The Movetia/Erasmus+ project "CAREER LEAD: European Scientific Network for Career Learning and Education" adresses the central question of how to optimally support young people in their career choices and career planning in the context of today's dynamic labour market and the ongoing digital revolution. This project spotlights the crucial the role of teachers, trainers and lecturers in guiding students. Our objective is to refine career orientation teaching and to bolster personalised student support, with the ultimate goal of empowering young people to navigate their professional paths independently and confidently, free from stereotypical constraints.

Within the scope of Career Lead, we are formulating innovative training approaches for educators aimed at effectively guiding the professional orientation and career planning of young people. A special emphasis is placed on devising strategies and practices that encourage students to approach their career decisions and planning in a more conscious, reflective, and independent manner, particularly from family, gender-specific, school, or peer influences. A key aspect of this initiative is the promotion of autonomy, critical thinking, and decision-making skills among youth.

The project "Career Lead: Focus on the role of teachers in career choice and career planning of young people" is part of the Erasmus+ project "European Scientific Network for Career Learning and Education (CAREER LEAD)".

The principal objectives of the overall CAREER LEAD include

1. Providing focused support to young people in career selection and planning.
    
2. Reinforcing and clarifying the role of educators in school-based career guidance.
    
3. Developing and advocating for innovative solutions and methodologies in career development.
    
4. Enhancing the training quality for teachers, trainers, and lecturers.
    
5. Publishing findings and organising transfer events to share project outcomes.
    
6. Establishing a European network of experts in school-based career guidance and nurturing the next generation of researchers through a doctoral program.

Duration: 2023-2025

Project homepage for the entire project: https://career-lead.eu/

The "Career Lead" project at the Institute of Educational Studies aims to develop innovative approaches to career orientation and career planning for young people and to strengthen the role of teachers, trainers and lecturers in this process in order to enable young people to make a self-determined, reflective and stereotype-free career choice. The project team in Switzerland includes Prof. Dr. Elena Makarova, Dr. Christof Nägele, Christine Hoffelner and Jana Lindner.

The Career Lead meeting on June 23 and 24 in Baden near Vienna marks an important step in the strategic development of the Career Lead Network. The central objectives for the coming period are the expansion of international cooperation, the visibility of central content and the sustainable anchoring of the network beyond the project duration funded by Erasmus+/Movetia.

There are plans to establish an international webinar series in cooperation with partners in Nigeria as well as a joint conference to strengthen the global dialog on career development issues. The next CareerLead Congress will also take place in this context and create targeted synergies. At the same time, work is underway on a publication on the four work packages. This is intended to make key findings visible and contribute to the professional discussion.