EMINA Career Guidance Foundation

How Smart Jobs is Supporting Professionals and Organisations Across Europe? Find the answer and learn more about the project in this new article at https://smartjobsproject.eu/how-smart-jobs-is-supporting-professionals-and-organisations-across-europe

Onboarding in practice: aligning professional approaches with real experience

Starting a new job comes with many expectations but the reality of the first weeks can vary significantly from one experience to another.

EMINA Foundation invites employability professionals and individuals who have recently started a new job or experienced multiple job transitions in Hungary to take part in a joint focus group discussion within the Smart Jobs project.

💬 This session creates a space for direct exchange between those who design onboarding processes and those who experience them, to explore:
• real challenges during onboarding
• practical strategies that have proven effective
• factors that influence early adaptation in a new workplace
• how AI-based tools could support these processes

🎯 Why join?
• Take part in a unique mixed-group discussion combining professional and lived perspectives
• Gain insights rarely captured in traditional consultations
• Support the development of tools that respond to real needs

📍Harmonia Palace Budapest
📆30 April 2026 | 15:00–18:00

🔗Register by 27 April 2026: https://forms.gle/WMBsrot7GHzavQwb7

On 17 March 2026, EMINA Foundation held the second focus group meeting within the Smart Jobs Project, engaging job-seekers and recent hires from Hungary.

The session focused on real-life experiences of starting a new job - a key transition period that can feel both exciting and challenging. Participants reflected on what helped them feel confident and supported, as well as the difficulties they encountered when adapting to a new workplace.

The conversation centred around several important aspects:
• factors that help newcomers feel welcomed and supported in their first weeks,
• elements that make onboarding clear, engaging, and effective,
• common challenges faced when entering a new work environment,
• the role of communication, training, and organisational culture,
• ideas for improving the overall onboarding experience.

Participants shared their personal journeys, highlighting practical onboarding challenges and key factors influencing motivation and retention. Many underlined the importance of supportive manager and a positive team atmosphere.

There was a strong preference for simple, engaging onboarding approaches, including mentor-led introductions, job shadowing, micro-learning formats, and short video materials. The discussion also touched upon internships as entry points to employment, the importance of communication skills and the value of employer-supported well-being initiatives.

The insights gathered offer a valuable perspective for the Smart Jobs project, helping to better understand the needs of young employees and improve future tools and methodologies for career support.

The EMINA Foundation conducted a focus group meeting with labour market experts on 13 March as part of the Smart Jobs project.

The meeting brought together professionals from the fields of HR management, onboarding, recruitment, organisational psychology, and career consultancy, creating a space for in-depth discussion on current workplace challenges and future workforce needs in the Hungarian labour market.

👥 The experts explored several key topics, including:
• current onboarding challenges faced by companies in Hungary,
• existing HR capability gaps and emerging labour-market needs,
• ways training and professional development can strengthen HR practices,
• the potential of AI tools to automate processes and improve long-term business continuity.

💬 During the discussion, experts shared their practical experiences and best practices that have proven effective in real organisational settings. Attendees also proposed strategic recommendations that can support employability professionals, HR practitioners, and career guidance specialists in responding to evolving labour-market demands.

📊 The focus group meeting provided valuable insights for the Smart Jobs project, as the ideas and experiences shared will contribute to the development of upcoming project outputs, helping shape innovative tools and methodologies for smarter career support across Europe.

🌐 The Smart Jobs website is now live!

🔗 We are pleased to share the official website of the project at https://smartjobsproject.eu

The website is the place to learn more about our project and follow its progress over the coming months.

On the website you can discover the project’s objectives, meet the partner organisations, and keep up to date with our activities and results as they unfold.

Take a look and follow our journey as we work to support more effective and future-oriented VET and employability services across Europe!

Preparatory meeting in Krakow for the Youth Launch Lab project

Between 6–8 February 2026, representatives of the partner organisations met in Krakow, Poland for the Advance Planning Visit of the Youth Launch Lab Erasmus+ youth exchange. Hungary was represented by participants delegated by the EMINA Career Guidance Foundation

During the meeting, partners finalised the programme structure, discussed learning methods and clarified organisational details for the upcoming youth exchange that will take place 14–21 March 2026 in Poronin, in the Tatra Mountains.

