CareersNet

The network was created 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;
• supporting countries in national policy development.

CareersNet aims to generate new knowledge 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 provides the opportunity to produce insights on career development activities embedded in distinct policy fields, such as education, training, youth policies, validation of non-formal and informal learning, adult learning - including upskilling and re-skilling, VET financing and labour market policy, 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. The network plans onthematic country reviews with evidence from the LLG Inventory, in addition to enriching its methodology for system and policy assessment, monitoring and evaluation, and experts contribute to ad hoc activities and papers . CareersNet members contributed content on how guidance services were adapting in the pandemic, published in the provisional Note on lifelong guidance and the COVID-19 pandemic: responses from Cedefop’s CareersNet and it produced a leaflet with views on policy on lifelong guidance for Ukrainian refugees The network will be involved in Cedefop’s eventual update of the 2009 Cedefop publication 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. A Cedefop Briefing Note was published drawing on evidence from the papers.

Some CareersNet expert researchers and evidence-related , joined by other experts, contributed to the first volume of Cedefop’s contributions towards developing European standards on monitoring and evaluation in lifelong guidance. CareersNet is involved in suggesting and drafting updates on the Guidelines for systems and policies for lifelong guidance (ELGPN, 2015).

Besides its peer learning, thematic research activities in lifelong guidance, Cedefop has established CareersNet to monitor policy developments and innovative practices in EU countries and in some EEA, EFTA, EU accession countries, which enriches the network. CareersNet provides input in 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. Cedefop has engaged in different types of cooperation and exchanges with networks such as Euroguidance, IAEVG, International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy (ICCDPP), Cité des Métiers, and NVL, among others.