Learning career management skills in Europe: a critical review

Career management skills (CMS) are increasingly touted as necessary for all citizens, young and adult, particularly given the realities of employment and self-employment in a knowledge-based society, where ‘protean’, ‘portfolio’ careers are expected to increasingly become the norm, and lifelong career guidance an entitlement of all citizens. This paper provides an account of how CMS are featuring ever more prominently on the agenda of many European countries, and explores how such skills are being defined, how and where they are being taught and assessed, and the various modalities by means of which they are integrated in education and training programmes in both the education and labour market sectors. Particular care is given to debates and tensions around the notion of CMS, and to considering trends and initiatives not only from a country-specific perspective, but also from a European one, given the interest of the European Commission in supporting policy development in the area through its Lifelong Learning Programme. The paper concludes by highlighting some of the more pressing issues that need to be addressed.