3.4 Career guidance and counselling
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Address
Instituto de la Juventud de España
Spanish Institute for Youth
C/ José Ortega y Gasset 71
ES-28006 Madrid
Tel: +34 917 827 602
E-Mail:
Website
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Career guidance and counselling services
In line with the 2013 Recommendation, the Spanish Active Employment Support Strategy 2021-2024 aims to ensure young people gain access to training or employment within a defined period after entering the labour market. Among the key initiatives outlined in the strategy, the provision of professional career guidance and job counselling is emphasized as a crucial support measure for youth. The next strategy (2025–2028) is expected to continue prioritising personalised guidance and support services, with enhanced coordination across regions.
The career advice and job counselling services are an integral part of the Portfolio of Common Services of the National Employment System (Cartera Común de Servicios del Sistema Nacional de Empleo), which was established by Royal Decree 7/2015 (Real Decreto 7/2015). This Portfolio defines the services to be provided by all Employment Public Services in Spain, ensuring a standardized approach to career guidance.
The job counselling services are a fundamental right for unemployed individuals. These services are primarily delivered in-person through public employment public offices or collaborating entities of the Employment Public Services. Additionally, counselling is available remotely via the Employment Website (Portal de Empleo), providing access to technical resources and guidance online.
The target users of these services users include, young people who:
- Are not in employment or education
- Have prematurely dropped out of the educational system, and are seeking employment in sectors with limited opportunities
- Are trained but lack professional lacking experience
- Are unexperienced and underqualified
- Are long-term unemployed
- Are receiving unemployment benefits but seeking employment
- Aspiring entrepreneurs entering the labour market independently.
The career guidance services offer personalised support, including:
- Individual assessment to understand users´ needs
- Development of a personalised employment plan (itinerary)
- Follow-up of user progress
- Assistance with CV development
- Technological guidance on using digital tools for job searching
- Additional information on the labour market, as well as available employment services and programmes offered by public employment services.
As part of the Portfolio of Common Services, an institutional monitoring group was created to oversee the implementation and impact of employment services. The group first convened in March 2017 and continues to ensure the effectiveness of career guidance initiatives.
The National Plan for the Implementation of the Youth Guarantee (Plan Nacional de Implantación de la Garantía Juvenil en España) sets out actions to provide professional counselling, work information and guidance to help youth secure employment. This plan is funded by the European Union under the Reinforced Youth Guarantee initiative. The Ministry of Labour and Social Economy (Ministerio de Trabajo y Economía Social) oversees the implementation, in coordination with the Autonomous Communities, through the Employment and Social Affairs Sectorial Conference, regulated by the Royal Decree 1722/07.
The Youth Guarantee Plus 2021–2027 programme also prioritizes career guidance services as part of its objective to provide young people with the skills and support necessary for employment. This programme offers personalized job counselling, training opportunities, and entrepreneurship support to youth facing barriers to the labour market.
Funding
Funding for the services outlined in the Portfolio of Common Services of the National Employment System is regulated in Article 14 of Royal Decree 7/2015 (Real Decreto 7/2015). These services are primarily funded through the budgets of the Autonomous Regions, with the possibility of additional support from the European Social Fund (ESF) or other EU funds, particularly for services related to youth employment and training.
National funding
As stipulated in Article 14 of Royal Decree 7/2015 (Real Decreto 7/2015), the primary responsibility for funding career guidance and counselling services lies with the Autonomous Regions. These regional governments allocate funds from their own budgets to implement the services outlined in the Portfolio of Common Services of the National Employment System.
The Spanish Active Employment Support Strategy 2021–2024 and the forthcoming 2025-2028 version: This national strategy outlines various measures to improve employability, including career guidance. While specific funding amounts are not, the strategy's implementation is supported through national budgets and is aligned with EU funding mechanisms.
European funding
European Social Fund Plus (ESF+): For the period 2021–2027, Spain has been allocated approximately €11.3 billion from the ESF+ to support various employment and social inclusion initiatives. A significant portion of this funding is directed towards youth employment, including career guidance and counselling services – with almost 20% earmarked for improving employment opportunities for young people.
Youth Employment Initiative (YEI): The YEI focuses on regions with youth unemployment rates exceeding 25%. Spain has benefited from this initiative, which has been integrated into the ESF+ for the 2021–2027 period.
Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe (REACT-EU): In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Spain received additional EU funding through the REACT-EU programme. This funding aimed to support various sectors, including youth employment and career guidance services, to mitigate the pandemic's impact on youth employment opportunities.
Spain actively participates in EU initiatives like Erasmus+ and youth networks such as Eurodesk, which provide young people with opportunities for career guidance, cross-border mobility, and access to internships, apprenticeships, and training across Europe.
Quality assurance
To ensure high-quality service delivery, Article 16 of Royal Decree 7/2015, mandates the implementation of quality management systems, including the EFQM Model, and the Evaluation, Learning and Improvement Models (Modelos de Evaluación, Aprendizaje y Mejora. EVAM), which are used to assess the effectiveness and quality of career guidance services.
Additionally, the Spanish Active Employment Support Strategy 2021-2024 introduces impact indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of career guidance and counselling services. This evaluation model shifts from focussing solely on fund distribution to a more transparent, results-oriented approach, enabling better monitoring and accountability of youth employment initiatives, ensuring services deliver measurable improvements in youth employability.
Furthermore, the allocation of EU funds, including the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), Youth Employment Initiative (YEI), and REACT-EU, comes with built-in accountability and monitoring frameworks that require transparency and the achievement of specific outcomes. This alignment ensures that career guidance and counselling services maintain high standards and contribute to the effective integration of youth into the labour market.