Guidance System in Norway

Overview 
Career guidance is an area of interest within several Norwegian policy agendas, involving multiple sectors and ministries. It is seen as a key factor in reaching goals such as reducing the number of youths who are neither in education nor training, in increasing the population’s employment levels, stimulating lifelong learning and in easing career transitions.  

The 2014 OECD review on Norway’s skills policies recommended developing a more coordinated, lifelong guidance approach and establishing a national digital career guidance service.   

In 2015 a national committee was tasked with analyzing the structure and status of Norwegian career guidance, and with suggesting measures to achieve government goals. Two important outcomes came from the subsequent government white paper “Norway in transition - Career guidance for Individuals and Society” (NOU 2016:7, English summary): 

• Karriereveiledning.no www.karriereveiledning.no ; The national, public and free digital career guidance service, Launched in 2020.  

• The Norwegian National Quality Framework for Career Guidance National Quality Framwork for Career Guidance | HK-dir , presented in 2020.  This is a cross-sectorial framework, and it’s overarching aim is contributing to high quality career guidance services within all sectors.  

Both initiatives are run by the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (https://hkdir.no/en  (HK-dir). The white paper also recommended that adults should have access to career guidance through regional career centres, and that the service should be included in the law. In June 2020, the Norwegian Parliament passed an amendment to the Education Act, mandating regional governments to provide career guidance to all residents.  

Policy 

The main goal of Norway's career guidance policy is closely connected to the national skills strategy Nasjonal kompetansepolitisk strategi 2017­–2021. All citizens are entitled to education and training in a lifelong perspective to increase the population’s employability. Early career guidance may also prevent dropout in high school. Better access to career guidance can also help unemployed, vulnerable groups and senior workers find jobs faster and handle future challenges in the job market. Career guidance is also seen as a measure to help matching the citizens’ learning and career choices with the future skills needs of Norway. 

The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) Direktoratet for høyere utdanning og kompetanse | HK-dir is assigned with the national systems responsibility for lifelong guidance in Norway.  The Directorate also has a particular responsibility for career guidance in primary and secondary education. The goals are to improve access to services, improve quality and professionality, create and maintain a comprehensive whole government system and ensure equal opportunities for youth and adults. The Directorate also manages the national digital career guidance service, and National Quality Framework for Career Guidance. National Quality Framwork for Career Guidance | HK-dir 

Services and Practice  

Lower and upper secondary education 

In Norway, the counties and municipalities are obliged to secure all secondary school students access to career guidance. Career guidance formally begins in lower secondary school with a dedicated subject focused on educational choices, where the aim is to help students develop essential career competencies. In vocational programs in upper secondary education, students take part in hands-on projects in local businesses, to get a better understanding of the different options before they make their choice of specialities. When the students leave school after two years for a two-year apprenticeship, they can still receive career guidance delivered by one of the services in the county. 

Additionally, Oppfølgingstjenesten (OT) follows up youth between the age of 15-24, who are not in education or work (NEETs), and helps them find training or job opportunities through local partnerships. 
 

Higher education 

Students in higher education as a group do not have a legal right to career guidance. But a majority of universities and university colleges have career services. All higher education institutions have departmental student service staff, that provide information and assist students in planning and structuring their studies. However, all students have access to career guidance through the regional career centers and through karriereveiledning.no.  

Karriereveiledning.no  Karriereveiledning | Karriereveiledning.no is Norway's digital service. It provides free career guidance to the Norwegian population. It offers personalized support through chat, phone and email, helping users with educational choices, job searches, and career planning. The platform caters to students, job seekers, and adults considering a career change, aiming to help users make informed decisions and navigate their professional paths effectively. 

Utdanning.no Forside | Utdanning.no is Norway's official platform for exploring education and career options. It provides information on study programs, vocational training, higher education, job market data, and profession descriptions. Users can search for courses based on interests or location, making it a key resource for academic and career planning. 

Karriereveiledning.no and utdanning.no are managed by the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir). 

Regional career centers in Norway play a vital role in the country’s lifelong guidance system, providing free services to residents across all counties.  

These centers assist individuals in making informed educational, job and career decisions through one on one-counseling, group sessions and support with job searches and CV writing. With a deep understanding of local job markets, counselors are particularly valuable for those exploring career options in their communities.  

Additionally, these centers collaborate closely with school advisors, the public employment services (PES), universities and colleges, ensuring that individuals receive comprehensive support at every stage of their career journey. 

