Following its note in April on CareersNet’s initial assessment of the impact of coronavirus on lifelong guidance, Cedefop has launched a more structured and comprehensive survey.

Cedefop is coordinating the joint international survey on lifelong guidance ‘Covid-19 pandemic and career guidance systems and policy development’, in partnership with six other organisations: the European Commission, European Training Foundation (ETF), the International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy (ICCDPP), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and UNESCO. The survey builds on a shared commitment to supporting guidance systems and services, and universal access to them as presented in the joint statement Investing in career guidance.

The survey aims to shed light on recent challenges of career guidance delivery, systems and regular career practices around the world, and explore how services have adapted and the role of guidance in social and economic strategies, policies and measures during the recovery and subsequent periods. Results are expected to inform future policies and programmes related to career guidance.

The joint questionnaire was developed collaboratively by 16 representatives of the seven organisations including Cedefop, as well as external guidance experts, academics and researchers who are members of the ICCDPP and CareersNet. It was mainly designed for respondents who develop and/or monitor the implementation of career guidance policy and provision, such as national, regional and other bodies responsible for the management of career guidance services, as well as relevant private and civil society/non-governmental/third sector settings. It is available in six languages, translated by the ETF, the ILO and UNESCO.

Results from the survey are expected to be released before the end of the year in a joint publication of the participating organisations. The work is part of the ongoing collaboration of the inter-agency working group on work-based learning.

An additional outcome of CareersNet’s first inquiry into the impact of the pandemic on career guidance, is the ongoing ‘Coronavirus updates’ regularly added to Cedefop’s Inventory of lifelong guidance systems and practices with related policy, delivery and other timely information. You will find updates for 14 countries in a dedicated area of their ‘Introduction’, with links to other sections.