The project will bring together 36 young people from Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania and Spain, creating a dynamic space to explore entrepreneurial thinking, project development and social innovation through workshops, creative labs and intercultural activities.

The APV was an important step to ensure a high-quality learning experience and smooth cooperation between partners ahead of the youth exchange.

📍 Senior HR & Employability Professionals Focus Group Meeting | Budapest

EMINA Foundation invites senior HR professionals, employment agency representatives, public employment officers and career guidance experts to join a strategic Focus group within the Smart Jobs project.

The discussion will identify key competences, skills gaps and professional standards needed to strengthen employability services and onboarding support, directly informing a new training programme, updated curriculum and digital support tools.

Why join?
— Contribute to defining future professional standards
— Exchange perspectives with senior colleagues
— Receive priority consideration for the Training Programme in Rome
— Get early access to project materials and tools

📍 Harmonia Palace Budapest
📅 13 March 2026 | 🕑 16:00–19:00

Limited places available.

Register by 6 March 2026: https://forms.gle/snUqHM5DNksBcgZL6

For enquiries: [email protected]

📍 Real experiences of starting a new job – Focus group meeting | Budapest

EMINA Foundation invites job-seekers and recent hires residing in Hungary to join a moderated Focus group within the Smart Jobs project.

The discussion will explore what works well, what is challenging, and what could be improved during the first weeks at a new job, directly informing better support, guidance, and practical tools for future employees.

Why join?
— Learn from others who have recently started a job and share your own experiences
— Contribute to improving onboarding and workplace support
— Help shape practical tools and guidance for job-seekers and new hires

📍 Harmonia Palace Budapest
📅 17 March 2026 | 🕑 14:00–17:00

Limited places available.

Register by 6 March 2026: https://forms.gle/GMqCxBYbxuQpxAU7A

For enquiries: [email protected]

The EMINA Foundation is pleased to announce that the kick-off meeting of the Smart Jobs Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership project took place in early February, officially launching the three-year project coordinated by EMINA.

With a total budget of €400,000, Smart Jobs brings together a strong consortium of organisations committed to enhancing youth employability and developing innovative career support practices across Europe.

🌍 Our project partners include:
🇧🇪 European Vocational Training Association - EVTA
🇮🇹 Studio Saperessere
🇳🇱 Endurance, the training company
🇮🇹 FPA - FORUM PA

👥 During the kick-off meeting, partners established a common framework for cooperation and agreed on the initial work plan and upcoming deliverables.

📅 Planned activities under the Smart Jobs partnership include:
• comprehensive research and analysis of current labour-market needs and emerging skills gaps,
• co-creation of innovative tools and methodologies supporting smart career planning,
• capacity-building activities for youth workers and career practitioners,
• implementation of local pilot activities and workshops across partner countries,
• international knowledge-sharing events and dissemination actions.

The project now proceeds to its implementation phase, with local activities starting soon as each partner organisation prepares to engage with their communities and stakeholders.

🔗 Learn more about the SMART JOBS project here:
https://eminafoundation.eu/smart-jobs

🔹 Find the project updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/smart-jobs-project

📘 New publication from the Create the Moment project: we are happy to share that the Create the Moment handbook has now been published. The handbook brings together the key methodologies, learning approaches, and practical tools developed and tested during the project.

The publication focuses on improvisation, body movement, flow theory, and creative expression in youth work, offering concrete exercises and reflections that support personal development, emotional awareness, teamwork, and non-verbal communication. Drawing from real project activities, it translates experiential learning methods into a structured resource that can be used by youth workers, trainers, and educators in diverse settings.

This handbook is both a reflection of the project’s journey and a practical guide for those who wish to integrate creativity, movement, and presence into their educational and youth work practice.

The Create the Moment project is coordinated by EMINA Foundation and co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the 🇪🇺 European Union. The project was partnered by
🇦🇲 Armenian Centre for Cultural Relations and Development
🇦🇹 Austrian Association for Cultural Relations
🇫🇮 Association for Cultural Relations Finland
🇫🇷 Association des Relations Culturelles
🇬🇪 Georgian Association for Cultural Relations
🇬🇷 Active Green Solution
🇭🇺 EMINA Career Guidance Foundation
🇺🇦 Forward for Future

Access the handbook from the project website https://eminafoundation.eu/create-the-moment or directly athttp://eminafoundation.eu/Publications/Create_the_Moment-Handbook.pdf