The Mobita SI-AT project, a collaboration between Slovenia and Austria, promotes accessibility and a talent-based approach in career guidance. It aims to address challenges faced by pupils unaware of their talents, which can lead to career decisions influenced by societal pressures and other subjective factors, rather than individual talents.
Running from 2023 to 2026 Mobita SI-AT (Mobile Talent Testing) is a cross-border pilot project seeking to help young people identify their talents and interests early and align them with future-oriented professions. To match career guidance with personal interests and labour market needs, testing tools are being developed to provide objective feedback on key abilities like holistic thinking, practical intelligence, spatial awareness, and hand-eye coordination.
The pilot model, developed after the Talentcenter Graz and an existing Mobita process in Burgenland, is in preparation and will be launched in the second half of 2025. Expert groups will conduct visits to primary and lower secondary schools in Slovenia (Primary school in Slovenia lasts 9 years, combining ISCED levels 1 and 2) and Austria. Targeting pupils aged 9 to 15, the project combines interactive multi-station tests with knowledge-sharing activities and practical talent assessments to provide them with information about their talents and abilities for future careers. The tools also identify aptitudes for fields like renewable energy and digitalisation.
Mobita SI-AT key outcomes
Key outcomes of the project include:
- a needs assessment study (finished);
- a permanent platform for cross-border exchange for career guidance organisations (in start-up phase);
- a mobile and station-based career guidance tool (currently in preparation);
- specialised training for the implementation of Mobita school visits (currently in preparation).
The project, co-financed by the Interreg SI-AT programme from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), has a budget of EUR 1 326 164.36, with 80% ERDF funding and 20% contributed by project partners. The lead partner is the BFI Burgenland Vocational Training Institute (Berufsförderungsinstitut Burgenland); further project partners are PRIZMA Foundation for Improvement of Employment Possibilities (Fundacija za izboljšanje zaposlitvenih možnosti PRIZMA), the Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia (Obrtno podjetniška zbornica Slovenije) and the Economic Chamber of Styria (Wirtschaftskammer Steiermark, Austria).
International conference ‘Universe of opportunities’
In October 2024, Maribor in Slovenia hosted the international conference ‘Universe of opportunities: lifelong career orientation for future generations’ promoting a lifelong career perspective in preparing pupils for the dynamic job market shaped by digitalisation and sustainability. Speakers shared insights from the Mobita SI-AT project, emphasising the need for early career orientation. Career guidance professionals, and educators from Austria and Slovenia discussed integrating practical experiences like internships into career guidance to help pupils make informed choices.
Workshops at the conference provided insights into using digital tools for career orientation and stressed the importance of aligning education with labour market needs. The participants discussed the importance of stronger partnerships between schools and companies to provide real-world experiences and prepare pupils better for their future careers.
Research findings: career orientation in Austria and Slovenia
The results of the cross-border needs assessment study (the ‘Report on lifelong vocational guidance for the future needs of the labour market in Slovenia and Austria', a cross-border study consisting of different analyses and surveys), the first outcome of the project, were also presented in the international conference, and serve as the foundation for further developments in the project. The study revealed that both countries’ pupils rely primarily on family and friends for guidance. Austrian pupils are more likely to engage in practical experiences like internships. Factors influencing career choices are similar, pupils prioritise jobs that align with their interests and offer a friendly work environment.
Experts in both countries expressed satisfaction with the current career guidance but call for more time and resources in schools. Companies from both countries highlighted the importance of digital skills, problem-solving abilities, and environmental awareness in future employees, but noted gaps in entry-level workers' conflict resolution and independent work skills.
Through projects like the MOBITA SI-AT, Austria and Slovenia are taking significant steps towards adapting their career orientation systems to prepare pupils better for the challenges of tomorrow’s labour market.
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| Please cite this news item as: ReferNet Slovenia, & Cedefop (2025, January 15). Cross-border initiatives between Slovenia and Austria support career guidance: the Mobita SI-AT project. National news on VET. |