European Social Fund Research Articles

Katharina Zimmermann (2019), Local Policies and the European Social Fund: Employment Policies Across Europe, £75.00, pp. 224, hbk.

Katharina Zimmermann (2019), Local Policies and the European Social Fund: Employment Policies Across Europe, £75.00, pp. 224, hbk.

Effects of actual and perceived financial literacy skills on financial well-being at retirement

THE AIMS OF THE PAPER
 Studies have not explained fully how financial literacy, decision making skills and the diverse forms of financial literacy overconfidence interact with each other to explain households’ actual and perceived financial well-being at retirement. This study aims to map the interactions among these constructs within the elderly population.
 METHODOLOGY
 In the framework of a larger assessment on subjective well-being and its antecedents at retirement, three hundred retired people between the age of 65 and 85 filled out a questionnaire in their home in Hungary in March 2019.
 MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS
 Elderly people are overconfident in their financial literacy skills both on absolut and relative levels. Percieved financial literacy is a better predictor of financial situation than actual financial literacy. However, financial literacy overconficence relative to others harms elderly people’s financial situation. Subjective financial well-being is mainly driven by the actual financial situation. Decision making skills play an important role in the calibration of financial literacy skills and have an additional direct effect on the subjective level of financial well-being. Our outcomes reinforce that it is indeed worth promoting programs helping elderly people acquiring domain-specific financial knowledge. These programs may lead to better financial situation and higher self-efficacy. Moreover, our findings imply that it would be worthwhile for programs to concentrate on the calibration of financial knowledge vis-á-vis others.
 RECOMMENDATIONS
 To complement the mainstream literature, the study examines the forms of overconfidence and their effects on financial well-being separately and concentrates on the elderly population.
 Acknowledgements: The project was financed by the European Social Fund: Comprehensive Development for Implementing Smart Specialization Strategies at the University of Pecs (EFOP-3.6.1.- 16-2016-00004). Declarations of interest: none.

Community health workers and culturally competent home care in Belgium: A realist evaluation.

This qualitative study investigates through a realist evaluation how the work training programme of 10 community health workers (CHWs) contributed to culturally competent home care services. A European Social Fund project trained 10 jobseekers with migration backgrounds to become CHWs in Brussels (Belgium). Three research questions were formulated: (a) What increase in the cultural competence of the home care organisations can be identified at the end of the project? (b) How did the training contribute to this increase? (c) Which factors and preconditions made the positive outcomes of the training more likely? This study analysed 10 mid-term interviews with individual CHWs in training and four focus groups at the end of the project with CHWs, care employees, trainers and project coordinators (N=25). First, the results showed that the increase in cultural competence was located mostly on the surface structure of the organisation (e.g. adapting communication materials) and not in its deeper structure. Second, the principles of strengths-based education proved to be important during the training (e.g. getting to know, recognise and address the competences and skills of the CHWs). Third, contextual factors at the micro-level (e.g. interest in care and cultures), the exo-level (e.g. management culture) and the macro-level (e.g. policy regulations) could foster or hinder the process of increasing cultural competence. This paper concludes that although the project contributed to a shift in organisational culture towards cultural competence, it remains challenging to effect a similar shift in the deep structure of care organisations.

Sex differences in predictors of relationship satisfaction: The effects of dyadic coping, love, sexual motivation and having children

The project has been supported by the European Union and co-financed by the European Social Fund (EFOP-3.6.1.-16-2016-00004 - Comprehensive Development for Implementing Smart Specialization Strategies at the University of Pecs).

Prognostic significance of novel serum biomarkers in patients with acute coronary syndrome

