3.4 Career guidance and counselling
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Career guidance and counselling services
An effective and low-cost way to improve youth labor market outcomes is by providing career guidance and information to young job seekers about education and employment opportunities. Such guidance helps them make informed decisions when choosing their future careers, especially when based on insights into professions with strong job prospects. For example, the Macedonian Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, in collaboration with the ILO, launched the Occupational Outlook website, which offers valuable information on 85 occupations with favorable employment prospects. The platform provides detailed data on job descriptions, working conditions, education requirements, and career outlook for each profession.
However, despite these initiatives, North Macedonia lacks a state strategic approach to career counseling. In response to this gap, the National Youth Council of Macedonia, with institutional support from the Ministry of Education and Science, launched a new initiative in early 2025 to introduce career counseling in every high schools. As part of this initiative, 30 young professionals—trained in fields such as psychology, pedagogy, social work, and special education and rehabilitation—will conduct three career guidance sessions in each high school. This initiative will cover a total of 324 sessions by June 2025, reaching approximately 24,300 students. Additionally, for those not reached by the in-person sessions, an online career planner will be available to help students independently explore their career preferences and navigate potential paths.
Beyond civil society-led initiatives, the Employment Agency of the Republic of North Macedonia (АВРСМ), through its employment centers, is actively developing and delivering services aimed at increasing workforce competitiveness and aligning labor supply with market demands. The agency applies an individualized, needs-based approach for both job seekers and employers. As part of this effort, professional orientation and career counseling services include group and individual sessions, helping unemployed individuals enhance job-seeking skills, plan their career paths, select appropriate training programs, and assess their employment potential.
Furthermore, career counseling is also a key component of the Youth Guarantee (Гаранција за млади), a national initiative aimed at integrating young people (15-29 years old) into the labor market. Under this program, within four months of registering as unemployed, young people are offered employment, education, training, or participation in active labor market measures.
Participants in the program receive tailored employment services, including career counseling, job search assistance, motivation training, and employment preparation. Additionally, support is provided for vocational training, digital skills development, and apprenticeship programs, ensuring that young people are equipped for sustainable employment.
Despite these efforts, a clear, publicly available framework for tracking access to career counseling services remains absent. Since the expiration of the Action Plan for Youth Employment 2016-2020, a new comprehensive employment strategy has yet to be adopted, leaving a policy gap in structured youth career support. Addressing this challenge requires stronger institutional commitment to ensuring sustainable and accessible career guidance services for all young people across North Macedonia.
Funding
Since the expiration of the Action Plan for Youth Employment (2016–2020), North Macedonia has yet to adopt a new comprehensive strategy. However, youth employment initiatives continue to be supported through various national and international programs.
At the national level, funding for youth employment is primarily channeled through the Operational Plan for Active Employment Measures, which in 2024 has received its largest budget allocation to date—over €32 million. These funds support a range of measures, including self-employment programs, advanced IT skills training, and the Youth Guarantee program.
Beyond the Operational Plan, employment policies are also financially structured within the National Employment Strategy 2021–2027, the Economic Reform Program 2023–2025, and the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan 2023–2026. These frameworks aim to enhance access to decent employment opportunities, particularly for young people.
It is important to highlight that youth employment funding remains highly dynamic, influenced by annual government budget priorities and international financial support. The absence of a new action plan to replace the 2016–2020 framework presents a challenge in ensuring long-term financial sustainability and structured support for youth employment programs.
Quality assurance
The National Agency for European Educational Programs and Mobility, through the Euroguidance platform, has organized a comprehensive series of workshops focused on developing qualifications and setting standards for the career counseling profession. These workshops bring together key stakeholders, including educators, counselors, and policymakers, to discuss best practices, share insights, and ensure that career counseling services meet the evolving needs of the labor market.
This process is aimed at creating a Professional Standard for the Competencies of Career Counselors, which will define the essential skills and qualifications required for individuals in this profession. The standard will guide training programs, certification processes, and professional development, ensuring that career counselors are well-equipped to support individuals in making informed career decisions and navigating their professional paths effectively. This initiative is part of broader efforts to align local standards with international best practices, fostering responsive career guidance framework across Europe.