Career Planning for Dynamic Economies Erasmus Project

Project Title

Career Planning for Dynamic Economies

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships addressing more than one field

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The role of education, and the way it prepares students for their future lives, is changing as the knowledge-based economy continues to advance in Europe. The ever-changing nature of the European employment landscape demands a high-level of flexibility and adaptability in the workforce. This high-value, dynamic knowledge economy has for the most part done away with the notion of a “job for life” or a “skill for life”. The emphasis now is on employability and adaptability; on upgrading skill sets to keep pace with change; on changing career pathways to respond to market conditions. In this new reality, career planning and development is no longer viewed as a linear process and more emphasis is now placed on nonlinear, chance and unplanned influences.

When people in education talk about career guidance it is generally referred to as a service; advice and/or direction provided by an expert for the benefit of students. Career guidance in school education environments is generally centered around the final years of the 2nd level academic cycle and concentrates on supporting the most appropriate transition for students from school into higher education, 3rd level, tertiary vocational education, or employment. While this ‘service’ approach might be considered appropriate within the parameters of education establishments where students and career guidance professionals coexist on a daily basis, the most likely career pathways for students currently in education today cannot be defined on a once off basis and the career planning needs of students can no longer be satisfied by this ‘service’ based approach.

The rationale behind the SELFIE project is based on the belief that we now need to consider career planning as a subject instead of career guidance as a service; a subject with curriculum resources at different levels, with required learning outcomes and an assessment framework to measure attainment. In math, students are taught to add, subtract, divide and multiply. They bring these skills and abilities with them everywhere they go and can call on them and rely on them throughout their life. In career planning students should be taught (A) how to research the marketplace and identify potential career opportunities; (B) how to evaluate options using appropriate decision making processes and criteria; (C) how to assess their own strengths and weaknesses; (D) how to present themselves in the most beneficial way to academia or to potential employers. There is a need for a growing emphasis to be placed on critical inquiry and mental flexibility and on providing students with the necessary skills and tools for those tasks. Given the predilection of young people today for social media there is a need to employ these new technologies to help students begin the process of building sustainable networks and to help them gain experience in research, experimentation, problem-based learning and other forms of creative work. The SELFIE project has developed a career planning subject framework incorporating introductory, intermediate and advanced levels that will help students to develop the necessary skills to enable them to construct their own self-portrait and career progression pathway and update it as required throughout their working life.

While the initial focus of the SELFIE project was on school-based career planning provision the principles on which the model is based will be just as relevant throughout the educational landscape and can help inform the development of career planning curriculum materials for all age groups and environments. SELFIE supports the strategic objective of the Education & Training 2020 framework by helping to improve the quality and efficiency of education and training through the development of career planning teaching that is more appropriate for Europe’s dynamic and knowledge based economy. It also enhances creativity and innovation by supporting the development of the key transversal skills of research, critical thinking and decision making.

The main activities undertaken in the project included the following: a Summary Research Report, Learning Outcomes Matrix, Curriculum Development and Assessment Framework, Introductory Curriculum Resources, Intermediate Curriculum Resources, Advanced Curriculum Resources, Teacher Induction Programme, Project Website and a Career Planning for Dynamic Economies policy paper.

The project has achieved its overall outcomes, as the main outcomes of the project have been developed and delivered and included: a comprehensive suite of resources for the school counselors/career guidance providers and for the students in terms of new ways of approaching career guidance and promoting self-guidance for the students.The analysis of best practices, equality and inclusion has during the timeline of the SELFIE project, added knowledge and value to the work of partner organisations.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 229836,84 Eur

Project Coordinator

LOUTH AND MEATH EDUCATION AND TRAINING BOARD & Country: IE

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITAET PADERBORN
• CENTRE FOR ADVANCEMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY LTD-CARDET
• VIESOJI ISTAIGA JAUNIMO KARJEROS CENTRAS
• MUNICIPIO DE LOUSADA