Lifelong Guidance

Guidance facilitates people throughout their lives to manage their own educational, training, occupational, personal, social, and life choices so that they reach their full potential and contribute to the development of a better society.

Spearheaded by the National Policy Group (detailed below), in 2023 a National Strategic Framework for Lifelong Guidance and accompanying Strategic Action Plan were published with an aim of bringing focus and a coherence to the existing services and structures that are key supports to young people and those entering the workforce in making initial decisions about their educational journeys and career pathways.

This group was established in March 2022 with the focus of developing a coherent, long-term strategy for lifelong career guidance in Ireland. This group comprises senior officials from the Department of Education and Youth, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Department of Social Protection, Department of Children, Disability and Equality, and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. The Department of Education and Youth chairs the group.

Follow the links below for further information and documentation on these subjects:

Guidance in schools refers to a range of learning experiences provided in developmental sequence that assist students to develop self-management skills which will lead to effective choices and decisions about their lives. It encompasses the three separate, but interlinked areas of personal and social development, educational guidance and career guidance.

Guidance is an entitlement in post-primary schools as per the Education Act (1998) Section 9 (c), which states that a school shall use its available resources to ensure that students have access to appropriate guidance to assist them in their educational and career choices.

Guidance in post-primary schools is a whole-school activity that is integrated into all school programmes at both Junior and Senior Cycle and it supports students from first to sixth year.

There is currently no formal provision for guidance in primary schools within the lifelong context. However, within the Action Plan accompanying the Strategic National Framework for Lifelong Guidance (2024-2030), discussed below, Action 2.5 provides for the introduction of a ‘whole-school approach’ to guidance at primary level before 2030. Whole-school guidance is being introduced in primary schools for the first time through the DEIS Plus Scheme.

Guidelines for Whole School Guidance in Special Schools are currently under draft and are expected to be launched during the 2026/27 academic year.

A supplementary guidance support tool is provided for children in 13 European Schools in six European countries. The Department of Education and Youth provide funding for this programme.

Follow the links below for further information and documentation on Guidance in Schools:

• Action plan for Education
• National Skills Strategy 2025
• Comprehensive Employment Strategy Action Plan
• National Further Education and Training (FET) Strategy
• National Access Plan: A Strategic Action Plan for Equity of Access, Participation and Success in Higher Education 2022-2028
• National Strategy for Higher Education 2030
• OECD Skills Strategy for Ireland 2023
• Global Citizens 2030 - Ireland’s Talent and Innovation Strategy
• Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities
• National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II 2024-2028 (NTRIS II)