Innovations today do not only enter production or technology, but increasingly also into services, including education and career counseling. TIC Zlín clearly demonstrated this when it was the first in the country to bring a systematic, modern and comprehensive approach to the development of students' talents.
The Have Your Own Direction programme, implemented by the Technological Innovation Center Zlín (TIC Zlín), has become one of the most successful examples of how a region can systematically develop human capital and meet the goals of the Regional Innovation Strategy of the Zlín Region (RIS3). The broad involvement of 8th grade students, the emphasis on self-knowledge, RIASEC diagnostics, and informed choice of further studies have significantly strengthened the ability of young people to decide about their future.
In the last two years, the Zlín Region has confirmed its position as a leader in the field of innovation in education. The Have Your Own Direction programme represents a service that is still rarely seen in the Czech Republic: systematic, comprehensive, and professionally led career counseling for all eighth grade students of elementary schools. In the 2024/2025 school year alone, thousands of students went through the program, gaining a deeper understanding of their strengths, values, interests, and options for further studies. The program works with the RIASEC diagnostic tool, uses elements of experiential pedagogy, virtual reality and individual career planning, and thus provides children with a safe space for self-discovery and informed decisions about high school and sometimes even their future profession.
The programme's contribution to the Zlín region is absolutely fundamental. The region's education system has long encountered a situation where a significant number of students later evaluate their choice of high school as a mistake. There is a need to increase students' confidence in making decisions, better align young people's competencies with the needs of the labor market and strengthen the development of talents across disciplines — not just technical ones.
The Have Your Own Direction programme responds to these challenges and brings concrete results: students are better able to evaluate in which educational environment they can experience success, which leads to better stability of studies and fewer transfers. This is also confirmed by data and feedback from students, parents and schools involved in the project. The quality and benefits of the program were confirmed in 2025 by the award of the National Career Guidance Award 2025. The award reflects in particular the program's work with data, its methodological quality and its contribution to the development of career competencies of elementary school students.
The Have Your Own Direction programme is not an isolated initiative — it directly fulfills the goals and values of the Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS3) of the Zlín Region, which places great emphasis on the development of the human and knowledge potential of the region, deepening competencies for the 21st century, early career guidance and increasing the quality of education and informed study choices. This is a prerequisite for strengthening the competitiveness of the region in the field of human resources.
We have included the Have Your Own Direction programme in our "Library of Good Practices" in the Inspiration and Stories section of the RIS3 portal, because other regions are also facing similar challenges. The key area of change focused on education is part of almost all regional RIS3 strategies, including the National RIS3 (Horizontal Priority People and Smart Skills). Moreover, TIC Zlín is open to cooperation and is ready to share this good practice with other regions.
Read (In Czech only) the Case Study to learn more about the methodology, partners, experiences and results.
