Intersectoral IWG Groups Connect Schools, Municipalities and Employers to Support Pupils' Careers
At the turn of June and July 2026, Šumperk hosted the first workshops of the newly established Intersectoral Working Group (IWG) of the PATHS project, which is jointly coordinated in the Czech Republic by the Centre for Community Work Northern Moravia (CPKP) and DEX Innovation Centre (DEX IC). The working group follows the “quadruple helix” principle, connecting representatives of local governments, primary and secondary schools, pedagogical-psychological counselling centres, Local Action Groups (MAS), regional coordinators and regional employers.
The specifics of the pilot area and the barriers young people face
The aim of the two consecutive workshops was to present the model of local career support centres (LPSS – Life Path Support Service) to regional partners and to discuss in detail the practical conditions for involving pupils aged 12–18 in pilot municipalities with up to 5,000 inhabitants. Due to high interest and the busy schedules of local stakeholders, the meeting was split into two dates (29 June and 23 July 2026), with a total of 17 experts taking part.
The participating experts and school representatives agreed on several key challenges for the region:
- Early intervention: Career guidance and the diagnosis of strengths must start as early as lower secondary school (around the age of 12 to 13), when the transition to secondary school is decided and when unmotivated pupils at risk of early school leaving can best be reached.
- Overcoming passivity: Traditional one-off presentation fairs are losing their effect on Generation Z. Schools and employers are calling for intensive, experiential project days, hands-on problem solving and modern digital tools (virtual tours of workplaces, interactive catalogues).
- Involving smaller rural municipalities: Representatives of Local Action Groups (MAS) are a key partner in identifying peripheral locations that have no career counsellors of their own and where capacities need to be shared among several schools.
Preparing pilot activities and safe work placements in companies
The key topic of both workshops was the practical implementation of the two components of the upcoming pilot project:
- Component 1 (Guidance points in municipalities): Setting up a network of trained local mentors who will be available to pupils directly in their catchment area for individual consultations and the development of soft skills.
- Component 2 (Work placements and job shadowing with employers): Defining a 40-hour job shadowing module and short-term excursions. Employer representatives confirmed their interest in hosting smaller, motivated groups of pupils. The essential condition, however, is legal certainty and minimal administration for HR staff through the project's Safe-Pack (clearly defined responsibility, health and safety briefing and insurance).
High participant satisfaction and the outlook for autumn
Feedback from the evaluation questionnaires confirmed the great value of the meetings: participants rated their overall satisfaction and the opportunity for open interdisciplinary discussion at more than 4.1 out of 5. They particularly appreciated the creation of a living network of contacts between representatives of schools, municipalities and regional institutions (e.g. the Regional Career Guidance Centre and the Innovation Centre of the Olomouc Region – ICOK).
Building on the outputs of the IWG groups, preparations for the autumn pilot innovation camps are being finalised and the selection of specific partner companies for pupils' work placements is getting under way. The next meeting of the intersectoral group will take place at the end of 2026.
The PATHS project (DRP0301100) is co-funded by the European Union under the Interreg Danube Region programme. This output reflects only the views of the authors; the managing authority and the joint secretariat of the programme are not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
