Frans organized many international conferences in order to ensure that career practice stayed connected to policy, research and theory. He guided several PhD students and authored and co-authored countless publications in the field. In the last ten years of his life, he worked closely with his colleague and life partner Dr. Reinekke Lengelle with whom he developed the narrative method ‘Career Writing’. In his working life, Frans mainly asked himself the question: how can we create a strong learning environment where individuals can develop an evolving and resilient career identity? He indicated:
“A career story is a story of identity – it is a constantly evolving narrative of self. We must see this self as multi-voiced and dialogical in that we are shaped in the process of having meaningful conversations about actual experiences. The dialogue is both internal and external – with our ‘selves’ and other selves in the process of constructing a story that provides both meaning and direction.”
His academic work has greatly influenced many students, teachers, careers advisers and counsellors, policymakers and politicians in his home country of The Netherlands and around the globe. He maintained that:
“Guidance and counselling provides a ‘safety net’ that enables individuals to reflect on and give meaning to their life and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”
The year he became ill and died, two books he co-edited appeared, both focusing on reflexivity and identity learning in education. Frans worked closely with Dr Deirdre Hughes as Co-Editor of the Journal’s International Symposium Symposium Special Issues. He is greatly missed by his life partner, family and friends; including his colleagues at the British Journal of Guidance and Counselling. His final works for the British Journal of Guidance and Counselling focused on the topic of ‘Happiness and Well-Being’ which will be published as a Special Issue later this year.
The following papers offer a brief snapshot of some of his latest and most memorable works:
