Introduction; Anchoring Career Guidance in the Mediterranean? In Search of Southern Perspectives; Contexts; Contexts Matter: Factors Influencing Career Guidance in the Mediterranean Countries; Debunking Myths Surrounding Women's Careers in the Arab Region: A Critical Reflexive Approach; Career Guidance: Perspectives from Islam and from Muslim Cultures; Syrian Refugees in Jordan: Providing Career Guidance Services and Enhancing Access to Employment; The Maghreb; Educational and Career Guidance in Morocco: Vision, Plans and Projects; Education and Career Guidance in Algeria: Recurrent Dysfunctions; Careers Information and Guidance in Tunisia: Institutional and Societal Challenges; Career Guidance in Libya: Small Steps Forward, Still a Long Way to Go; Youth Education and Guidance for Employment in Libya: An Evolving Scenario; The Mashrek; Career Guidance in Egypt: Partnership in International Cooperation for National Development; Exploration Process and Future Plans of Arabs and Jewish Israeli Young Adults: Implications for Career Interventions; Career Education and Guidance Under Occupation in Palestine: Factors Affecting Young People's Aspirations; Career Development Services in Jordan: International Consultants Review Past Efforts and Future Prospects; Career Services in Syrian Higher Education: Policy Articulations; The Lebanese Education System: Heavy on Career Orientation, Light on Career Guidance; Career Counselling Services in Turkey: Building on the Past and Constructing the Future; The Saudi Experiment with Career Guidance: Borrowing Policy and Managing the Clash of Context and Theory; South Europe; Career Counselling and Guidance in Greece: Past, Present and Future; Guidance and Counselling in Cyprus: Multiple Roles, Challenges and Achievements; Career Education and Guidance in Malta: Development and Outlook; Career Guidance in Multicultural Contexts: An Italian Case Study; Young Adults of Maghrebi Descent in France: Guidance and the Challenges to Educational and Labour Market Integration; Guidance in Catalan Secondary Education: Main Features and Challenges in a Spanish Region; Career Education and Guidance Services in Portugal: Deeds and Needs; Conclusion; Futures for Career Education and Guidance in the Mediterranean? Implications, Challenges, and Prospects; Notes on Contributors.

Perhaps no other challenge preoccupies governments and citizens in the Mediterranean region than the mass unemployment of young people, many of who have invested in higher education in the hope that ability and effort lead to fulfilling lives. Transitions to independent adulthood are, however, frustratingly long drawn-out, and often jeopardised by labour markets that are neither youth-friendly nor meritocratic. While such challenges require structural responses at the macro-economic level, career education and guidance have an important role to play in addressing both the public and private good, and in furthering the social justice agenda. This volume provides a state-of-the-art review of career education and guidance in Southern Europe and the Middle East and North Africa Region, presenting a multi-faceted portrayal of the situation in each country as well as overviews of cross-cutting themes that are especially relevant to context, such as women's career development in the Arab states, job placement support for refugees, and the impact of faith on livelihood planning.
"This book is a major achievement, focusing on a pivotal part of the world." - Tony Watts, Cambridge, UK
"This book challenges career guidance to truly think in a contextual, localised, plural and dialogical way. In providing an opportunity for the South to speak on its own terms it helps renew the field through different ways of thinking and doing career guidance."
- Marcelo Afonso Ribeiro, University of São Paulo, Brazil
"This wonderful new book furnishes a way forward in helping people and communities establish practices that will support our natural striving for work that is decent, dignified, and meaningful."
- David L. Blustein, Boston College, USA
"This book is packed with fresh ideas based on lucid arguments that draw from a substantial evidence base. This work is essential reading." - Gideon Arulmani, The Promise Foundation, Bangalore, India
"This publication is a must-read for every individual involved in policy, research and practice activities in the career guidance field." - Rènette du Toit, Independent Research Services, South Africa