Lifelong Guidance 5.0: New Erasmus+ project kicks off

18/12/2023

From December 13 – 15, the Lifelong Guidance 5.0 – Upscaling Guidance Services in Europe Erasmus+ project kicked off in Stuttgart! The new project is lead by Volkshochschulverband Baden-Württemberg (VHS BW) in cooperation with VHS Vienna , IUC Z-Group Östersund, EARLALL, the University of Heidelberg and the Foundation European Centre for Valuation Prior Learning. Over three days, partners got to know each other, brainstormed on the future of guidance services in Europe and began to plan the first steps of the ambitious three-year project.

How to bring guidance services into the 5.0 paradigm?

The project aims to support the transformation of guidance institutions and the work of guidance counsellors in the face of megatrends in our society, such as the digital and green transition. The project will set out to:

Increase the capacity of career guidance counsellors so that they are able to use digital tools within the framework of their daily work
Empower guidance clients to be able to use digital guidance tools, alone or with a counsellor
Foster and encourage the development of future skills of the clients, finding (educational) pathways tailored to the needs of digitalisation and other mega trends in society.

One of the main foreseen outcomes of the project is a modular training concept “Lifelong Guidance 5.0” for guidance counsellors. The work package is run by the University of Heidelberg and will result in a training programme for guidance counsellors, with a plan to provide guides for how other institutions can re-scale the training according to their needs. Moreover, VHS BW and the Foundation European Centre for Valuation Prior Learning. will cooperatively build a common European online learning environment around all areas of digital guidance. The platform shall be a single European entry point for guidance counsellors. The platform responds to the need of counsellors to have regular access to information, exchange, networking and training in line with the need to regularly update knowledge and competences in a fast changing working environment. Ensuring that employers and companies are making the most of the tools and knowledge the project will produce, IUZ-Z Group Östersund in will head a concept for competence development and lifelong guidance in companies. Finally, EARLALL will lead a campaign to promote the networking and integration of the online platform and training courses into the work of guidance institutions across Europe.

Collaboration with the Erasmus+ project “DigiTrans”

Throughout the kick off meeting, partners discussed the different project outcomes. To do so, they welcomed Prof. Peter Weber from the University of Applied Labour Studies to present the Erasmus+ DigiTrans project. Prof. Weber presented the workshop design that the project developed for analysing the needs of guidance counsellors and staff. The Lifelong Guidance 5.0 project will continue synergies with DigiTrans, implementing their workshop model for needs’ analysis to start the project. Moreover, Maximillian Forster presented on the Skill-Kompass project from the University of Ulm. Mr. Forster discussed explanatory AI and how guidance counsellors could possibly benefit from the technological development.

Finally, the kick-off closed with a study visit to the LNWBB, the State of Baden-Württemberg’s guidance network. The visit highlighted the need for guidance services to be adaptable for the changing nature of work, neutral and open to all.

Stay tuned for further developments in the project!