Good adult career guidance
The Gatsby Charitable Foundation has just published a new report on Good adult career guidance.
The report emphasises that public employment services are a critical element of the provision of adult guidance services, and suggests that they should move beyond helping people who are unemployed find work, towards the provision of universal career guidance services.
The project undertook research with individuals involved in adult career guidance in seven countries: Estonia, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium and Denmark. The report showcases international practice and focusses on six key features of good adult career guidance. These six features of good practice can be summarised as follows.
- Vision and leadership – national visions for guidance are clearly articulated in policy, supported by multiple government departments, and aligned to implementation plans.
- Collaboration and cooperation – effective guidance may need to connect adults with other services and this requires different providers to connect both strategically and operationally.
- Professionals – career guidance is delivered by a range of professionals all with appropriate training
- National and local delivery – services are delivered by respected providers both nationally and locally to meet the needs of a diverse population
- Clearly understood and accessible services – clear referral systems between services to help people understand and access what they need, including online and in-person
- Labour market data – quality assured data underpins advice and services to ensure information provided to adults is up to date, and services meet the needs of the economy
Hutchinson, J., & Hooley, T. (2025). Good adult career guidance. SQW & University of Derby.
