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Registrations open for LifelongGuidance 5.0 “Transformations inCareer Guidance and Counselling” inVienna

10/02/2026

Registrations are now open for the Lifelong Guidance 5.0: Upscaling Guidance Services in Europe Conference 2026, taking place on 23–24 March 2026 at VHS Wiener Urania in Vienna, Austria. The conference “Lifelong Challenges: Transformations in Career Guidance and Counselling” will bring together guidance professionals, educators, researchers, and policymakers from across Europe to explore how educational and career guidance is evolving in response to digital, labour-market and societal change. The conference will be held in German and English.

About the Conference

Technological innovation, changing labour markets and wider societal developments are reshaping how guidance professionals support individuals throughout their careers. A key challenge moving forward is ensuring that people, particularly those in vulnerable situations, are not left behind by these rapid changes.

The Transformations in Career Guidance and Counselling conference provides a European platform to reflect on these developments. It will explore how guidance services can adapt to ongoing and future changes, and how digital tools and technologies can meaningfully complement — rather than replace — personal guidance approaches. Through keynotes, panels and interactive sessions, participants will exchange experiences, gain expert insights and discuss the future of guidance systems across Europe.

About the Lifelong Guidance 5.0 Project

The conference is organised within the framework of the Erasmus+ project Lifelong Guidance 5.0: Upscaling Guidance Services in Europe. The project supports guidance institutions in developing and implementing digital transformation strategies, with a particular focus on hybrid guidance models that combine face-to-face support with digital solutions.

Through quality development and capacity-building activities, Lifelong Guidance 5.0 aims to strengthen lifelong educational and career guidance services for diverse target groups. The conference contributes to these goals by creating a space for dialogue, reflection, and knowledge exchange among practitioners, researchers, and policymakers.

Programme Highlights

The conference programme features a keynote by Dr Britta Matthes from the Institute for Employment Research – IAB, titled “Career Guidance and Counselling: How Is the Professional Field Changing Through Digitalisation?” Drawing on her extensive research within the “Occupations in Transformation” group, Dr Matthes will examine how digitalisation is reshaping counselling professions, including questions around automation, efficiency gains, and the limits of digital tools in replacing human guidance.

Don’t miss out on the interactive panel discussions that will bring together policymakers and experts from chambers of commerce, labour market research and labour institutions to discuss ongoing social and labour market transformations. The panel will focus on the implications for counselling services and advisory institutions, the challenges faced by different target groups, and policy responses aimed at supporting particularly vulnerable individuals.

In addition, participants can choose from a wide range of sessions offered in both English and German, covering topics such as digital guidance methods, competence validation, company-based guidance approaches and outreach strategies for both young people and adults.

Registration and Practical Information

Please note: Registration will only be confirmed once participants receive a personalised confirmation email.