VET Skills Formation Systems - What is the Role of Lifelong Guidance

At the Skills2Capabilities Final Conference in Maastricht, researchers presented findings from a cross-country comparative analysis examining how national contexts and skills formation systems shape the design, delivery, and strategic integration of guidance services.

Published

8.12.2025

Jaana Kettunen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Sally-Anne Barnes, University of Leicester, UK
Hanna Pullinen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Jaana Kettunen and Sally-Anne Barnes presented a poster under the theme “VET Skills Formation Systems – What is the role of lifelong guidance?” as part of the Skills2Capabilities project’s Final Conference in Maastricht on 13–14 November 2025. The two-day event brought together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners from across Europe and beyond to review the project's main findings and discuss emerging priorities for skills and capabilities development.

Lifelong guidance encompasses organised and accessible forms of support that enable individuals to navigate transitions, access relevant skills, and respond to labour market demands, while supporting inclusive and adaptable skills formation across Europe. Within VET systems, career guidance and counselling function as key components—not only facilitating service provision but also assisting individuals considering entry into VET, participating in it, or moving on to subsequent pathways.

The poster outlined four structural priorities for strengthening lifelong guidance within VET and wider skills formation systems: operationalising legal entitlements across the life course, investing in digital infrastructure for equitable service delivery, expanding inclusive community-based career guidance services, and promoting multi-stakeholder collaboration to strengthen regional partnerships.

These recommendations underline the importance of ensuring consistent access to guidance throughout life, supported by robust legal foundations and service structures that do not depend on short-term projects or local variation. They also stress the need for modern digital infrastructures that enable guidance services to draw on labour market intelligence, educational pathways, and integrated digital tools—ensuring that support remains both accessible and responsive to changing skills demands.

A further theme is the importance of promoting social inclusion. Lifelong guidance plays a crucial role in reaching groups underrepresented in learning and employment, and community-based, locally anchored models are identified as essential for reducing inequalities. Finally, the recommendations emphasise that no single actor can build an effective lifelong guidance system alone. Cross-sector collaboration between education providers, employers, public services, and community organisations is necessary to create coherent pathways and tailored upskilling opportunities that respond to regional labour market needs.

For full project findings, visit skills2capabilities.eu