Sustainable career and decent work as mediators between the sense of community responsibility and well-being

Background: Building decent and sustainable career paths that promote the well-being of individuals and the community is a central challenge in vocational education and training contexts. Based on the life design paradigm, this study investigates the interconnectedness between the sense of community responsibility, decent work, sustainable careers, and overall well-being. Decent work refers to employment that is productive, fairly compensated, safe, inclusive, and socially just, while sustainable career prospects describe an individual’s perceived potential for a fulfilling, healthy, productive, and socially impactful career. We propose that a strong sense of community can shape the key aspects of personal and professional life, significantly influencing individuals’ decent and sustainable career development and their overall well-being. Methods: The cross-sectional study included a sample of 250 working Italian participants (90 males, 160 females) aged 19 to 65, representing a diverse range of professional roles (employees, self-employed, trainees). The following instruments were administered: the Sense of Community Responsibility Scale, the Decent Work for the Inclusive and Sustainable Future Construction Scale, the Future Sustainable Career Scale, and the Mental Health Continuum–Short Form, assessing emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Two mediation models, total and partial, were tested using structural equation modeling. Results: The mediation model’s results demonstrated that a sense of community responsibility predicted individuals’ perceived capacity to undertake decent work and develop future sustainable career prospects. Furthermore, the study found that these factors, in turn, significantly predicted emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Conclusions: This study highlights the potential of cultivating a sense of community responsibility as a catalyst for individual and societal sustainable development cycles. By fostering a sense of community, career professionals can empower individuals to make career choices that align with decent work and sustainable career principles, ultimately leading to improved well-being for both individuals and communities. The findings underscore the importance of integrating community-focused strategies in vocational education and training, encouraging awareness of the social and environmental impacts of career choices.