Abstract Background As oxygen and nutrient supply to the myocardium significantly decrease during ischemic periods, important changes occur regarding myocardial intermediary energy metabolism and metabolomic biomarkers. Purpose To identify patients at high risk for adverse cardiovascular (CV) events based on their metabolic signatures through combining clinical characteristics with established and novel biomarkers. Hence, we investigated the prognostic significance of protein biomarkers associated with CAD, namely Galectin-3, Adiponectin, Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and Apolipoprotein B and A-1 (ApoB and A-1). Methods We conducted a sub-analysis of the Corlipid trial (NCT04580173) including patients who underwent coronary angiography in the cardiac catheterization laboratory of an academic tertiary hospital. Venous fasting blood samples were collected prior to coronary angiography and patients were followed-up for 12 months to record the occurrence of major adverse CV events. Galectin-3, adiponectin, NGAL and ApoB/A-1 ratio were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in patients' venous blood samples. Serum concentrations were compared among CAD patient subgroups to assess the prognostic significance of these novel protein biomarkers in terms of cardiovascular mortality. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were also performed to calculate the corresponding area under the curve (AUC) for each biomarker and define their prognostic validity for patients with CAD. Results Out of 1140 total participants of the CorLipid trial, 534 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were finally included in the present analysis. Of them, 222 suffered from STEMI, 170 from NSTEMI and 141 from unstable angina. Higher ApoB/ApoA-1 and Galectin-3 serum concentrations were significantly linked with higher incidence of CV death in patients with NSTEMI during the one-year study follow up (p=0.049 and 0.027, respectively). Generated AUC of 0.713 (p=0.047) and 0.775 (p=0.002) indicate a potential utility in the quantification of those proteins as predictors of CV death in patients with NSTEMI. Analysis of serum adiponectin values did not yield any significant outcome (p>0.05). Lower NGAL concentrations were significantly correlated with CV death in patients with STEMI (p<0.001). The corresponding AUC of 0.824 (p=0.003) demonstrated that NGAL could be a prognostic biomarker of great sensitivity and specificity, potently capable to identify STEMI patients with increased risk of CV mortality. Conclusion(s) In patients with ACS, higher values of serum ApoB/ApoA-I and Galectin-3, as well as low NGAL concentrations were associated with higher prevalence of CV death in specific patient subgroups. Therefore, these serum biomarkers could be utilized for early risk-stratification and a more individualized approach in patients with ACS. Larger trials are warranted to confirm and bolster the significance and generalizability of our findings. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – EU funding. Main funding source(s): The specific project has been co-financed through the call for Proposals for the Action “Competitiveness, entrepreneurship & innovation” in the framework of the Operational Programme “Research, Create, Innovate” (project code: T1EDK-04005) of the Partnership Agreement for the Development Programme 2014-2020 by the European Social Fund (ESF) and Greek National funds. The project has undergone peer review and has been approved for funding, being awarded a grant of €873,821.00. The funder had no role in the design or conduct of the study, preparation, review or approval of the manuscript and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Post-marathon decline in right ventricular radial motion component among amateur sportsmen

Abstract Introduction Running the marathon may be followed by post-exercise “cardiac fatigue” manifesting as transient right ventricular (RV) systolic and diastolic impairment. It is the thin-walled RV that is predominantly affected by the exercise-induced overload, with little if any, impact on the left ventricle (LV) [1]. The 2-D echocardiographic (ECHO) assessment of RV is challenging and may be incomplete since conventional measures reflect only the longitudinal motion (displacement of tricuspid annulus towards the apex) [2]. The mechanics of RV can be separated into two more components, anteroposterior (stretching RV wall by contracting septum) and radial (internal relocation of the RV free wall) [2]. The significance and relative contribution of motion components to global RV function may not be equal, and their interplay can vary depending on concomitant diseases [3]. Purpose We aimed to analyse the pathophysiology of RV exhaustion associated with a marathon run with 3-D ECHO, which allows precise estimation of all RV motion components and their contribution to RV global function. Methods The study included 34 healthy males (mean age of 40±8 years), amateurs, who finished the marathon in northern Poland. The 3-D ECHO was performed 2 weeks before (stage I), at the marathon finish line (stage II) and 2 weeks after the competition (stage III). According to the ReVISION method (Right ventricular separate wall motion quantification) the global RV function was decomposed to longitudinal (L_), anteroposterior (AP_) and radial (R_) [3]. By dividing componential ejection fractions (EF) with global RV EF, L_EFi, AP_EFi, and R_EFi ratios were obtained. Results When comparing results from stage I and III there were no significant differences (Table 1). The analysis revealed post-run decline in RV EF with no changes in LV EF. The quantification of the RV motion components showed reduction in R_EF after the marathon with no changes in AP_EF or L_EF. The relative contribution of componential EF to global RV function were permanent and was not influenced by the competition. Conclusions Marathon run resulted in transient RV dysfunction arising from decline in radial shortening. Noteworthy, the componential interplay between wall motion compartments was preserved in pre- and post-run assessment. The ReVISION method enables the comprehensive analysis of the competing RV. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – EU funding. Main funding source(s): The study was supported by the project POWR.03.05.00-00-z082/18 co-financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund under the Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development 2014–2020

