- 2015Approved/Agreed
- 2016Design
- 2017Design
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Objectives
The main objective of the policy development is to certify those individuals exercising career counselling both, in private and public IVET and CVET education institutions.
Description
In 2015, the National Organisation for Certification of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP), in cooperation with social partners and responsible ministries, developed a career/vocational guidance practitioner occupational profile. It is based on the results of a scientific study on accreditation of career guidance counsellors. The career/vocational counsellor occupational profile sets the skills, knowledge and competences for career guidance practitioners in non-formal education organisations offering both IVET and CVET programmes.
The profile includes two levels of certification for practitioners, basic and expert level, and describes in detail:
- all the main and secondary professional functions and tasks that can be performed at each level;
- the necessary knowledge, skills and competences that practitioners should hold;
- the minimum criteria needed and the alternative education pathways available to become a career guidance practitioner and the work conditions at each level.
The occupational profile was developed and approved in 2015.
Procedures to design certification schemes for career/vocational counsellors in line with the approved occupational profile.
In 2017, procedures to design certification schemes for career/vocational counsellors in line with the approved occupational profile continued.
EOPPEP took the initiative to implement the certification of career counsellors. In 2018, the Register of career/vocational guidance practitioners was established and the terms and conditions for joining it were determined by a decision of the Board of Directors of EOPPEP (Government Gazette 317/?/6.2.2018).
In June and September 2019, EOPPEP set up a special Register of certified career guidance practitioners and described the terms and requirements for entering the register and their sub-registers. Its aim was to introduce recognised qualifications and national regulations (legislative requirements) into the career guidance sector. An invitation to expert level professionals resulted in the certification of 150 counsellors at the most advanced level and the creation of level A sub-register.
In 2020, the call for applications for career/vocational guidance experts remained open. EOPPEP was drafting the relevant Ministerial Decision for the certification of career/vocational guidance practitioners.
The Ministerial Decision for the certification of career/vocational guidance practitioners was designed, approved by the EOPPEP Board of Directors and was submitted for approval to the education minister. The registry for the expert level of career/vocational guidance practitioners was opened for applications, with more than 200 applicants. EOPPEP contributed to the provision of tools for self-awareness and transparency of qualifications, such as the National career competences framework, which supports the development and evaluation of five key macro-abilities through learning outcomes indicators, in line with the logic of the European and national qualifications frameworks. EOPPEP also contributed to the implementation of two European conferences, more than 15 educational activities and experiential seminars, with the participation of internationally renowned scientists, such as the online experiential seminar for the liaison offices of Greek and Cypriot universities on Skills and personal characteristics of life and career management in a world of constant transitions.
The Ministerial Decision for the certification of career/vocational guidance practitioners was published on 14 February 2022 (Ministerial Decree 13173/?6). The institutional framework in force, is designed in accordance with the principles and guidelines of European policies in this area and is also aligned with the occupational profile of career/vocational guidance practitioners. Those already included in the EOPPEP level A Sub-Register of career/vocational guidance practitioners of level A of EOPPEP and those who had applied for registration before the date of entry into force of the Ministerial Decree were not affected by the introduced provisions. EOPPEP was designing the implementation of the pilot certification of the career counsellors.
- The Committee for the Preparation of Exam topics and Evaluation Methods (E.K.TH.E.MA) finished the specifications for the exam topics bank which was -then approved by the Board of Directors of EOPPEP.
In 2023, EOPPEP reactivated the submission process for applications from career counsellors and career guidance counsellors holding a postgraduate degree in career counselling (SYEP), enabling their direct inclusion in the Level A (higher level) sub-register of certified professionals.
In 2024, EOPPEP focused on updating and enhancing the occupational profile for career counsellors and career guidance counsellors. The revision aims to align the profile with evolving labour market needs, incorporating new competencies and methodologies to strengthen professionals' capacity to support individuals in career planning. The updated profile was certified by the EOPPEP Board in November 2024 and is expected to reinforce the quality and relevance of career guidance services.
Bodies responsible
- National Organisation for Certification of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP)
Target groups
Education professionals
- Guidance practitioners
Thematic categories
Teachers, trainers and school leaders competences
Competent and motivated VET teachers in schools and trainers in companies are crucial to VET becoming innovative and relevant, agile, resilient, flexible, inclusive and lifelong.
This thematic category comprises policies and practices of initial training and continuing professional development approaches in a systemic and systematic manner. It also looks at measures aiming to update (entry) requirements and make teaching and training careers attractive and bring more young and talented individuals and business professionals into teaching and training. Supporting VET educators by equipping them with adequate competences, skills and tools for the green transition and digital teaching and learning are addressed in separate thematic sub-categories.
The measures in this category target teachers and school leaders, company trainers and mentors, adult educators and guidance practitioners.
This thematic sub-category refers to measures aimed at engaging more professionals into teaching and training careers, including career schemes or incentives. It includes measures enabling teaching and training of staff, managing VET provider and trainer teams in companies to act as multipliers and mediators, and supporting their peers and/or local communities.
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing high-quality lifelong learning and career guidance services, including making full use of Europass and other digital services and resources.
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Modernising career/vocational guidance practitioner occupational profile and certification: Greece. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/da/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/37606