The research was designed to study organizations that aim to support unemployed or group members who face increased barriers to accessing the labor market to join the employment system. It examines the functioning of these organizations through the perspectives of the entities that operate within them (Managers, Directors, Beneficiaries). The research was based on an on-site investigation of 25 "counseling" structures across Greece, conducted from Spring to Autumn 2003.Of these, 7 case studies were carried out in Employment Promotion Centers (OAOs) of the OAED and 18 were carried out in 'intermediate sector' structures, ie structures supervised by Local Government Organizations (NGOs) or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). The research focused (a) on the terms, conditions and procedures for the establishment and evolution of the actors, (b) the views and perceptions of the actors responsible for their purpose and function, (c) on the scientific profile, professional careers and the professional culture of consultants.The findings of the research allow it to be argued that counseling processes, as applied in the context of 'active' employment policies, in addition to the stated aim of assisting the unemployed in their search for a job, perform a latent function: promoting and constraining a new ' 'work ethics', with its central components being the demands for flexibility, mobility, activation and adaptability to the demands of the labor market.The research highlights the dangers inherent in such a restrictive, perception of counseling; the risks involved in turning counseling into an informal control mechanism, stigmatizing and disciplining the unemployed.

Non-probability: Availability

Face-to-face interview