Echocardiographic recovery changes in patients supported with veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenator and weaning success

Abstract Introduction The weaning from veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) decision involves a meticulous evaluation of different factors, among which echocardiography is a decisive factor. Purpose Evaluate echocardiographic changes from the beginning of the support to the weaning test. Methods Analysis of VA-ECMO cases in a referral hospital which completed a weaning test. We evaluated the changes of echocardiographic parameters during the VA-ECMO support (initial and during weaning test) and successful weaning (survival >24h after explant and no mortality from cardiogenic shock/heart failure or cardiac arrest during admission). Results 85 out of 134 VA-ECMO patients were included from 2013 to Oct-2020 (table 1.1). Successful weaning was achieved in 61.2% and final survival at discharge 49.4%. We observed a significant increase in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular outflow tract time–velocity integral (LVOT VTI), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and the percentage of patients with normal qualitative right ventricular function and 1:1 aortic valve opening from the initial to the weaning echocardiography (table 1.2), without significant changes in ventricular diameters. Among these changes, the increase in LVOT VTI was the only parameter that was related to weaning success (p=0.037, table 1.2). A higher LVEF increase from the initial value showed a trend to greater successful VA-ECMO disconnection (p=0.053 table 1.2). Conclusion Left and right ventricular function parameters improved significantly from baseline to weaning test echocardiography in VA-ECMO supported patients. Of these changes, the increase in LVOT VTI was related to successful disconnection from VA-ECMO and the LVEF improvement showed a trend to weaning success. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): Instituto de Salud Carlos III in Spain (Co-funded by European Social Fund “Investing in your future”). Characteristics ECMO-VA patients

Similarity matrices applied to differentiate between Lombard and natural speech

The study aims to present a method of evaluating speech quality in noise and interference conditions based on similarity matrices. For that purpose, sets of words recorded in the presence of disturbing signals along with their clean counterparts are used. First, it is checked to what extent a correct alignment of signals with and without the Lombard effect is important when self-similarity matrices are utilized in the process of feature discerning. Then, self-similarity matrices based on the acoustic parameters concerning speech prosody and alignment are built. Next, a correlation check is performed for feature redundancy. Based on a reduced set of parameters, 2D maps of acoustic features are created for visualization purposes. This is also performed as the cross-check between different languages with and without Lombard speech. Analyses performed shown that self-similarity matrices may be applied for differentiating speech modified by the Lombard effect and non-Lombard utterances. This research is funded by the European Social Fund under the No 09.3.3-LMT-K-712 “Development of Competences of Scientists, other Researchers and Students through Practical Research Activities” measure.

An age-representative exploration of pro-social behavior: human generosity-offerings, expectations, and fairness

THE AIM OF THE PAPER Fairness and other-regarding preferences arguably are defining factors of the experiments conducted with dictator games, which provide an opportunity to examine the components of pro-sociality. Our analysis focuses on the experimental results suggesting that offerings and expectations are based on egalitarian behavior. Besides that, we attempted to explore the age-specific characteristics of hypothetical dictator games. METHODOLOGY We used survey data of an age-representative sample to measure how the results support previous research findings stating that generosity and its age-related aspects play a crucial role in the formation of human decisions and expectations. MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS Our results confirmed the dominance of hyper-fair behavior. However, significant differences were found across the dictator game variants in terms of the amounts of money marked. Subjects in cases of charity-offering, recipient-offering, and expectation give lower amounts on average compared to recipient-offerings and fairness, respectively. In contrast, the marked amounts are higher for recipient-offerings than for expectations with the absence of any significant age-effect. Acknowledgements: The project was financed by the European Social Fund: Comprehensive Development for Implementing Smart Specialization Strategies at the University of Pecs (EFOP-3.6.1.- 16-2016-00004). Declarations of interest: none.

