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- Using the Norwegian Quality Framework in an International Partnership: Applying the Career Buttons in Practice
Using the Norwegian Quality Framework in an International Partnership: Applying the Career Buttons in Practice
Discover how career professionals in the Netherlands and Denmark are bringing the Norwegian career buttons to life—using them to spark creativity, deepen guidance practice, and redefine career learning across borders.
By Jouke Post, researcher at Saxion University of Applied Sciences and career expert at James, a career division of the trade union CNV, the Netherlands
Background: Why the Quality Framework and the Career Buttons?
Our international partnership—consisting of James (career agency of CNV, Netherlands), Saxion University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), and HK Karrieretelefonen (Denmark)—received an Erasmus+ grant to explore and implement the Norwegian career competencies model, known as the career buttons, into our professional practice.
We were particularly drawn to this part of the Norwegian Quality Framework because of its resonance with the Dutch use of the lemniscate to describe career development as a continuous field of tension and movement. The openness, creativity, and conceptual flexibility of the career buttons offered exactly the balance between structure and freedom we were looking for.
Our goal was clear:
Translate the career buttons into concrete career guidance practice across Denmark and the Netherlands, and learn from each other along the way.
What We Did: Translating the Buttons Into Daily Practice
Each partner developed its own distinctive approach to working with the buttons. Below is an example from James (Netherlands), where we designed a 30‑week professional learning programme, structured as follows:
- Six weeks per button, covering all five career buttons
- A printed booklet and physical material buttons as learning tools
- Weekly inputs for professionals, varying in format:
- A theoretical introduction
- A podcast with a colleague
- A practical translation into guidance methods
- Inspiration from Denmark
- A concluding exchange meeting for all participants
By March 2026, we have reached the third button: “Choice and Chance”, and we will complete the full cycle in June 2026, ending with the fifth button “Adaptation and Resistance.”
The Danish and Dutch partners each apply the buttons differently, but the shared learning space is what drives the project forward.
What We Learned: Outcomes and Reflections
Working continuously with the buttons has revealed how powerfully they connect to central themes in career guidance—both theoretically and practically. Weekly engagement fosters a deepened understanding and enriches our existing career services.
The paradoxical nature of the five buttons requires professionals to think and act in new ways. They deliberately “stretch the mind,” offering a conceptual openness that sparks creativity, experimentation, and reflective practice.
Key benefits so far include:
- A strong and inspiring collaboration between Denmark and the Netherlands
- A shared framework for innovation
- Development of a new career check for workers in the Netherlands, where the buttons form an essential component
For many of us, the career buttons have shifted how we understand career learning and guidance.
Tips for Others Wanting to Do Something Similar
Based on our experience, here are five practical recommendations:
- Start with the original Norwegian descriptions from the Quality Framework—they form a solid foundation.
- Approach the buttons with openness and playfulness. They work best when not over-structured.
- Feel free to create your own ways of using them. This was emphasized by Tonje Gravås and Rie Thomsen during our study visit in Copenhagen.
- Preserve the creative spirit. Avoid turning the model into a strict protocol or checklist.
- Take your time—work “button by button.” Let each one unfold and settle into your practice before moving on.
Next Steps: Where We Go From Here
We look forward to welcoming our Danish partners to a study visit in Utrecht in June 2026, where we will exchange experiences and present our different methods of using the buttons.
Another promising development is the integration of the career buttons into the career counsellor education at Saxion University of Applied Sciences in Deventer. Teaching future professionals to navigate these five “fields of tension” is both innovative and aligned with the evolving needs of the sector.
We expect the career buttons to continue inspiring us long after this project ends—and new ideas for future collaborations are already emerging. This project has left us wanting more.
