Partner organisations are working together to prepare an engaging five-day programme on career guidance, skills development, and youth empowerment
The partner organisations of the CareerCraft – Building Young People’s Careers and Developing Their Skills project are currently preparing for the project’s first international Learning, Teaching and Training Activity – LTTA1, which will take place in Budapest, Hungary, in June 2026.
The mobility was initially planned for 26 June–1 July 2026. To support the participation of all partner organisations and ensure the most suitable travel and implementation arrangements, the consortium is currently considering two alternative periods:
- 21–27 June 2026.
The upcoming Budapest mobility will represent an important stage in the implementation of CareerCraft. It will bring together young participants, youth workers, trainers, mentors, and representatives of the partner organisations for an intensive programme focused on self-discovery, career exploration, employability skills, gamified learning, mentoring, and personal career planning.
Joint preparations by the CareerCraft partners
The partner organisations are cooperating closely to ensure that LTTA1 provides a well-structured, inclusive, and meaningful learning experience.
The preparation process includes the development and review of the educational programme, participant selection and preparation, travel planning, accommodation arrangements, learning materials, mentoring activities, intercultural sessions, evaluation tools, and dissemination actions.
Partners are also discussing how to adapt the sessions to participants with different educational backgrounds, career experiences, learning needs, and confidence levels.
Special attention is being given to creating an environment in which every participant can express their ideas, identify their strengths, explore career options, and receive practical guidance for their future.
The partners are preparing interactive sessions that will use non-formal education, teamwork, personal reflection, simulation, mentoring, case studies, and gamified activities.
Supporting young people in designing their future careers
CareerCraft aims to help young people better understand themselves, recognise their abilities, explore future professional opportunities, and make more informed decisions about education, training, and employment.
Many young people face uncertainty when deciding which career path to follow. They may have limited knowledge of the labour market, future skills, emerging professions, or the competencies expected by employers.
Some young people may also find it difficult to identify their own strengths, values, interests, and motivations.
LTTA1 will respond to these needs by offering a structured learning journey that begins with self-discovery and gradually progresses toward career exploration, practical simulations, mentoring, career mapping, and personal presentations.
A five-day educational programme
The core learning programme will cover five days, with arrival and departure sessions integrated into the first and final days.
The participants will take part in workshops and practical activities designed to help them understand their potential and develop realistic career plans.
Opening and intercultural learning
The mobility will begin with a welcome and opening session during which participants will be introduced to the CareerCraft project, the objectives of LTTA1, the programme, and the expected learning outcomes.
Intercultural ice-breaking and team-building activities will help participants get to know one another and create a positive international group atmosphere.
Participants will be encouraged to share information about their countries, communities, educational experiences, and career expectations.
The first reflection session will allow them to establish personal learning goals and identify what they hope to gain from the mobility.
Self-discovery: strengths, motivation, and values
A major part of the programme will focus on self-discovery.
Participants will explore their strengths, motivations, personal values, career interests, and preferred ways of working.
Through interactive workshops and psychometric activities, they will reflect on questions such as:
- What am I good at?
- What motivates me?
- What kind of work environment suits me?
- Which values are important in my future career?
- What skills would I like to improve?
- What type of professional contribution would I like to make?
The self-discovery sessions will help participants recognise that career planning begins with understanding their own identity, competencies, ambitions, and needs.
Reflection and group discussions will allow them to compare perspectives and learn from the experiences of their peers.
Career exploration and future skills
Another important part of the mobility will be dedicated to career exploration.
Participants will examine labour-market trends, changing employment patterns, emerging sectors, digital transformation, and the skills expected to become increasingly important in the future.
The sessions will help young people understand that career paths are not always linear and that learning, adaptation, and continuous skills development are essential in a rapidly changing labour market.
Participants will also be introduced to the Career Compass Tool, which will support them in connecting their strengths, interests, values, and aspirations with possible educational and professional pathways.
Through career-mapping exercises, they will begin identifying different routes toward their preferred careers.
These routes may include formal education, vocational training, volunteering, internships, entrepreneurship, mentoring, online learning, or international opportunities.
Gamified career learning
Gamification will be an important methodological element of LTTA1.
Participants will take part in career simulations, problem-solving tasks, case studies, and activities based on real or realistic career stories.
These methods will allow young people to explore professional situations in a safe and engaging environment.
They may be asked to make decisions, respond to workplace challenges, work in teams, solve problems, or consider the consequences of different career choices.
Gamified learning will make complex topics more accessible and help participants strengthen competencies such as:
- decision-making;
- communication;
- teamwork;
- critical thinking;
- creativity;
- adaptability;
- leadership;
- problem-solving;
- time management.
The activities will also demonstrate that career learning can be active, participatory, and connected to real-life situations.
Designing personal career maps
During the career-design stage, participants will use the knowledge gained during the previous sessions to build individual career maps.
These maps will help them visualise their objectives, possible career paths, required competencies, available resources, and practical next steps.
Participants will be encouraged to create plans that are ambitious but realistic.
They will consider:
- their short-term and long-term goals;
- the education or training they may need;
- the skills they already possess;
- the skills they need to strengthen;
- possible barriers;
- sources of support;
- relevant organisations and institutions;
- opportunities for practical experience;
- alternative career routes.
The career maps will function as personal planning tools that participants can continue to develop after the mobility.
Mentoring and personalised support
Mentoring sessions will offer participants the opportunity to discuss their career ideas and receive individual or small-group guidance.
Mentors will help young people clarify their objectives, recognise possible challenges, and identify practical actions.
The mentoring process will not make decisions on behalf of participants. Instead, it will help them ask better questions, evaluate opportunities, and take greater responsibility for their own development.
Participants will be encouraged to view career planning as an ongoing process that can change as they gain new skills, experiences, interests, and information.
Preparing and presenting career plans
Toward the end of the activity, participants will prepare presentations about their career maps and personal development ideas.
They will practise explaining their strengths, goals, learning needs, planned actions, and expected results.
This stage will support the development of communication, presentation, confidence, and self-reflection skills.
Participants will receive constructive feedback from trainers, mentors, and peers.
The purpose of the presentations will not be to compare or rank participants. Instead, the activity will celebrate different ambitions and demonstrate that each young person can follow a career path suited to their own talents, values, and circumstances.
Youthpass reflection and recognition of learning
The final part of the mobility will include a structured Youthpass reflection.
Participants will identify the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and competencies developed during the programme.
They will reflect on learning in areas such as:
- personal and social competence;
- learning to learn;
- communication;
- intercultural awareness;
- digital competence;
- entrepreneurship;
- teamwork;
- career planning;
- civic and social responsibility.
A final evaluation will allow participants to provide feedback on the workshops, methods, mentoring, group experience, and organisation of the mobility.
The programme will conclude with a certificate ceremony recognising participants’ engagement and learning achievements.
Non-formal learning at the centre of LTTA1
The Budapest activity will be based mainly on non-formal and informal education methods.
The programme will include:
- interactive workshops;
- individual reflection;
- pair and group work;
- psychometric activities;
- career simulations;
- case studies;
- problem-solving challenges;
- mentoring;
- peer learning;
- career mapping;
- presentations;
- daily reflection and evaluation.
These methods will allow participants to take an active role in their learning.
Instead of receiving only theoretical information, young people will analyse their own experiences, make decisions, work with others, receive feedback, and develop practical career-planning tools.
Preparing participants before the mobility
Each partner organisation will prepare its participants before travelling to Budapest.
Preparation will include information about:
- the CareerCraft project;
- the objectives and programme of LTTA1;
- travel and accommodation arrangements;
- intercultural communication;
- health and safety;
- participant responsibilities;
- learning expectations;
- Youthpass;
- dissemination and follow-up activities.
Participants may also be asked to reflect on their current skills, career interests, and expectations before the mobility.
This will enable trainers to better understand the group and adapt the programme to participants’ needs.
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of the Budapest activity, participants are expected to have:
- increased awareness of their strengths and motivations;
- a clearer understanding of their values and career interests;
- improved knowledge of labour-market trends;
- greater awareness of future and transferable skills;
- experience using the Career Compass Tool;
- improved career-planning and decision-making abilities;
- increased confidence in presenting their ideas;
- stronger teamwork and intercultural communication skills;
- an individual career map or development plan;
- greater motivation to pursue educational and professional opportunities.
The activity will also support participants in becoming more independent, reflective, adaptable, and confident in planning their future.
Extending the impact beyond Budapest
After returning home, participants will be encouraged to share their experiences and learning with other young people, youth workers, educators, schools, organisations, and community members.
Follow-up and dissemination activities may include:
- local presentations;
- peer-learning workshops;
- social-media posts;
- articles and newsletters;
- career-guidance sessions;
- sharing the Career Compass Tool;
- discussions with youth organisations and educational institutions.
These activities will help ensure that the benefits of LTTA1 extend beyond the direct participants.
The lessons learned during the mobility will also contribute to the further development of CareerCraft resources and future project activities.
Looking forward to the Budapest mobility
The CareerCraft partners are enthusiastic about the upcoming international activity and the opportunities it will create for young people.
The mobility in Budapest will provide a space where participants can discover their abilities, explore different professional possibilities, test career-related skills, receive mentoring, and build practical plans for their future.
Through international cooperation, non-formal education, and personalised guidance, CareerCraft aims to help young people move from uncertainty toward greater clarity, confidence, and action.
The partners will continue working together to finalise the programme and organisational arrangements.
The final mobility dates—either 21–26 June 2026 or 22–27 June 2026—will be communicated once they have been officially agreed by the partnership.
Project: CareerCraft – Building Young People’s Careers and Developing Their Skills
Activity: Learning, Teaching and Training Activity 1 – LTTA1
Location: Budapest, Hungary
Proposed dates: 21–26 June 2026 or 22–27 June 2026
Previously planned dates: 26 June–1 July 2026
Core learning duration: Five days
Main themes: Self-discovery, career exploration, future skills, gamified learning, mentoring, and career design
Funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.