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Educational and Career Guidance in the Context of Lifelong Learning

Germany’s wealth is its people, their skills and knowledge and their potential. Lifelong learning, full development of indi-
vidual competences and the maintenance of employability are crucial in this respect. Therefore, it is necessary not only to
integrate unemployed people into the labour market through learning and better training but also to promote the potential
of employed people and support and accompany them in managing their education and career.

To achieve these goals, people need to be supported by high quality guidance both in general and in continuing education
as well as in vocational education and training and in the labour market. In the context of lifelong learning, educational
and career guidance is a connecting link between the needs of the citizens and the demands of the educational and labour
market. Germany looks back on a long tradition of well established school and career guidance. Nevertheless, social and
economic changes cause new challenges for the ongoing further development of guidance structures. The “Expert Group
for Innovations in Further Training”, set up by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and the Government’s Con-
ception for Lifelong Learning (2008) as well as the Coalition treaty of 2013 recommended improvements in guidance provi-
sion and the promotion of quality and professionalism. Better coordination and co-operation within the guidance system,
improved transparency of services and regular further training of practitioners will be important fields of action.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has initiated various measures which aim to enhance the relevance
of guidance to lifelong learning and which extend the required infrastructure: To facilitate access to guidance for continuing
education, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in co-operation with the Länder has commissioned the develop-
ment and testing of a nationwide Educational Guidance Service Telephone. In addition, the “Local Learning Programme”
intended to enhance cooperation and coordination for a coherent management of education provision at a local level in-
cluding guidance services as a central action point. To improve the quality of guidance, the Ministry supported a project to
develop quality standards and a quality development framework for guidance delivery. To improve early career orientation
in schools and to facilitate the transition from school to work, the Federal Government is promoting the assignment of
career start coaches and volunteer mentors with funding.
The contribution of guidance is indispensable for the achievement of the aims of the EU 2020 and ET 2020 strategies and
to meet the European Youth Guarantee. The European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN), which Germany sees as
a strong partner for the enhancement of lifelong guidance, provides stimulus and a framework for international exchange.
Quality guidance supports the individual’s education and career paths and avoids detours. Regarding the future challenges
our society faces – ongoing changes in the economy and society with an increased need for multiple career choices, an
aging society, skill shortages in the labour market and increased mobility to meet globalisation trends – it is evident that
well developed and professional educational and career guidance can play a significant role in solving these problems. In
Germany we try to meet these challenges by fostering the role of guidance and its continuous improvement.
Involving all relevant stakeholders in the process of shaping the future guidance system is essential if we want to design
guidance services in a way that serves the needs of individuals in managing their educational biography and career.

I am pleased to present with this brochure an overview of the German guidance system and the goals already achieved to
the interested public and to our partners in Europe and other parts of the world.

Kornelia Haugg
Head of Directorate General for Vocational Training and Lifelong Learning
Federal Ministry of Education and Research