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Lifelong Guidance 5.0 Partners Gather in Östersund

23/01/2026

From 20 to 21 January 2026, EARLALL participated in the Erasmus+ funded project Lifelong Guidance 5.0 conference in Östersund, Sweden. The event brought together project partners, student counsellors and representatives from industry to share updates on the project’s progress, engage in in-depth discussions and gain insights into the Swedish learning and guidance system. The conference provided a key opportunity for peer learning and reflection on the digital transformation of career guidance.

Guidance and Digitalization

The conference opened with Andrea Bernert-Büerkle from VHS Baden-Württemberg, who introduced the Lifelong Guidance 5.0 project and its Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership framework. She highlighted the project’s objective to enhance guidance services during the digital transition, supporting counsellors and learners alike in navigating an increasingly digitalised labour market. Bernert-Büerkle further emphasised the role of industry partnerships, particularly with Johan Burger Hyllermark from the Regional Industrial Development Centre (IUC). The collaboration aims to bridge the gap between education and employment, ensuring that guidance services remain relevant to labour market needs. As Bernert-Büerkle stated: “Many people need education to prepare for a job, so we need to have work in mind.”

Showcasing Tools and Training for Counsellors

A central part of the conference focused on digital tools and innovative approaches for career guidance. Presentations included demonstrations of SkillLab technology, EU job taxonomies, and AI-supported competence profiling to better connect education, skills and labour market opportunities. Bernert-Büerkle also highlighted the long-term impact of the project and reiterated the continued importance of counsellors: “We get a lot of questions about when will student counsellors disappear? Our answer is: Never. Because they have all of the soft skills.” The conference further introduced modular trainings designed to capture counsellors’ insights and challenges when supporting students with complex guidance needs. Swedish student counsellors actively contributed to discussions, sharing their experiences and perspectives on multi-layered support approaches.

Exploring Strategies and Approaches

The second part of the conference focused on digital strategies, methods and tools in mediatized career guidance. Participants exchanged experiences on the state of play in different regions and explored projections for future tools. Discussions emphasised the importance of

  • Networking through personal contacts to foster strong collaborations
  • Empowering learner autonomy through in-house initiatives, tandems, and mentorship opportunities
  • Prioritising mindset alongside skills development
  • Placing the learner at the centre of guidance activities

Project updates and Activities

The programme included visits to Lärcentrum in Östersund, showcasing how soft values create inclusive learning spaces, and to Woolpower; a company offering transformative training and workforce development opportunities. These visits illustrated practical applications of Lifelong Guidance 5.0 approaches and their relevance for both education and industry contexts.

On the second day, participants received updates on the project’s work packages and discussed options for transferring guidance models in company contexts across Lifelong Guidance 5.0 regions. Upcoming activities include:

  • European online learning environment and webinars, such as the Lunchtime Talks, with the next session in February focusing on meta-competences.
  • Lifelong Guidance 5.0 Conference in Vienna taking place on 23–24 March 2026, hosted by VHS Vienna under the theme “Lifelong Challenges: Transformations in Career Guidance and Counselling.” The programme will feature presentations from research institutes, interactive discussions with experts and a Knowledge Café to explore emerging trends.

EARLALL is pleased to contribute to the Lifelong Guidance 5.0 project, and its upcoming activities, supporting a sustainable digital transition for guidance counsellors while highlighting the irreplaceable human aspect of career guidance. The conference reaffirmed the value of collaboration, knowledge exchange and innovation in building inclusive, learner-centred guidance systems across Europe.