The reason for the project (the main topic to be addressed)
Career guidance services have the potential to contribute significantly to the development of human capital. Nonetheless researches and policy reports (Career Guidance in Europe's Public Employment Services, commissioned in 2005 by European Commission Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities) have expressed concern that occupational inf

ormation alone and traditional matching of people and jobs are not enough. Advances in the use of technology (cyber-counselling) and the introduction of new methodologies like mentoring could enrich the career counselling profession's contributions to individual development and expand access to a broader range of customers.

The core objective to be achieved
The goal of the present project consists of initiating and testing “blended” mentoring (mix of on-site and online events) schemes in order to give to career counselling and development services the opportunity to adopt mentoring in their ordinary practice.

A concise description of the outputs
EMPIRE is building up strong ties (network) between those actors who provide career development work and enterprises and their associations. Through the analysis derived from a series of focus groups, the partners will lay down the base for the piloting of tailored blended-mentoring schemes to be run with different target-groups. A mentoring kit will be prepared and used for the preparation of mentors. The final piloting phase (partly based on an on-line support service) with mentees (i.e. the customers of career counselling services) will produce several Career/professional plan and a reflection journal collecting the daily impressions of mentees and mentors. The experience as a whole will produce a set of guidelines/recommendations for career development agencies.

A concise description of the results products
EMPIRE will introduce new methodologies in career exploration and planning, and will promote technological developments especially through cyber-counselling for career planning.
The impact envisaged
Contribute to meet the Lisbon strategy through: an enhanced quality of career guidance services on a cost/effective level: better levels of employability and an increased adaptability of workers.