Global Careers Month 2025: Opening Ceremony
English
ILO
The International Labour Organization is the tripartite U.N. agency that promotes Decent Work through employment, social security, labour standards and social dialogue. Its work on skills development is guided by the conceptual framework on Skills to improve productivity, employment growth, and development agreed in 2008 by representatives of Governments, Employers’ Associations and Workers’ Associations. Research, policy advice, and pilot projects and technical cooperation programmes to apply good practices in different circumstances across its 185 member States aims to boost the employability of workers, the productivity and competitiveness of enterprises, and the inclusiveness of economic growth. The ILO Secretariat in offices in 40 countries works with Ministries of Labour, employers’ organizations, and trade unions to integrate skills development into national and sector development strategies in order to better meet current labour market needs and to prepare for the jobs of the future; to expand access to employment-related training so that youth, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups are better able to acquire skills and secure productive and decent work; and to improve the ability of public employment services to provide career guidance, maintain labour exchange services, and deliver active labour market programmes.For more information regarding the ILO’s work on skills and employability go to: http://www.ilo.org/skills/lang--en/index.htm; for ILO/Cinterfor's Knowledge Management Plarform, see: http://www.oitcinterfor.org
Other sources
Experts from many international, regional and national agencies generously share their views, experiences and findings on skills, helping policy-makers among other stakeholders to understand the linkages between education, training and the world of work, and how to integrate skills into national development planning to promote employment and economic growth.
Career guidance and employment services
Career guidance and counselling, career education and lifelong development of skills for employability are key for success in learning activities, effective career transitions, livelihood planning, entrepreneurship and in increasing labour market participation. They are instrumental in promoting skills utilization, recognition (RPL), as well as in improving enterprise human resource management.
Career development activities encompass a wide variety of support activities including career information and advice, counselling, work exposure (e.g. job shadowing, work experience periods), assessment, coaching, mentoring, professional networking, advocacy, basic and employability skills training (curricular and non-curricular) and entrepreneurship training. It is often an area which is fragmented across different ministries (e.g. education, TVET, employment, youth) requiring an effort to achieve the necessary coordination to provide adequate support to individuals during learning, employment and unemployment/inactivity periods.
WELCOME TO GLOBAL CAREERS MONTH: SETTING THE SCENE FOR THE MONTH AHEAD
Opening Ceremony
5 November 2025: 14:00 – 15:00 CET
Chair: Florian Kadletz, European Training Foundation (ETF)
Programme
14.00 - 14.15 INTRODUCTION TO THE GLOBAL CAREERS MONTH
Glenda Quintini (OECD), Cynthia Harrison-Villalba (Cedefop), Pedro Moreno da Fonseca (ILO)
14.15 - 14.35 WHAT WILL HAPPEN
Regional experiences: Challenges, particularities, and design and delivery models for effective career guidance
Moderation: Jaana Kettunen, President, International Association for Education and vocatonal guidance (IAEVG)
14:35 – 14:50 GLOBAL CAREERS MONTH CORE THEMES
Aristea Politi (European Commission), Ramon Iriate (UNESCO), TBC (World Bank)
14:50 – 15:00 GLOBAL CAREERS MONTH OFFICIAL LAUNCH
For more information: https://www.skillsforemployment.org/iagevent