Professional guidance is of great importance to individuals and society, comprising a package of services and professional procedures used to identify the potentials, interests and competences of the client in order to reach decisions on education, training and employment, including the management of professional development. The development of professional guidance is intrinsically connected to the contribution of psychologists and represents one of the first fields of applied psychology in Croatia. The Vocational Counselling Centre was established in 1931, providing services since 1932. The Centre’s service was based on providing multidisciplinary professional support and represented the beginning of youth counselling services, along with the development of psychological tests for professional guidance. The influence of societal changes significantly impacted the development of professional guidance. The organizational and professional aspects were primarily connected to the Croatian Employment service. Relevant European organizations acknowledged these activities in the fields of employment, education and professional guidance, with an emphasis on fair practice, particularly in relation to youth activities. Contemporary approaches include the concept of lifelong professional guidance and the development of competencies in career management, particularly during the transitional periods in a person’s life. The cooperation between all partners in the public, private and non-government sectors in necessary in order to facilitate the development of information and counselling services to suit the client, along with the evaluation and advancement of the professional guidance programme.

lifelong professional guidance; professional support; development of career management competencies