How can we ensure inclusive, high-quality career guidance for students with special educational needs across Europe?
These and similar questions are at the heart of the Transnational Cooperation Activity (TCA) "Inclusive Career Guidance: Supporting Students with Special Needs", taking place in Tallinn on June 11–13, 2025. The event brings together experts, practitioners, and policymakers from across Europe to exchange strategies, tools, and good practices aimed at making career guidance more inclusive, accessible, and effective for all learners.
Lithuania is represented by three participants: Gėliūnė Adomaitytė, a specialist at the Lithuanian Non-Formal Education Agency (LINEŠA); Rasa Žilionė, Head of the Innovation Office and author of the MOSI LIFE methodology, which she will present at the event; and Tadas Karosas, a career counsellor at Vilnius University. Their roles and perspectives span policy, innovation, and practice — offering a well-rounded view of how inclusion is being addressed in Lithuania.
We spoke to the representatives ahead of the event to hear their expectations, reflections, and the challenges they see in building more inclusive career guidance systems — both in Lithuania and across Europe.
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Tadas Karosas
Career Counsellor, Vilnius University
Tadas provides daily career guidance to students and is committed to better understanding how to support young people with individual needs in integrating into academic life and the labour market.
What made you interested in joining this TCA on inclusion in education and mobility?
Vilnius University aims to provide equal opportunities for all members of the community to study and work. As of 30 October 2019, the Vice-Rector of Studies approved the description of the procedure for the individualisation of studies according to individual needs arising from disabilities. Naturally, this need comes from the community itself, and the desire to develop and strengthen competencies related to meeting these needs affects everyone. From my personal experience, I want to improve my understanding of how to provide career counselling to students with individual needs, because strengthening my competencies can help them integrate and engage more easily — not only at the university, but also after graduation, in the job market.
From your perspective as a university representative, what aspects of inclusion are most urgent to address?
Although Vilnius University has been working systematically on this issue since 2019, there is a lack of a common approach to access to higher education across Lithuania, as some HEIs are slightly more advanced than others are. There is no shared vision of how inclusion should be implemented nationwide. For example, there is a lack of statistics and data on how many students with individual needs are actually studying — this information is not recorded. There is also a lack of clearer guidance on which study programmes to choose for students with different forms of disabilities.
What are you hoping to learn or explore during the TCA in Tallinn?
I hope to learn how to apply practical approaches to counselling students with different individual needs and to meet like-minded people who are also developing these competencies. It is also important to hear how the continuity of competencies is maintained after the workshops in order to respond to students’ needs — what challenges they face in their own institutions and how they address them.
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Rasa Žilionė
Head of the Innovation Office
Rasa is the author of the MOSI LIFE methodology and leads projects focused on developing innovative solutions for young people with special educational needs. She is participating in the TCA as a speaker.
What will you be presenting at the TCA event in Tallinn, and why is it relevant to inclusion?
I will be presenting the MOSI LIFE methodology, an innovative approach that combines life skills training with digital and inclusive educational tools. MOSI LIFE is designed to meet the real needs of young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN), bridging the gap between life skills and career readiness.
At the heart of MOSI LIFE is the idea that life skills are the foundation of everything: they build confidence, foster independence, and strengthen social inclusion. By using creative tools like situational cards, video animations, and interactive activities, this methodology helps youth learn how to navigate real-world challenges in a safe and supportive way.
This approach is especially relevant today, as it addresses the increasing number of young people with SEN who face social isolation and barriers to employment. MOSI LIFE empowers them to take an active role in their own learning and future.
What inspired the development of this methodology within your Erasmus+ project?
The methodology was born from a real need identified in our daily work with young people. About four years ago, during discussions with the Verkiai Multifunctional Center – School, we realised that we needed to go back to the basics – life skills.
Working with youth, we saw first-hand how essential it is to support practical, everyday skills like communication, problem solving, and self-care. At the same time, we observed a growing number of young people with SEN in our communities – a trend made even more urgent by the COVID-19 pandemic. Isolation, screen addiction, and the decline in social interaction only deepened these challenges.
While searching for a solution to the socialisation problem, the MOSI LIFE approach emerged as an idea for the project.
What do you hope participants will take away from your session?
I hope that participants will see the power of creative, inclusive learning and feel inspired to try MOSI LIFE's tools in their own work. More than that, I hope they will adapt and expand this approach to fit new contexts – because life skills are universal, and every young person deserves the chance to thrive.
Life skills are not just for the classroom – they are the skills that help us connect with others, find our voice, and build our future. My wish is for participants to walk away with practical ideas they can use immediately and the confidence to keep exploring and innovating.
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Gėliūnė Adomaitytė
Specialist, Career Education Division, Lithuanian Non-Formal Education Agency (LINEŠA)
Gėliūnė works on national career education policies and implementation in Lithuanian schools. She is particularly interested in strengthening inclusion through systemic approaches and practical tools for career practitioners.
Why do you think the topic of inclusion is important in the context of “Erasmus+”?
Inclusive education is quality education for every student, and the criteria of quality and accessibility of services are important and relevant in career education.
Different experiences and sharing from European countries provide an opportunity to adopt good practices, strengthen, and develop the competencies of career specialists when working with people with special needs.
What motivated you to join this TCA event in Tallinn?
Participation in the international "Erasmus+" seminar Inclusive career guidance: supporting students with special needs, intended for career specialists, will directly contribute to one of the important strategic goals of the Lithuanian Non-Formal Education Agency (LINEŠA) - to coordinate the organization of high-quality career education activities in schools.
The motivation to participate in the training is increased by a professionally structured training program, strong speakers, interesting and relevant content of the presentations, and the opportunity to visit the Tallinn Career Center.
An important benefit of the training for Lithuanian career specialists is the addition of a career specialist tools and methods section in the Student Career Education Information System (MUKIS).
Thank you to the Educational Exchange Support Fund, which brings together responsible institutions and specialists and provides international opportunities to strengthen the competencies of career specialists.
From your experience working at the national agency, what questions or challenges around inclusion do you find most relevant today?
How to ensure the consistency and integrity of inclusion by covering the planning and implementation of a person's career at all ages, from educational level to the labour market and successful self-realization.
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We wish all participants an inspiring and enriching experience in Tallinn. Events like this are a powerful reminder that real change happens when people come together to share, learn, and co-create. We hope this TCA will spark new ideas, strengthen your commitment to inclusion, and leave you with practical tools and fresh motivation to support every learner's path forward.
