Guidance on lifelong learning opportunities

A certain education programme or training course may be perfect for someone, but they need to know that it exists, or they may need guidance to make the right choice. Several instruments have been developed at the European level to help.

Ploteus (Portal on opportunities throughout the European space)

PLOTEUS aims to help students, job seekers, workers, parents, guidance counsellors and teachers to find out information about studying in Europe, including:

Learning opportunities available throughout the European Union in higher education and vocational training;
Information on education and training systems in Europe;
Opportunities for exchanges and grants; and
General advice and information about moving abroad to another country, such as the cost of living or finding accommodation

PLOTEUS is related to the European job mobility portal EURES.

Euroguidance

Information is essential, but not always enough: advice from a guidance counsellor is sometimes needed. Counsellors need to be well aware of opportunities available throughout Europe and of methodologies and practices in different countries.

The Euroguidance network supports guidance counsellors and provides them with information, documentation and training. The Euroguidance network is also vital to keep the PLOTEUS portal up-to-date.

At the moment the network includes centres in 32 countries: the 27 EU Member States, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey.

European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN)

In today's fast changing society, guidance is more and more crucial at all stages of life, and it is fundamental that guidance systems and policies are able to adapt. The Commission supports a network of experts, led by the Institute for educational research of the University of Jyväskylä, which promotes cooperation in the development of lifelong guidance policies in Member States and at European level, with a view to implementing the priorities identified in the Resolution on Lifelong Guidance (2004).

More information

Legal text: Resolution of the Council and of the representatives of the Member States meeting within the Council on Strengthening Policies, Systems and Practices in the field of Guidance throughout life in Europe (May 2004)
Legal text: Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council of 21 November 2008 on better integrating lifelong guidance into lifelong learning strategies

In depth

Education and Training