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12University of Dubrovnik; University of Osijek; and the Institute for Social Research - Centrefor Educational Research and Development• EU partner institutions: Cracow University of Technology, Poland; Nicolaus Copernicus Universityin Torun, Poland; and the University of Bristol, United Kingdom.The following text will explain the reasons why such a project was undertaken and will definethe scope and main activities as well as expected results of the project.1.1. Background of the project: Problem descriptionThe main impetus for the project “CAREER: Platform for Career Advice Centres in Croatia” was thepresence of two problems in Croatian higher education: the need for Croatian higher education tofurther develop student support services; and the need for Croatian higher education to developstronger systematic links with the labour market.Several indicators demonstrate the extent of these problems in the Croatian higher educationsystem. The indicators that are internal to the Croatian higher education system are, onthe one hand, an alarmingly high drop-out rate of students (as only 46% of enrolled studentsgraduate) and, on the other hand, a drawn-out studying period of Croatian students (the averagetime for completion of an undergraduate degree in Croatia is 7 years, a period sufficient forcompletion of a doctoral programme in many EU countries). The indicators that are external tothe higher education system are Croatia’s markedly low percentage of higher-educated citizenry(7.82%; EU average: 20%), Croatia’s high unemployment rate (18.7%) and the absence of stronglinks between universities and the job market, which has (as one of its negative consequences)the result of making it difficult for students to find work upon graduation.A specific problem in Croatian higher education, that combines the above-mentioned internaland external aspects, is that there is currently no institutionalised information and advisingservices for students on opportunities on the labour market at Croatian universities. The absenceof such student services results in a student population which launches into unfocused study and,as a consequence, has vague career goals and underdeveloped employability. Such a situationcontributes in turn to wider problems such as those highlighted above, which affect Croatia as awhole. Therefore, a measure that could address the identified problems would be the establishmentof career advising services as an integral part of Croatian universities’ structures.Career advising services have the aim of assisting students in arriving at and implementingdecisions about their future. The main types of activities undertaken by career advising servicesare typically:1. Personalised orientation on academic or professional paths2. Information resources on academic, employment and work experience opportunities3. Training workshops for developing employabilityThe significance of career advising services is that, on the one hand, they provide the universitywith a student-oriented service supplying crucial information and advice for students toCAREER: Creating a platform for launching career advising services in Croatian universities