□ The Ministry of Education and the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET) will hold the “8th International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy (ICCDPP)” at the Mayfield Hotel & Resort in Seoul on 19-21 June 2017.

 -The ICCDPP was established as a non-profit organization of the Europe Center for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop). It has promoted research and strategy development with regard to career education, career development policies, and lifelong learning.

 -The first ICCDPP International Symposium was held in 1999 in Canada, then in Australia, Hungary and the United States. Korea is hosting the 8th International Symposium.

 □ The overarching theme is “Career Development, at the Crossroads toward Relevance and Impact,” with participation of 22 delegations from across the world.

 -Sub-themes include: 1) Understanding how work opportunities are changing, 2) Ensuring that content and delivery of career development programs and services are relevant, 3) Improving career practitioner training and practice, and 4) Reforming career services in education and labor to focus on career competencies and successful transitions.

 -In this symposium, participants will share and discuss about emerging challenges as well as improvement plans based on the country paper prepared by the researchers of each country, and draw relevant policy and academic implications applicable to their own context.

 -In addition, a panel discussion lead by experts from international organizations (e.g., OECD, Cedefop, ETF) will provide an opportunity to discuss about education, employment, welfare policies in career development as an international agenda.

 □ On Monday, June 19, three keynote speeches will be delivered. The speakers will raise questions about career education and career development policies.

 -The first speaker, Deborah Roseveare from OECD, will give a lecture themed “Skills is a Global Currency,” and speak about the importance of developing and sustaining personal skills in the labor market in the 21^st Century.

 -Tom Zizys, Principal at the Zizys Consulting, and Wendy Hirsh from the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) will present the role of experts, researchers and individuals for career education and career development in coping with the changes in the labour market as well as the importance of collaboration between employees and employers.

 □ Director Hong Min-Sik from the Department of Lifelong and Vocational Education Bureau of the Ministry of Education said, “Career education is an education that helps individuals to improve career development skills throughout their lives for a better quality life.”

 -and further indicated, “This Symposium is expected to provide a platform to discuss about the role and prominence of career education from the lifelong learning aspect, as well as the transition from school to labour market to cultivate talented learners needed for the future society.”

 □ The Ministry of Education has promoted various policies to enhance the career education capacity of schools such as the intensive vocational education year and/or semester system in model schools. Career related information and services can be found at www.career.go.kr and www.ggoomgil.go.kr.

 -This Symposium will provide an opportunity for the Ministry of Education to present the efforts and achievements of career education development in Korea, in addition to learning from international cases and establishing further educational policies. 

 * unofficial translation