VaxxStance@IberLEF 2021: Overview of the Task on Going Beyond Text in Cross-Lingual Stance Detection

This work has been partially supported by the European Social Fund through the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI 2019) and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (DeepReading RTI2018-096846-B-C21, MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE), and by the DeepText project (KK-2020/00088), funded by the Basque Government. Rodrigo Agerri is also funded by the RYC-2017-23647 fellowship.

Employee training and firm performance: Evidence from ESF grant applications

As work changes, firm-provided training may be particularly relevant. However, there is little causal evidence about the effects of training on firms. This paper studies a large training grants programme supported by the European Social Fund, contrasting firms in Portugal that received the grants and others that also applied but were unsuccessful. Combining several rich data sets, we compare a large number of potential outcomes of these firms, while following them over several years both before and after the grant decision. Our difference-in-differences models estimate significant positive effects on take up (training hours and expenditure), with limited deadweight; and that such additional training led to increased sales, value added, employment, productivity, and exports. These effects tend to be of at least 5% and, in some cases, 10% or more, and are robust in multiple dimensions.

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING – A SNAPSHOT OF EMPLOYEES’ LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE

Introduction: The EU strategy “Europe 2020” sets up the instruments and targets for better educational levels and training as social dialogue, awareness-levels raising, law enforcement in the field of EU and national legislation. There are efficient resource interactions with other policy areas such as public health and education. EU funds, such as the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Program for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI), will support the application of rules relating to health and safety at work. Purpose of this study is analysis and evaluation of the employees, knowledge about health and safety at the workplace and how effective were the conducted OHS training. Tasks: Defining the level of awareness of workers for possibilities of health damage at work. Measuring the level of OSH training support for the implementation of preventive approaches to health protection in the workflow. Studying the preliminary psychological attitude towards OHS training both for employers and employees. Method: Survey through a questionnaire held among workers and employees in several branches of the private sector. Results: The study provides summarized information on several subjects: workers’ knowledge about dangerous hazards in their own working environment; adherence of the safety at work rules; proper use of personal protective equipment and specific work protective equipment; types of training, outreach and education the employees have undergone; levels of basic knowledge of the law and regulations related to OHS; most common methods of OHS training and education and their interpretation for safety and health at work. Conclusions: Most workers are well aware of the health risks at their workplaces. All of them have passed at least one educational course related to OHS. More than 2/3 of the respondents have participated in several types of training. Workers have a basic knowledge of Bulgarian employment law, but it’s incomplete and can be extended to a better degree. The most common reason for participating in Health and Safety at work training is obligatory both by law or higher management of the company. There is a high need to supplement the OHS legislation.

Covert Prejudice and Discourses of Otherness During the Refugee Crisis: A Case Study of the Greek Islands’ Press

This research is co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Social Fund- ESF) through the Operational Programme «Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning 2014-2020» in the context of the project “Discourses on Otherness and New Forms of Prejudice During the Refugee Crisis: A Case Study of the Greek Islands’ Press” (MIS 5048137).

A Partial Least-Square Mediation Analysis of the Contribution of Cross-Campus Entrepreneurship Education to Students’ Entrepreneurial Intentions

The present paper presents findings of entrepreneurial intentions of a group of 313 undergraduate students of the University of Oradea, Romania, from different non-economic fields of study (engineering, health, social sciences, mathematics, natural sciences, humanities, and arts), including students from rural areas and other disadvantaged groups enrolled in an entrepreneurship education project financed through European Social Fund. A complex mediation chain is set in place in a net of relationships linking the benefits of entrepreneurial education to entrepreneurship self-efficacy, entrepreneurship attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms in our estimation of entrepreneurial intentions. Using a multigroup analysis, we address the OECD inclusive entrepreneurship perspective of students ‘at-risk’ on the labor market and under-represented in entrepreneurship, identifying how the benefits of entrepreneurship education can be better capitalized by each category. The present paper advocates the necessity to extend entrepreneurship education outside the economics and business specializations.

