Toward a policy for lifelong career development: A transatlantic perspective

A revolution in the structures of work is taking place in most advanced industrialized countries. This article suggests that giving new meanings to the concept of ''career'' is one of the keys to economic success and social harmony in the new postindustrial society. It argues that a number of new social ligatures are needed to make the new concept of career accessible to all. One of these ligatures is lifelong access to career counseling. This article outlines a strategy developed in the United Kingdom for achieving such access and analyzes its cautious application of market and quasi-market principles to career counseling provision.