Join forces
The Career Research Network is a network for researchers in the Netherlands and in Flanders . The aim of the network is to join forces and strengthen relations by forming a scientific expertise group in the field of career development, career coaching and career management. Kuijpers: “Through this network we want to make the research into career development more visible and we want to help each other in our research and education activities. At the same time we want to support each other in the exchange of knowledge and expertise with practice and with policy makers, and in giving advice to the politicians.”
Meaning and talent development
Politicians are increasingly interested in careers as a way to give meaning to live, in talent development and in contributing to society instead of economic growth. Education and practice are looking to connect in order to realise this. Labour organisations have questions as to how employees could be stimulated to keep developing themselves and what are the considerations that make them decide to do so or not. Is it for example possible to think of structures that activate people ‘automatically’ to personal development? The CRN wants to contribute to these developments with their research.
Research themes
Research by CRN researchers focuses on questions like: how can individuals find and keep (fitting) work, how can they attain sustainable employability, with a good work-privacy balance, developing themselves and avoiding burnouts. The perspective of the individual, of the work organisation as well as education and labour market will be addressed.
Young network
In the three months since the announcement of the initiative in January 2017 35 researchers from the Netherlands and Flanders have joined the network. The network meets from time to time to discuss a topic. The topic of the April meeting for example was career research in the future. Main goal of these meetings is to exchange information and ideas and look for collaboration opportunities.
Update
In 2021 the CRN ceased to exist.