Published on the 16/05/2023
> Launch year: 2008
> How many schools are currently making use of it?: 250+
> Other tags: Is informed by research, Is funded by government, Is recognized by peers, Free of cost
> Technology: Video streaming, Social media
> Career development: Online platforms, Engaging parents, Student portfolios, Questionnaires, Non-virtual work placements, Subject selection
> Age group: Lower-secondary (ages 12 to 15), Upper-secondary (ages 16 to 18)
> Country: Ireland
Download PDFResource overview
Website: CareersPortal
CareersPortal.ie was launched in 2008 by the Irish Minister for Education and Science. The site provides bespoke information for users of all ages, including students in secondary school, their parents and Career Guidance professionals.
The portal includes comprehensive, up-to-date information across a range of areas relevant to the career development of young people. Users can review 33 employment sectors, making use of video material and career interviews to explore related occupations, associated courses and any skills shortages. Current job vacancies in each sector are listed daily. The site profiles the typical tasks, skills required, salary information and entry routes linked to over 1000 jobs within an occupational database.
Also available are employer profiles, explaining procedures for recruitment, internships and work experience opportunities. Employee videos and career interviews are presented alongside links to any current vacancies available. These supplement hundreds of jobholder interviews with people employed in Ireland who explain the choices they have made in their careers, the education they received, their current job, what it involves and their advice to others interested in this area.
Students can use the site to help with subject choice through lower and upper secondary education, with the career choices made by hundreds of current employees presented alongside the relevant subjects. Moreover, students can apply for WorkXperience placements advertised by employers on a searchable database alongside a range of related resources for learners, teachers, parents and employers. In addition, users can use the site to find courses that match their interests and aspirations on a searchable database of education and training programmes at upper secondary and tertiary level alongside the points required to assist in determining eligibility for individual courses and signposting alternative progression routes available. Users can find full details furthermore of available Jobs/Current Vacancies, apprenticeships and up-to-date Labour Market Statistics across all sectors and occupations, clearly indicating where the jobs in demand are now or are likely to be in the future.
The site also provides substantial resources for both parents and guardians to support students in making informed career and college decisions and Guidance Professionals who have access to a range of resources and tools that support the delivery of guidance, along with notices for upcoming CPD training and guidance related news and events available nationally. Finally, CareersPortal.ie includes materials for use in secondary schools. Teaching staff have access to teaching resources/programmes, notably through the REACH+ Career and College Preparation Programme). Students are encouraged to create a personal Career Portfolio (Career File) to assist in planning and managing their career development. This includes access to a range of self-assessment tools, enabling users to find out how their interests, personality, skills etc. can connect with different courses and careers. A free eight-page Career Report, which includes job and course matching, can be generated, and printed. Students can create shortlists of courses and occupations which are of interest to them and store them in their digital portfolio for further exploration.
Description of technology
CareersPortal.ie is a website and is designed for desktop and mobile usage. It runs from all modern web browsers and requires no installation on local computers or devices. It uses a range of search tools, videos, and interactive tools to make it as easy as possible for users to do their career research. A broadband internet is recommended to view any multimedia content. An accessibility toolbar facilitates visitors who have difficulty interacting with conventional websites, and features multi-language translation, tools for visually impaired and a text to speech facility. Data stored for those who register with the site is not shared with anyone and complies with GDPR regulations.
How the resource makes career guidance more effective, efficient and/or equitable for students
As the website is freely available to all, and is mobile compatible, it provides ease of use for all those needing or providing career guidance. It helps “level the playing pitch” and provides careers information to those who might not otherwise have the social capital to support their career development. As each user can create their own Career Portfolio (File), and access this from any device at any time, students can use this in a self-directed way to develop their career management skills. The student can also retrieve their information and discuss it with their Guidance Counsellor. This encourages collaboration and meaningful dialogue within the career guidance relationship.
The site is accessible integrating many features including language translation, dyslexia tools, supports for visually impaired and text to voice tools.
Challenges or potential barriers to use
Schools need to be able to access reliable internet to access the website, and the videos and slide shows require access to AV equipment within the school. However, the statistics speak for themselves, and the site is widely used. The population of Ireland is approximately 5 million and in 2022, there were 2.3 million visitors to the site and over 50-million-page impressions. 98% of all final year secondary school students have their own Career (File) Portfolio on the site.
A barrier among some users is the confidence and competence needed to use technology. This is addressed with constant CPD and training for the guidance community who are often the gate keepers of the resource.
The resource is free of charge
Support for users
Daily support is available via email, phone, and social media platforms. A monthly newsletter is disseminated to Guidance Counsellors working across the lifespan.
The site is accessible by all integrating many features including language translation, dyslexia tools, supports for visually impaired and voice to text tools.
Additional details
Has the resource been… | Yes or No? | Description | Link |
…informed by research? | Yes | The development of CareersPortal.ie has been informed by a number of dissertations undertaken on various aspects of the site. See one example from the University of Limerick: | |
…funded by government? | Yes | The site receives funding from a number of government departments and agencies. Funding is also received from many private organisations. The site is also featured on national government websites. | |
…recognized by peers? | Yes | The site has been recognized in publications by Cedefop and the OECD. In 2022, the site won a Public Service Excellence Award in Education. | https://one.oecd.org/document/EDU/WKP(2020)17/En/pdf/ https://cc.careersportal.ie/pdfs/CareersPortal_editorial.pdf/ |
…evaluated? | No |
This resource is government supported.
Disclaimer: This content is provided by the submitting organisation.
