Professionalising Lifelong Career Guidance – the nationwide in-house training of the German Public Employment Service
Author: Anna-Lena Becker - NCO EURES and Euroguidance, Federal Employment Agency, Germany
The Public employment service has taken a big step to professionalise the work of its career guidance counsellors by implementing a nationwide in-house training programme since December 2020
The PES acknowledges that megatrends such as digitalisation and demographic change significantly influence the needs of individuals seeking counselling. These shifts are reshaping the future of work and, consequently, the demands placed on career counsellors. To address these challenges and to better support jobseekers and employees, the PES launched a comprehensive, high-quality training initiative in lifelong career guidance.
Modern career counselling in the PES is increasingly focused on lifelong learning, adaptability, and resource-oriented approaches. Counsellors are expected to empower clients by identifying strengths, promoting self-reflection, and helping them navigate a changing world of work.
Entry Requirements and Structure
The programme is open to anyone who wants to become, or is already working as, a career counsellor, regardless of previous work experience or formal qualifications. However, candidates must meet certain admission criteria.
- At least two years of employment at the PES
- A successful application for a career counselling position or current work in the field
- Completion of either academic or vocational training
Participants are grouped into small cohorts, each of which completes a training cycle lasting between six and nine months.
The new training programme, titled “Extended Counselling Expertise”, was designed and developed by the University of Applied Labour Studies, a university affiliated with the Federal Employment Agency. Courses are delivered by professors and instructors with substantial experience in career counselling.
Training Content and Pedagogy
The programme blends theoretical and practical elements. Participants engage with academic literature, write essays, and work on case studies. They also reflect on real counselling sessions and practice cooperative casework. Supervision and individual learning mentorship further support personal development and professional growth.
The curriculum is built around six core topics:
- Current developments in the profession, labour market, and companies
- Dynamic design of counselling processes
- Reflection on one’s own professional stance
- Activation and utilisation of clients’ competencies and personal resources
- Collaboration with third parties and network partners
- Strengthening self-management skills
These topics highlight the programme’s emphasis on development, dynamism, reflection, activation, and empowerment—key areas that guide the transformation of career counselling within the PES.
Vision for the Future
Over the past 5 years, more than 60% of programme graduates reported that they were able to link the training modules directly to their daily work and use the insights to reflect on and improve their own counselling practice.
This aligns with the PES vision on career counselling as a lifelong, ongoing process—not a one-off consultation. The aim is to guide individuals through periods of change, support them in uncovering, build on their own resources, and enable them to develop sustainable strategies for lifelong learning and career planning.
