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The Impact of Career Guidance on Working Life and Integration
– Nordic cases and practices

Transitions in the labour market are becoming increasingly complex. Key drivers include the green transition, digitalisation, and the rise of artificial intelligence, all of which are reshaping industries and job roles. At the same time, an ageing workforce and longer working lives present new challenges for integration and inclusion.

Introduction

Guidance helps workers in transition. The focus is on highlighting the importance of guidance in working life and in an ever‑changing society, with emphasis on its impact on education, working life, and integration.
We will further develop a Nordic Guidance Network linking labour-market needs, inclusive learning pathways for all, including vulnerable groups, and validation practices. We aim to support informed decision-making and increase the visibility of existing online tools for practitioners and policymakers across the Nordic region.

Focus areas

  • Impact of guidance: Clarifying how career guidance supports transition in employment, health, and social inclusion and education with cases to show best practices: Showcasing examples from the Nordic countries.
  • Relevance in working life: Why guidance is essential for skills development and labour market transitions.
  • Evidence through cases: Using real stories to illustrate success and measurable outcomes. To inspire other Nordic countries and learn from each other.
  • Inclusion pathways: Tailored guidance for immigrants and NEETs; language support and continuity across education and work.
  • Validation with impact: support practical VPL routes that shorten the path to studies or accreditation where appropriate, and shows benefits to individuals, educational institutions and employers.

Development of policy and/or practice

The initiative targets both policymakers and practitioners. The approach is case based, highlighting successful models and lessons learned. Cases will be shared through articles, blogs, and webinars, involving authorities, educational institutions, and other stakeholders.

Impact

Demonstrating how guidance can help reduce skills gaps, support integration, and create value for all Nordic countries. It will also show how guidance can be particularly useful during periods of transition. One key impact is to present the different processes in guidance, so they are accessible to a wider audience – not just career guidance professionals – while supporting stakeholders across different sectors. Reference groups where they exist will be used as good practice for sharing knowledge within relevant stakeholders.
Expected change: Clearer career paths, better policy coherence, and accelerate demand-driven skills matching. Strengthening the understanding that individual skills can be transferred to multiple and new sectors, benefiting the individual, employers, and society.

Facilitating cross-sector dialogue and creating Nordic added value

By collecting and sharing cases from different Nordic countries, the initiative fosters collaboration between education, employment, and industry sectors. Nordic cooperation adds value by harmonising practices and scaling innovative solutions across borders.
The network will organise 2–3 webinars to share ideas and collaborate with stakeholders. Moreover, the network will publish four articles in 2026, highlighting why guidance is relevant and the effect of guidance for transition in employment, inclusion and education. The focus will be on the learning potential among the Nordic countries.

Contact

Hildur Hrönn Oddsdóttir, NLL Guidance Network, hildur@frae.is.