The role of associations in shaping practice, professional development and systems – showcasing good practices from CEE

This webinar brings together career guidance associations from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania to discuss the role of professional associations in developing the field of career guidance. The event is based on recent exploratory research examining how these organisations support their members, contribute to national guidance systems, and interact with policymakers and other stakeholders.

The research shows that professional associations play an important but often under-resourced role. They contribute in two main ways: supporting the professional development of practitioners and advocating for the recognition and development of career guidance systems.

During the webinar, the report will be briefly presented, followed by short showcases from each association. Each organisation will present concrete practices illustrating how they support the profession in their national context through different activities: training and professional development, sharing tools and resources, organising communities of practice, promoting career guidance, or engaging with policymakers.

The session will also open discussion on common challenges in the region, including strengthening professional standards, improving access to guidance services, building stronger professional communities, and increasing the visibility and policy recognition of lifelong guidance.

The webinar is open to practitioners, policymakers, researchers and anyone interested in the development of career guidance systems in Central and Eastern Europe.

Speakers:

Szalai, Máté graduated as a Human Resources Counsellor from the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He is currently pursuing his PhD at the same institution, where his research focuses on career orientation and human resource management. Alongside his academic endeavors, he works as a manager in the multinational corporate sector in the field of Learning and Development. He is also actively engaged in career counseling and training delivery, driven by a deep passion for guiding university students in their career orientation and life-path building. Furthermore, he participated in several key research projects dedicated specifically to this area of student career development.

Tomáš Šprlák is served as a president of the Slovak Association for Career Guidance and Career Development (ZKPRK) in 2016 – 2020 and is currently a board member. He worked in Public Employment Service where he focused on the design and implementation of guidance and counselling programmes, in quality assurance and professional development for career guidance practitioners. He has co-authored scholarly work on the ethical challenges and evolution of green guidance, quality assurance and lifelong learning and guidance systems in Central and Eastern Europe. He currently works as a freelance career counsellor and project manager.

Zuzana Freibergová, Alice Mullerová are board members of the Czech Association for Career Guidance and Career Development, leaders of the report on the associations’ activities in the project.

Please register before 06/04/2026: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=D5gPWIfzCEuoV1A1erb6mF4k8EEnIz1Moz37PgNrlp9UMEo2NUxCQ00xMkxGN05ETElESUFFT1MwMy4u

Participation link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84615108380?pwd=KFVGv5bRKEsVpdTa3kBSREMmFZdE6v.1