- 2016Implementation
- 2017Implementation
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
Background
The Lifelong career guidance centres (CISOK) were introduced in 2013 to provide tailored lifelong career guidance to all citizens, especially young people (pupils and students) and NEETs. To deliver highly accessible services based on local needs, CISOK strongly rely on a broad network of partnerships, including local chambers, universities, adult education institutions, education providers, and NGOs.
Objectives
The main objectives of the partnership-based approach of CISOK are to:
- balance labour market needs and competence development
- offer tailored guidance to different target groups at the local and regional levels
Description
Since 2016, Lifelong career guidance centres have been continuously signing cooperation agreements with local-level partners so as to identify the needs of specific groups and offer tailored career guidance services. Local partners involve schools, colleges and universities, volunteer centres, Roma associations, public health and social welfare centres, youth associations, local stakeholders in trades, crafts and the economy, as well as development agencies. By the end of 2018, 337 cooperation agreements were signed. Lifelong career guidance centres are the focal points for these activities as part of the national youth guarantee programme and the 2016-18 strategic plan of the Ministry of Labour and Pension System.
By the end of 2019, 387 cooperation agreements were signed; 50 new agreements in 2019.
By the end of 2020, 402 cooperation agreements were signed; 15 new agreements in 2020. Lifelong career guidance centres are part of the 2020-22 strategic plan of the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy (MROSP).
By the end of 2021, 410 cooperation agreements were signed.
By the end of 2022, 453 cooperation agreements were signed.
Bodies responsible
- Public employment service (HZZ)
Target groups
Education professionals
- Guidance practitioners
Entities providing VET
- VET providers (all kinds)
Other stakeholders
- Social partners (employer organisations and trade unions)
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers both to formal mechanisms of stakeholder engagement in VET governance and to informal cooperation among stakeholders, which motivate shared responsibility for quality VET. Formal engagement is usually based on legally established institutional procedures that clearly define the role and responsibilities for relevant stakeholders in designing, implementing and improving VET. It also refers to establishing and increasing the degree of autonomy of VET providers for agile and flexible VET provision.
In terms of informal cooperation, the sub-category covers targeted actions by different stakeholders to promote or implement VET. This cooperation often leads to creating sustainable partnerships and making commitments for targeted actions, in line with the national context and regulation, e.g. national alliances for apprenticeships, pacts for youth or partnerships between schools and employers. It can also include initiatives and projects run by the social partners or sectoral organisations or networks of voluntary experts and executives, retired or on sabbatical, to support their peers in the fields of VET and apprenticeships, as part of the EAfA.
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing high-quality lifelong learning and career guidance services, including making full use of Europass and other digital services and resources.