TRANSPARENCY AND CORRUPTION AT THE LEVEL OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The level of corruption has consistently been a significant social and political phenomenon that affects the level of satisfaction with the current political situation and the support of the political system. Research conducted in recent years by third sector anti-corruption foundations or professional opinion research agencies suggests areas where the public perceives greater or lesser transparency. In the last decade, this significantly included the judiciary, healthcare, political parties, education and distrust grew e.g. also against the media. On the contrary, a relatively high level of trust was maintained by representatives of local governments - municipalities and cities. Given that the perception of transparency is highly emotionally based and the public can make their judgment based on “what I have heard”, the subject of the article is transparency in the local government environment. With the support of the Operational Program Effective Public Administration and the European Social Fund, a survey was conducted among the member local self-governments of the three local action groups (LAGs). From the methodological point of view, two techniques were used. The first was questionnaire survey among the inhabitants of the affected municipalities and at the same time data were requested from the municipalities within selected processes.

Motivációk a nem pénzügyi információk közzététele mögött – interjús kutatás a közérdeklődésre számot tartó szervezetek kommunikációjáról

THE AIM OF THE PAPER One channel of communication with stakeholders about environmental, social and governance (ESG) information is the non-financial report. Publication of such reports is compulsory for public interest entities in the European Union from the 2017 business year onwards. In our present research, we examined this regulation and the reporting-related motivations and decisions of the companies listed on the Hungarian stock exchange subject to Directive 2014/95/EU. The aim of our study is to identify the factors influencing the content and format of sustainability-related disclosures. METHODOLOGYIn the course of our research, we conducted expert interviews with communication professionals of reporting companies, an auditor, and an institutional investor. Corporate communication related to sustainability is an integral part of the work of all our interviewees, whether they are responsible for producing of such data or are present as users of ESG information.MOST IMPORTANT RESULTSThe motivating role of the information needs of the stakeholders formulated in the literature has been proved: key roles are primarily played by investors, as well as employees and customers. The best-known standard is the GRI, and entities follow the requirements of a number of rating agencies when compiling reports. The interviews revealed that it is a challenge for reporting firms and stakeholders to produce good-quality data and to evaluate those as a consequence of the diversity of non-financial information. RECOMMENDATIONS Due to the diversity of non-financial information and the wide range of forms of communication, it is difficult for stakeholders to compare the non-financial performance of individual companies. It is therefore recommended for entities to use one of the widely accepted standards (e.g. GRI). In the interests of stakeholders, regulators are encouraged to consider a standardized format for reporting purposes. Acknowledgements: This research was supported by the project nr. EFOP-3.6.2-16-2017-00007, titled Aspects on the development of intelligent, sustainable and inclusive society: social, technological, innovation networks in employment and digital economy. The project has been supported by the European Union, co-financed by the European Social Fund and the budget of Hungary.

Characterisation of Impact Funds and Their Potential in the Context of the 2030 Agenda

The European Union has incorporated impact investment through two action plans: the Social Entrepreneurship Initiative and the Investment Plan for Europe. These financing tools seek to fund economic growth and promote job creation. Among the different measures carried out, the regulatory framework for impact investment funds stands out, under which the denomination, European Social Entrepreneurship Fund, is established to designate investment funds focused on social enterprises with the objective of generating a positive impact. It is possible to affirm that the creation of a solid impact intermediation infrastructure, by connecting both sides of supply and demand, is a critical aspect for the development and effective functioning of the impact market. Special importance is given to impact funds capable of attracting private capital. In order to categorise the different impact funds according to the most relevant aspects, a proposal form for the characterisation of impact funds has been drawn up and has been applied to a particular case. The presentation of Creas will allow for contextualising the practices that impact funds carry out and facilitate the general understanding of the article through a specific example that is considered successful in Spain.

The European Social Fund Supports the Reintegration of the Long-term Unemployed Individuals Aged 50+ Into the Labor Market - A Comparison of the Federal States in Austria

Abstract This paper shows the importance of European Social Fund’s (ESF) countermeasures for reintegrating long-term unemployed persons aged 50+ in Austria since their number has increased in recent years. Four research questions are defined, which deal with the theoretical background, the ESF’s contribution, the possible causes of long-term unemployment, and their reflection in a country comparison figures. For the qualitative methodology, we conducted expert interviews and case study analysis. Concerning the quantitative method, we evaluated raw data from the AMS Public Employment Service, Austria, and Statistics, Austria. A correlation was established based on the content-related evaluation of the theoretical approaches, the expert analysis, and the presentation of statistics. It is necessary to identify the causes in time and take appropriate measures to prevent them from combating long-term unemployment among this target group.

