The Career Services Office of Aristotle University organised a dynamic and insightful staff training event under the framework of the Erasmus Careers project. This event, held from Monday, June 3rd to Wednesday, June 5th, brought together 25 career counselors from universities across the European Union. Participants originated from Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Turkey and Serbia creating a diverse and enriching environment for discussion and learning.
The training featured a series of workshops and presentations focused on the internationalisation of career counselling. Attendees had the opportunity to delve into various topics relevant to enhancing their career services, engaged in discussions and activities on various themes, including:
Supporting Erasmus students’ mobility for traineeship: Exploring the connection between Erasmus and Career services.
Intercultural skills gained through Erasmus: Helping students understand and utilise the skills they acquire during their international experiences.
Europass Platform: Comprehensive insights into the Europass platform and its utility for career planning.
Quality Career Counselling for Mobility & presentation of the Euroguidance Guide of Mobility.
Organising impactful career support activities: Best practices and role plays focused on internationalisation and career support.
Presentation of the Guide on the Internationalisation of Career Counselling
Additionally, participants had the opportunity to visit the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) and attend presentations on vocational training policies within the EU. Participants gained valuable insights into various EU initiatives and developments, including:
Monitoring the implementation of EU priorities in EU-27, Norway, and Iceland.
Building the European map of qualifications: Latest EQF/NQFs developments.
Microcredentials for VET and the labour market: The EU perspective.
The shift to learning outcomes.
European initiatives for transparency and recognition of qualifications.
CEDEFOP publications and data.
This visit provided a comprehensive overview of the current trends and priorities in vocational education and training within the EU, enhancing the counselors' understanding and ability to support their students' international career aspirations.
According to evaluations collected from the participants, the training was highly successful. Counsellors expressed high levels of satisfaction with the organisation and content of the sessions. They particularly appreciated the opportunity to network with colleagues from other countries, share best practices, and gain new perspectives on internationalisation of career counselling.
The Erasmus Careers Staff Training event in Thessaloniki exemplified the spirit of collaboration and innovation in career counselling. By bringing together experts from various EU countries, it fostered a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities in this field. The Erasmus Careers team, especially the Career Services Office of Aristotle University, looks forward to future initiatives that continue to support the internationalisation of career counselling.
Visit the Erasmus Careers project website for more information!
This event was carried out in the framework of the Erasmus+ Key Action 2 Cooperation Partnership project: Erasmus Careers - 101049436
June 2023, Erasmus Careers Consortium
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.