Abstract:

Over the past decade many countries have witnessed significant changes in the fields of work and learning. The globalization of markets and the need to remain competitive have led business and industry to seek increased flexibility in their workforces. Workers are increasingly expecting to move back and forth between education and work.
These shifting expectations are creating greater demand for career designing services. Career designing is expected to play a key role in helping labour markets and education systems meet their goals. It is a means of assisting young people to make appropriate and judicious educational choices that will enable them to develop their potential and to have access to work opportunities that are compatible with their interests and abilities. It also promotes equity – social mobility relies on wider acquisition not just of knowledge and skills, but of an understanding about how to use them. In this context, the mission of career designing is widening and becoming a part of lifelong learning.
The purpose of the article is to present the current situation of career designing approach in Lithuanian universities and to reveal the students’ demand for appropriate career designing services based on the conclusions of the qualitative research data. The article covers the relevance of career designing services being recognized as one of the basic elements ensuring the lifelong learning and supporting the development of human resources. The current situation and challenges Lithuania experiences in promoting career designing policy are presented. The research revealing existing demand and all the issues with the reference to career designing services provided in universities is described. Added value of career designing services being properly provided in Lithuanian universities is also described.

Keywords:

career designing, career designing services, career education, career counselling.