Set of mechanisms, structures, services and activities implemented to enable an individual at any age and point in his/her life to be able to identify their capacities, competences and interests, to make well-informed educational, employment, training and occupational decisions.
Comment
- A lifelong guidance system involves government entities, the labour market and civil society, and operates across sectors. It includes education and training institutions, youth policy stakeholders, employers, employment services, NGOs, trade unions, and professional associations;
- it needs to be closely connected with the other public systems providing national lifelong learning, skills development, employment (active labour market policies) and career support; a lifelong guidance system can be implemented at local, regional or national level, and take different forms (e.g. face-to-face, online, blended, etc.);
- delivery channels include self-help platforms, staff-assisted, personal and group services;
- transversal components of national guidance systems include governance, career management skills, access to services and career education, quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation and use of data for continuous service development, labour market and career information, training and qualification of practitioners, funding schemes, and integration of ICT into the services.
Source
Cedefop, based on Council of the European Union, 2008; ELGPN, 2015.