Towards Future Careers: Meeting Career Demands and Advancing Sustainability through Ecosystem Collaboration (ToFuCa)

Funders

The ToFuCa consortium project is funded by the Research Council of Finland (decision number, University of Jyväskylä: 376990 / University of Eastern Finland: 376995). The project will be carried out in collaboration between the University of Jyväskylä and the University of Eastern Finland during 2026–2030.

Objectives

The ToFuCa project examines how sustainable careers are built in a changing world of work. It looks at careers from three perspectives: the individual, the organization, and society. Particular attention is paid to how changes in working life, such as increasing competence demands, career shocks, digitalization, the green transition, and demographic change, affect employability, productivity, and well-being. The aim is to produce knowledge and solutions that can support sustainable careers in different life situations and across different sectors.

Target Groups

The project is relevant to a wide range of groups, including employees, employers, HR professionals, supervisors, working life developers, career guidance professionals, and decision-makers. The research will also provide useful knowledge for labour market organizations, actors involved in education and lifelong learning, and everyone interested in the future of work and the sustainability of careers.

Implementation

The project is divided into four work packages:

• WP1: A large-scale survey study will examine how employees in different sectors experience career demands, career shocks, and career resilience, and how these are connected to well-being, employability, and productivity.
• WP2: The project will investigate in three case organizations how leadership, HR practices, and everyday workplace life support or hinder sustainable careers.
• WP3: Policy documents and social media discussions will be analyzed to understand how sustainable careers are discussed in society and what kinds of solutions are proposed.
• WP4: The research findings will be brought together and further developed with stakeholders in a seminar aimed at building a shared understanding of how sustainable careers can be promoted.

Results

The project will generate new research-based knowledge on how careers can be supported in a changing working life. The results will include practical recommendations for organizations, working life actors, and decision-makers. In addition, the project will develop a comprehensive model of how individuals, organizations, and society can work together to promote sustainable careers.

Additional Information

Professor Pia Heilmann
[email protected]
+358 50 476 3104