Strengthening Career Development Systems Across the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Region
The Career Industry Council of Australia is committed to advancing global collaboration that strengthens career development for people of all ages and backgrounds. A new publication from the European Training Foundation provides timely and valuable insights into how career development support systems are evolving across the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean region, specifically in Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia.
This review emphasises that lifelong career development support is essential to national productivity, social inclusion and sustained participation in learning and work. As labour markets continue to change rapidly due to technology, environmental shifts and demographic trends, access to high quality career guidance has never been more important.
The report highlights encouraging progress. Governments and institutions across the region are increasingly recognising the importance of career guidance through strategies that embed career development in education, employment services and entrepreneurship initiatives. Schools and universities are working to enhance career readiness and build students’ confidence in navigating future pathways. Public employment services and community organisations are also expanding their involvement in supporting job seekers and young people who are not currently engaged in employment, education or training.
Despite these positive steps, the review also identifies challenges that are limiting the effectiveness of services. Support structures remain fragmented, with different sectors and agencies often working separately. Access to services varies considerably depending on gender, geography and social circumstances. Many services rely on temporary project funding which can be difficult to sustain. Technology offers new opportunities to reach people, but digital integration and digital literacy require further development. The review also notes that the professionalisation of career practitioners remains underdeveloped and that consistent quality assurance is needed to build confidence in services.
The European Training Foundation identifies several priority areas that will support system improvement. These include strengthening national policy coordination, improving service delivery across life stages, establishing stable and ongoing funding arrangements, ensuring equitable access for all people, promoting the use of technology and labour market intelligence, and supporting the professional standards that underpin quality services.
These findings reflect principles that are strongly championed within the Australian career development sector. CICA continues to advocate for national leadership in career policy, for professional practice that supports people throughout their working lives and for innovative approaches that can respond to emerging workforce needs.
This international review reinforces the importance of cooperation and shared learning to create fairer opportunities in education and work. CICA acknowledges the European Training Foundation, the Mediterranean Universities Union and their partners for producing an important contribution to global knowledge on career development support systems. We look forward to future collaborations that strengthen the role of career development in shaping productive, inclusive and resilient societies.