241-OR: Effects of Antidiabetes Therapies on Irisin Levels in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Irisin is a hormone secreted by skeletal muscle following physical activity or excess of saturated fatty acids, able to promote energy expenditure and improve metabolic homeostasis. Serum irisin levels are reduced in type 2 diabetes (T2D), while exogenous irisin administration improves glycemic control in diabetic mice. We have previously demonstrated that irisin promotes beta-cell viability and insulin secretory function. This study investigated serum irisin levels in T2D patients according to their antidiabetes treatment. 127 T2D patients were enrolled and stratified by antidiabetes therapy: diet only (17); metformin only (met, 37); met plus sulfonylureas (5); met plus pioglitazone (7); met plus GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs, 31); met plus DPP-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i, 15); and met plus SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2i, 15). The control group included 36 sex-, and BMI-matched subjects without diabetes. T2D patients showed lower irisin levels than controls (21.5 [10.1-50.8] vs. 29.1 [14.1-43.5] ng/mL, P<0.01). Serum irisin levels were positively associated with diabetes duration (r=0.214, P<0.05) and negatively associated with total (r=-0.196, P<0.05) and LDL cholesterol (r=-0.214, P<0.05). Patients treated with met plus GLP-1RAs or DPP-4i showed increased serum irisin levels (28.1 [12.4-50.8] and 25.8 [13.2-37.8] ng/mL, respectively) compared to patients treated with diet or met (19.8 [13.5-40.5] and 16.9 [10.7-28.8] ng/ml, respectively; P<0.05), or with other diabetes therapies. Interestingly, in vitro treatment of human skeletal muscle cells with 10 nM exendin-4 resulted in enhanced irisin release in the culture medium compared to control. In conclusion, in T2D GLP-1-based therapies significantly increase serum irisin to levels comparable to those of nondiabetic subjects, possibly through GLP-1 receptor-mediated stimulation of irisin release by skeletal muscle cells. Irisin may thus represent a new factor in the mechanism of action of GLP-1-based therapies. Disclosure A. Natalicchio: Speaker’s Bureau; Self; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Lilly Diabetes, Sanofi. S. Perrini: None. L. Laviola: Advisory Panel; Self; A. Menarini Diagnostics, Abbott, AstraZeneca, Lilly Diabetes, Novo Nordisk Inc., Roche Diabetes Care, Sanofi-Aventis, Speaker’s Bureau; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Medtronic. F. Giorgino: Consultant; Self; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Lilly Diabetes, Novo Nordisk, Roche Diabetes Care, Sanofi, Research Support; Self; Lilly Diabetes, Roche Diabetes Care. N. Marrano: None. G. Biondi: None. A. Montedoro: None. G. Le grazie: None. L. Di gioia: None. F. Guarini: None. A. Borrelli: None. A. Cignarelli: None. Funding European Union–European Social Fund; PON R&I (2014-2020); AIM (1810057)

CAREER MYTHS FROM STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS PERSPECTIVE

Drastic and structural changes in the labour market and organizational environment related to the Covid-19 pandemic, rapid technological development, general globalization trends, demographic deterioration and other economic changes signal the need to find new approaches to the classical career management paradigm. Several studies on occupational segregation show that various stereotypes and misconceptions affecting the choice of occupations for young people are still relevant, but changes in the working environment also determine changes in this context. The European Social Fund project “Career Support in General and Vocational Education Institutions” has made huge contributions to the improvement of the career guidance system in Latvia since 2016, developing and approbating career development support action plans, along with informative and methodological materials, as well as educating career counsellors and support specialists, thereby updating their approaches to career guidance and management. This study analysed the views of students and educational staff about current beliefs and stereotypes about career choices and management. Data from the 96 specialists and managers surveyed from different educational institutions reveal that educators have a strong belief in the importance of career stability. A majority believe that career choice is not always a guided process, although most support the involvement of career professionals. The importance of prestigious education and hard work, as well as success in one’s career, is emphasized. The 10th through 12th grade students were surveyed in 2019–2020 in Daugavpils, Dobele, Ogre and Riga general educational schools. In the opinions of these pupils, there is evidence of various stereotypes regarding the choice of profession, as well as the correspondence of career beliefs and convictions within the dynamics of modern working life.