CareersNet

The network was created to facilitate cooperation and peer learning in the field. Activities are organised to collect comparable and reliable evidence on a European scale in the field of lifelong guidance and career development, for monitoring policy and systems development, and for following research in the field. The gathered information and analysis aim at identification of evidence gaps and solutions, beyond a snapshot of national guidance systems, providing access to harmonised, comparable evidence, based on transparent criteria:

• providing access to detailed information on relevant practices and promoting their transfer and adaptation;
• informing design and implementation of Cedefop guidance resources and tools;
• facilitating cross-national comparative analysis of national guidance systems and initiatives;
• providing evidence, tools and resources for supporting countries in national policy development.

CareersNet aims to generate new knowledge and evidence while offering members opportunities for peer learning and collegial exchange. The network also responds to Cedefop’s need to have access to stable independent contact points for providing insights on national developments and the national relevance of EU initiatives, independently of changes in government, national or European policy.

CareersNet serves as a think tank and provides the opportunity to produce insights on career development activities embedded in distinct policy fields, such as education, training, youth policies, employment, validation of non-formal and informal learning, adult learning - including upskilling and re-skilling, VET financing and labour market and skills intelligence, as well integrated services and policy.

CareersNet experts are tasked with technical responsibility in updating Cedefop’s EU+ Inventory on lifelong guidance systems and practices. This enables monitoring of national guidance systems in EU countries and in some EEA, EFTA and EU accession countries. The network plans thematic country reviews with evidence from the LLG Inventory and participates in ad hoc activities such as working papers. CareersNet produced a  Note on lifelong guidance and the COVID-19 pandemic: responses from Cedefop’s CareersNet and a leaflet for Ukrainian refugees. The network has discussed the updating of Cedefop’s 2009 publication on Professionalising career guidance in line with developments during the last decades in the evolving digitalisation and labour market context, beginning with its collection of papers on rethinking professionalism in the digital context and a Cedefop's briefing note. 

Some CareersNet expert and other researchers contributed to the first volume of Cedefop’s work on developing European standards on monitoring and evaluation in lifelong guidance. CareersNet provides insights and supports the renewal of Cedefop's frameworks and tools, some of which draw on the Guidelines for systems and policy development for lifelong guidance (ELGPN, 2015).

CareersNet provides input to the Agency’s cooperation with the European Commission, and several European and international organisations, such as European Training Foundation (ETF), International Labour Organization (ILO), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), UNESCO and the World Bank. CareersNet annual meetings have been hosted in several European countries through cooperation with partners  such as national stakeholders and professional, European and international networks and associations, such as IAEVGa and Euroguidance.