NEFELE set out to improve teacher training program by designing and implementing a training model for their role in supporting students’ careers development. As recommended in the Council Conclusions on European Teachers and Trainers (2020), teachers need to be supported to cope with the increasing demands of their work, such as providing support and guidance to their learners. However, traditional HE courses often do not equip teachers with the necessary tools and knowledge to fulfill this crucial role. Furthermore, according to the European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network, there is a need to develop information on career guidance in HE across the EU, as addressed in ITE. NEFELE proposes a training model based on a specific framework tailored for teachers and offered through Massive Open Online Courses. Moreover, during the MOOC lessons, teachers will be trained to use the NEFELE game, based on Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs), as a supporting technology to be used in the classroom with their students to enhance careers exploration. The NEFELE project promotes synergies between research and innovation in education, supporting effective and innovative pedagogies and promoting new technologies as drivers for improvement in HE.
Choosing a career is the most challenging developmental task in adolescence. Today's society, characterized by the lack of a predetermined career path and the uncertainty of the labour market, makes it increasingly difficult for young people to find a future career. In the EU-28, there are 17 million young people who are neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET) and are at risk of social exclusion and marginalization. Preventive action is needed to tackle the NEET phenomenon and support career development by promoting a positive vision of the future and being proactive, stimulating the propensity to manage change adaptively, with versatility and flexibility, and fostering hope and optimism for a meaningful future. In this scenario, the role of teachers appears to be crucial. As the front line in the educational system, teachers are called upon to support adolescents' career development. Psychological studies emphasize that career-related support from teachers is a crucial resource for positive career outcomes and well-being. However, teachers have not been trained in this function during Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in HE, and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses for teachers are scarce.