Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs
Career Guidance for Adults in a Changing World of Work
Career guidance is a fundamental policy lever to help adults successfully navigate
a constantly evolving labour market through advice and information on job and training
opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of career guidance
services. Many adults have lost their jobs and require assistance navigating their
career options in a changing labour market, where firms are likely to accelerate the
adoption of digital technologies in the name of pandemic-proofing. But compared to
career guidance services for youth, services for adults receive relatively little
policy attention, and little is known of how often existing services are used. This
report scopes out initiatives in the area of career guidance for adults in OECD countries,
drawing lessons on how to strengthen adult career guidance systems in terms of coverage
and inclusiveness, provision and service delivery, quality and impact, and governance
and funding. The findings of the report build on the information collected through
the 2020 Survey of Career Guidance for Adults (SCGA), an online survey of adults’
experience with career guidance.