of renown both for SIO members and other interested parties/professionals. A deontological code has been devised which requires its professional members to avoid, as far as possible, confining themselves to coding and elaborating users' experiences via diagnostic-evaluative modalities, formulating hypotheses and forecasts for them, presenting them with ready-made pathways and choices, and encouraging tendency to passiveness, delegation and externality.

UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR SERVICES AND RESEARCH ON DISABILITY, REHABILITATION AND INCLUSION

The University Center for Services and Research on Disability, Rehabilitation and Inclusion was created by different departments and services of the University of Padova with the purpose of facilitating, promoting and coordinating supports for the full participation of disabled students to university life and, afterwards, for their work inclusion. In order to do this, research studies are also promoted with national and international researchers, institutions and associations interested in the reduction, prevention and rehabilitation of impairment, disability and handicap. Several initiatives are undertaken in order to disseminate results of research studies including post graduate courses, conferences and workshops.

THE DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PADOVA

The Disability Support Service is an office of the University of Padova coordinated by a Delegate of the Rector. It works as an interface between the University and people with disabilities and it is responsible for the implementation of policies and support services for the inclusion of students with disabilities in the institutional and cultural activities of the University. The technical and administrative staff, managed by an Office Chief, provides the necessary support to teaching, study, attendance of lectures and supplies the assistive technologies needed for the different types of disabilities.

INTERNATIONAL HOPE RESEARCH TEAM - IHRT

The idea of an international research and study group on hope, optimism and resilience started on September 2011, in Padova, during the International Conference “Vocational designing and career counseling: Challenges and new horizons”. At that time several researchers attending the conference discussed about the relevance of talking in these times about counseling, vocational guidance and future. All these constructs, in fact, involve hope, optimism and time perspective. Current Research Line: Multidisciplinary studies on hope, optimism, time perspective and resilience; Life design, hope, optimism, time perspective and resilience; Work, workers, Life Design and new technology; Hope, optimism, time perspective and resilience in disability; Resilience and diversity management; Resilience: theoretical models and assessment tools; Development of hope, optimism, time perspective and resilience

HOGREFE EDITORE

Hogrefe, whose founding cores date back to 1927 (establishment of Hans Huber, Bern) and 1949 (incorporation of Hogrefe Verlag, Göttingen), is the main European group in psychological testing and a leading publisher in psychology and related disciplines, with hundreds of titles and 15 international high impact-factor journals. Directly present in 10 European countries (Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Italy and the Czech Republic), as well as in the U.S. and Canada for books and journals in English, Hogrefe develops and publishes psychometric tests in 13 languages. Hogrefe Editore is the Italian subsidiary of Hogrefe group. Established in June 2012, is headquartered in Florence, and thanks to a team of professionals and a network of collaboration with Italian researchers, is developing an important catalogue of psychological tests for the clinic, the talent assessment, the career guidance and counseling, certain that psychological testing and scientific assessment are the key, today and tomorrow, to understand the reality of individuals, implement interventions to improve and progress. As for the career guidance, the goal of Hogrefe Editore is making available to the people and the Italian market instruments and programs rooted into the Life Design paradigm.

UNIVERSITÀ CATTOLICA DEL SACRO CUORE

With 5 campuses, 14 faculties, 42,000 students and a teaching staff of more than 1,400, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore is Europe's largest private university. Founded in Milan in 1921 by Father Agostino Gemelli, the University also has campuses in Rome, Brescia, Piacenza-Cremona and Campobasso. It offers 44 three-year degree programmes, 38 specialist degree programmes, 1 four-year degree programme, 4 intensive-study degree programmes, 53 schools of specialization, almost 100 master degree programmes and 7 other post-graduate schools. Research activity draws on 54 institutes, 22 departments and 70 research centres, plus another 4 centres at the University. Productive dialogue between teaching and research allows for an approach drawing on various disciplines, which helps students to navigate within the sphere of scientific knowledge in an independent and responsible manner. From registration through to graduation, focus on an interdisciplinary approach is supported by guidance and tutoring activities, internships, foreign study programmes within and outside Europe, and placement services that benefit from the University's strong ties with the business world. Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore has a total of more than 600,000 square metres of floor space dedicated to education and scientific research, matched by the assistance guaranteed by the Agostino Gemelli General Hospital in Rome: a single university with a campus extending to six Italian cities, with its seat in the historic Cistercian monastery situated near the Saint Ambrose Basilica in the heart of Milan. Link http://www.unicattolica.it/

Consorzio di promozione turistica di Padova