The third ‘International symposium on career development and public policy’, held in Sydney in April 2006, was entitled ‘Shaping the future: connecting career development and work development’. This article introduces the Symposium and its focus on the connections between career development and workforce development. It outlines the intended purpose of the meeting and the economic, social and political backdrop against which it has been convened, highlighting the view that career development should be a key element of policies facilitating workforce development, lifelong learning, active employment, and social equity and inclusion. It provides some detail on the issues to be examined in terms of the role of career development (human capital, labour supply, employability skills, career development services for workforce development, older workers, and the information base for public policy making) and notes three challenges for Symposium participants: (1) how to create lifelong guidance systems that develop career self-management skills, in addition to support for immediate occupational or educational decision making; (2) how to find cost effective ways to expand citizens’ access to career development services; and (3) how to improve the database for public policy making.