Skills2Capabilities presentation at the IAEVG International Conference - Guidance Systems Supporting VET Transitions
Insights from the Skills2Capabilities project were featured at the IAEVG International Conference 2024, held 12–14 November in Jyväskylä, Finland. The conference, themed “Riding the Wave of Change,” brought together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to explore how guidance systems are adapting to ongoing changes in education and the labour market.
During the conference, Sally-Anne Barnes, Jaana Kettunen and Hanna Pullinen presented a poster titled “A Comparative Study of Guidance Systems Supporting VET Transitions”, offering early mapping from study on how different career guidance systems operate to support vocational education and training (VET) transitions across Europe.
Career guidance is shown to be a crucial building block in VET, helping individuals consider VET pathways, navigate participation, and move forward in their educational or career journey. Drawing on qualitative, desk-based analysis, the study examines the structure and evolution of guidance systems, with a focus on legislation, funding, stakeholders, and service delivery.
The initial findings presented at the conference highlighted the diversity of national approaches and the varying levels of regulation and coordination across countries. These differences significantly influence how effectively systems support learners through VET transitions.
The IAEVG conference provided a valuable platform for exchanging knowledge and sharing expertise from around the world. The sessions sparked lively discussion among participants from research, policy, and practice, highlighting the complexity and importance of guidance in supporting learners through changing education and labour market landscapes. The Skills2Capabilities contribution offered a timely and comparative perspective, helping to frame ongoing dialogue on how guidance systems can better respond to skills mismatches and facilitate effective transitions in VET across Europe.
The work contributes to the wider Skills2Capabilities project, which aims to generate new evidence on how to better align skills supply with labour market demands in Europe. In a time of rapid economic transformation and growing skills mismatch, the research underscores the importance of career guidance as a tool for promoting successful transitions and resolving skills mismatches.
To read more about the Skills2Capabilities findings, visit skills2capabilities.eu.
Read the full working paper:
Skills Formation System (PDF)