Public Employment Services 
The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) www.nav.no is responsible for employability in Norway. All citizens applying for NAV services have the right to have their needs assessed and receive assistance in entering or re-entering the workforce. NAV is focusing on social and work inclusion, utilizing ordinary working life as a training and placement arena.  

For the past years NAV has worked on strengthening the guidance skills among NAV employees to provide better and more effective services.  

Refugees 

The 2021 Integration act in Norway mandates that newly arrived refugees have the right and a duty to receive career guidance, after they have been assigned with a home municipality. The guidance is delivered by the regional career centers. This was a significant step towards ensuring that refugees can integrate into the Norwegian labor market and become self-sufficient.    

The introductory program for refugees includes a mandatory subject which includes career learning.  

The goal of this provision is to help refugees identify their skills and qualifications, set career goals, and develop the necessary skills to achieve those goals. By providing career guidance, Norway aims to facilitate the integration of refugees into Norwegian society and improve their long-term prospects. 

The 2021 Integration act is by the autumn of 2024 undergoing a revision. 

Training 

A 2012 report found Norway’s career guidance education fragmented, with 51 courses across 16 institutions, lacking a unified approach. It recommended creating bachelor’s and master’s degrees in career guidance, and the Government decided to follow up the report. 

In 2014 a joint master’s program in career guidance was established by government decision at Universitetet i Innlandet (INN) Forside - Universitetet i Innlandet and Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge (USN)  USN – Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge. To apply you need a relevant bachelor’s degree and work experience. Several universities also offer further education at the master’s level as well as shorter educational programs in career guidance. Currently, there is no bachelor’s degree in career guidance. 

To work as a career counselor in Norway, the education requirements vary between employers. In many cases, a specific degree in career guidance is not required, but experience in counseling is necessary. There is no national certificate or formal requirements, but the National Quality Framework for Career Guidance includes cross sectoral competence standards for career counselors. 

Research and development  

The two Norwegian universities offering a joint master’s program in career guidance, USN and INN, cooperate with each other and various other partners. This includes other Norwegian HE institutions, regional career centres, the Norwegian labor and welfare administration, schools, adult learning programs, and the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills.  

The National forum for career guidance    https://hkdir.no/karriereveiledning-og-utdanningsvalg/om-karriereveiledning/nasjonalt-forum-for-karriererettleiing , led by The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, consists of representatives from around 30 different stakeholders. The forum offers central stakeholders an arena where they can discuss the status, development, and research of career guidance and advice the work of the Directorate.  

The National Quality Framework for Career Guidance (2020) was developed by working groups with members from research, counseling, practice, and government. The task of leading the process was assigned to the Directorate. The close connection between research and development in Norway is related to the Norwegian model of three-party cooperation, where workers, employers and the government work together to form public policy. 

The National Quality Framework is a central measure in developing a high quality system for lifelong guidance. It includes four main elements: 

1. Competence standards https://hkdir.no/en/national-quality-framwork-for-career-guidance/competence-standards : Provides an overview of what competences those working with career guidance should have, to be able to attend to their roles in a way that enhances quality and output in their services. 

1. Career competence https://hkdir.no/en/national-quality-framwork-for-career-guidance/career-competence: Provides a model for working with career learning with clients.  

1. Ethics https://hkdir.no/en/national-quality-framwork-for-career-guidance/ethics: Defines a code of ethics and ethical values for career guidance, and a model for working with ethical dilemmas within the context you are working. 

1. Quality assurance : https://hkdir.no/en/national-quality-framwork-for-career-guidance/quality-assurance : Provides an input-output model and an overview on areas for quality assurance and development for career services  

All the four elements are accompanied by digital tools to assist implementation. The Quality Framework works to elevate higher quality in career guidance across all sectors. It benefits both practitioners and administrative management.  In 2024 the Directorate launched a digital resource site called the Quality Laboratory (Hjem | Kvalitet i karriereveiledning), to further assist the work on quality development in the services.  

Ethics 

As mentioned above, one of the four elements in the National Quality Framework for Career Guidance is Ethics. The code of ethics consists of 12 ethical guidelines that are grouped into three categories: Competence, relations and cooperation, and reflection. The code of ethics is cross-sectoral. The guidelines apply across career guidance formats, from face-to-face to digital counseling, and complement existing guidelines followed by career professionals.  

To enhance ethical awareness, tools like “Ethic cards Etikkort | HK-dir,” a reflection model Etisk refleksjonsmodell | HK-dir, and articles on dilemmas published on the web site Veilederforum.no Forsiden | Veilederforum.no are available. These resources help counselors strengthen their ethical practice and facilitate informed, reflective career guidance.