On this page

1. Career guidance and counselling services

2. Funding

3. Quality assurance

Career guidance and counselling services

A number of career guidance and counselling services are offered by different agencies of the government to the young people.

Career Counselling and Educational Services

The Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth (MESY) offers Career Counselling and Educational Services (CCES) which  focus on the personal, interpersonal, educational and career development of high school students and other young people. There are Counselling and Career Guidance offices in all public Secondary General Education and Secondary Technical and Vocational Education and Training Schools, as well as Central Career Guidance offices at the Ministry. Through the counselling process and the career guidance, the school counsellors help students in Secondary Education and other young people to: 

• Develop positive self-esteem, self-approval and self-confidence.

• Identify young people’s abilities, interests and skills.

• Use their unique capabilities and aptitudes to achieve self-awareness.

• Acquire the right skills to deal effectively with personal, family and/or social issues in life.

• Adjust to the school environment in order to progress both educationally and socially.

• Develop critical thinking.

• Develop the necessary skills that will allow use of appropriate information effectively and make well informed decisions concerning educational, vocational and personal choices.

• Learn about the nature and demands of various vocations as well as the current social, economic and cultural developments so that the right educational choices are made.

As reported in the ‘Annual Report 2024’ of the MESY, during the 2023/2024 school year the CCES implemented a comprehensive set of actions to support students’ personal and professional development. These included the provision of counselling on personal and career education both within schools and at central and district offices. The services also established procedures and interdepartmental protocols, administered psychometric tools to assist students in self-assessment, reviewed relevant educational publications, and organised seminars, lectures, training sessions, and conferences for school counsellors. In addition, information meetings were held for parents and guardians on educational and career-related issues, while various school-based programmes were implemented to further enhance guidance and support for students.

Career Counselling and Career Management Services

Additionally, the Youth Board of Cyprus (YBC) offers the Career Counselling and Career Management Services to young people (14-35 years old) of various needs. All services are provided for free. The Career Counselling Services are based on six action pillars:

• Personalised career counselling and guidance: Through personal meetings between Youth Board of Cyprus career counsellors and the young people, including school students and university students, a wide range of topics is covered. For example, school subjects selection guidance, filling of public university entrance application forms, information on studying in Cyprus and abroad, CV building, academic and professional options, etc.. The meetings take place at the Youth Board’s Multifunctional Youth Centers across all districts in Cyprus (Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos, Agros, Sotira, and Evrychou).

• Skills assessment tests: These tests, are provided free of charge and follow an analysis of the results by the Counsellors. They are suitable for students (Middle school, High school, Technical school), university students and young people interested on their personal and career growth in general. Through the test, young people achieve self-awareness and discover certain hidden talents, skills and personality features. The test provides a better understanding on the most suitable choice of field of study and professional direction for young people.

• Series of workshops on soft skills development: These address school and university students, job seekers and young professionals. The workshops aim at preparing young people for the job market (e.g. CV drafting, preparation for a job interview, good practices for job hunting, etc.). They also provide professional development skills that help young people become successful professionals (e.g. presentation and communication skills, cooperation and group work, digital skills development, etc.).

• Career academies: They are open to students, job seekers and young professionals who wish to achieve professional development. These one or two-day events offer comprehensive training on professional development through lectures and workshops by leading key-note speakers. A wide range of topics is covered, such as career choice, job hunting, junior career development, funding opportunities, professional skills development, etc.. Through their active participation, young participants exchange good practices, practice networking and develop on a personal and professional level. 

• Individualized guidance from Youth Entrepreneurship Counsellors: This service provides free individual counselling and guidance on youth entrepreneurship and financial literacy to young people, including information on relevant legislation and programs, both national and European, etc.. 

• Entrepreneurship and financial literacy events: Within this framework, group events (seminars, workshops, presentations) are organized, designed according to the target audience, which may include students, university students, conscripts, unemployed youth, newcomers to the labour market, employees (underemployed), and more generally young people who may wish to develop their own entrepreneurial activity.

According to the ‘Annual Report 2024’ of the MESY, in 2024 the Career Guidance Services of the Youth Board, conducted 1430 individual counselling sessions and 340 career tests (Ariston and Ariadne) for secondary school pupils. Additionally, nine thematic workshops on skills development were held at all Youth Centres, engaging 890 participants. Workshops on job search, CV writing, and interview preparation were also provided to young people. Also, the 5th Career Academy (5η Ακαδημία Καριέρας) was organized by the YBC in Paphos in March 2025. Regarding the Youth Entrepreneurship guidance, the service was set to start in 2025, with no further information on implementations being available yet.

Services offered by the Public Employment Services

Furthermore, through the Public Employment Service (PES), four mobile PES units for outreaching the Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETs), aged 15-29, and providing them with guidance, counselling and employment services were set in 2024. According to the ‘Cyprus Annual Progress Report 2025’, published in April 2025, 14 800 NEETs were identified and approached by the Employment Counsellors for NEETs through the operation of the mobile units, in 2024. After the provision of consultation, only 400 of them agreed to be referred for registration with the Public Employment Service (PES) and only 286 of them can be considered as beneficiaries of the project, according to the PES’s evaluation.

In addition, employment counsellors and labour officers consistently guide unemployed individuals, including young people, towards available active labour market measures, including job vacancies, training programs, or subsidized employment opportunities. This guidance is tailored to the unique profile of each unemployed person, considering both their individual characteristics and the specific demands of the labour market. The evaluation takes into account various factors, such as marital status, health condition, dependents, employment history, educational background, skills, communication abilities, social circumstances, and other relevant experiences. This comprehensive assessment aims to determine the employment potential of each individual, facilitating a more targeted and effective approach to their job search and career development. An Individual Action Plan (IAP) is designed through this service and with continuous support and monitoring from the Counsellor, the plan undergoes revision as necessary, adapting to the evolving needs of each individual. The implementation of the plan has maximum duration of 12 months with the possibility of renewal upon meeting specific criteria. It is noteworthy that certain specific categories of unemployed individuals, including those recently released from prison and victims of human trafficking, receive guidance from specially selected and often more seasoned counsellors.

In cases where the PES counsellors assess the need of the unemployed for being referred to other competent services before they start working to help with their integration in the labour market, they communicate with competent officers of these services and make the relevant referral in order to facilitate the direct provision of their services and the direct promotion of their actions and care. The PES is cooperating with Mental Health counsellors of Ministry of Health, social workers of Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, Counsellors of the Department for Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, and Counsellors of Youth Board of Cyprus.

Funding

The budget for the Career Counselling and Educational Services is managed by the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth and its source is public funding.

The source of funding for the Career Counselling and Career Management Services offered by the Youth Board of Cyprus comes from the State’s budget. The amount of funding for 2025 was €80 000.

Regarding the services of the Public Employment Service, a budget of €3 million has been allocated to support the operation of the mobile units and the employment of counsellors from January 2024 until the planned completion of the project in August 2025, with the possibility of an extension until May 2027. This funding is provided through the European Social Fund under the THALIA 2021-2027 programme (Cyprus Annual Progress Report 2025, p85).

Quality assurance

There was no information found about any existing system of quality assurance of the services of career guidance and counselling in the country.