Ad hoc request Country fiches on skills governance in the Member States

Transcription

1 European Employment Policy Observatory (EEPO) Ad hoc request Country fiches on skills governance in the Member States Greece Written by Dimitris Karantinos National Centre for Social Research (EKKE) June 2015

2 EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Unit C.1 Europe 2020: Employment Policies: European Employment Strategy and Governance European Commission B-1049 Brussels

3 EUROPEAN COMMISSION European Employment Policy Observatory (EEPO) Ad hoc request Country fiches on skills governance in the Member States Greece June, 2015 Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion European Employment Policy Observatory (EEPO)

4 European Employment Policy Observatory Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Freephone number (*): (*) The information given is free, as are most calls (though some operators, phone boxes or hotels may charge you). LEGAL NOTICE This document has been prepared for the European Commission however it reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet ( Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2015 ISBN ABC DOI European Union, 2015 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

5 1 Imbalances in the labour market Following the grave deterioration of its public deficit and its current account in the years , Greece continues to be engaged in a very difficult period of economic adjustment. Since 2010, successive governments have taken a wide range of reforms in order to bring public finances back on a sustainable track, with the support of the Institutions (the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Central Bank). These measures have so far depressed incomes and employment and have led to an explosion of the unemployment rate and to an increase of the number of people at poverty risk. In 2014, the employment rate for those in the age bracket stood at 53.3 %, much lower than the EU-28 average of 69.2 % and substantially lower than the national target set in the framework of the Europe 2020 strategy (70 %). The unemployment rate in 2014 stood at 26.5 %, the highest in EU-28 (10.2 %). There are some signs according to which Greece is gradually emerging from the deep economic crisis, but recovery so far has been anaemic and fragile. Employment dropped during the first quarter of 2015, in relation to previous quarters but remains higher than a year ago. Similarly, the unemployment rate in 2015Q1 dropped in relation to 2014Q1 by more than 1 percentage point (26.6 % in relation to 27.8 %). An analysis of the performance of the labour market during , reveals that four groups appear to have suffered disproportionally from the fall of the employment rate: men, the young, the low and medium skilled and the immigrants (Karantinos 2014). The highest of the unemployment rates are exhibited by the young aged (52.4 % in 2014), the prime aged workers aged (40.8 %) and the foreigners (32.8 %). In terms of unemployment change, the unemployment rate increased far above the average for men, the older workers, the low-skilled and the immigrants. With respect to education, the highest of the unemployment rates are exhibited by those with upper secondary and post-secondary, non-tertiary education (30.2 % in 2014), followed by those with less than primary, primary and lower secondary education (28.2 %). University graduates face lower unemployment rates (20 %). The fall of the overall employment rate involved more or less all forms of economic activity, albeit to a varying degree. The only sector that appears to have remained intact in terms of employment is information and communication (mobile telephony, internet related services, etc.). Most of the job losses between 2008 and 2014 are associated with three sectors of activity: construction, manufacture and distributive trades. In relation to the extent of job destruction in these three sectors, all the remaining sectors suffered more modest losses. Developments in the labour market have affected, as expected, the number of vacancies. According to ELSTAT, vacancies have declined dramatically in certain sectors, such as in construction and in distributive trades, and increased in others, notably in accommodation and food service activities and in public administration. In general however, vacancies have declined as a result of the crisis, and according to evidence (IOBE 2013) difficulties in filling them have retracted. Looking forward, most social commentators would agree that the job losses in construction, in segments of manufacture and also in public employment (public administration, education and health, public utilities, etc.) are more likely than not to be permanent. In contrast, job losses in other sectors, notably in distributive trades and in the hospitality sector could be partly at least recovered. These, labour-intensive activities depend very much on tourism, and the outlook for tourist arrivals is currently positive. June,

6 The implications of this analysis are that there are considerable needs for re-skilling and rebalancing of the labour force. Large numbers of unemployed workers will have to be trained in skills that are in demand in the growing sectors, if they are to secure a post. Regarding growth sectors, the Greece 10 Years Ahead study (McKinsey 2012) has estimated that provided that the Greek state embark immediately on a systematic, economy-wide and sector specific effort to remove competitiveness and productivity barriers in the economy, as many as 520,000 new jobs and 49 billion in additional annual Gross Value Added ( 55 billion in GDP terms) could be realized in the five major and eight emerging, rising star sectors alone, in the current decade. The five major sectors include tourism, retail, manufacturing/food processing, energy and agriculture. The rising star sectors include generic pharmaceuticals, aquaculture, medical tourism, long-term and elderly care, cargo and logistics hub, waste management, graduate classics education hub and Greek speciality foods. According to RAMBOL (2014), currently employers face difficulties to fill jobs in the following categories of occupations: a) Information and Communications Technology professionals b) specified sales workers, c) managers and d) craft and related trades workers. Within the ICT sector, there is high demand for software developers with knowledge of specific programming languages and various other roles, such as database designers. Within the wholesale and retail trade, engineering professionals with crosscutting skills (e.g. languages, sales ability) are in high demand. It is primarily the medium-sized and large firms, which face difficulties when looking to fill vacancies for specialized executives and managers. Furthermore, employers set high requirements for recruitment, such as high levels of work experience. According to the same source, the main reasons for the recorded bottlenecks include: Lack of candidates with sufficient work experience and technical competencies; increased focus on sales abroad; Decrease in the quality of vocational education and other factors (RAMBOL 2014). Another study (Citi Hellas and ALBA 2014) has focused on youth perceptions regarding skills and aspirations regarding work. According to findings, 60 % of the young people interviewed stated their willingness to migrate in order to find suitable work and 30 % stated that they are considering the option of self-employment. The absolute majority of the interviewees stated that they rely on family assistance for survival (67 %). Regarding skill mismatches, these appear to be substantial, as more than half of the HR managers interviewed (53.3 %) stated inability to locate candidates with suitable skills. A sizeable proportion (38.9 %) has also indicated that lack of work experience was an important barrier to youth employability. Of the young people interviewed, large segments stated insufficient training and skills mismatches as the main reasons for not being employed (39 % and 38 %, respectively). To sum-up, as a result of the economic crisis, vacancies have declined markedly and employers face less problems in filling them. Any strategy for economic recovery would have to take in account the need for re-skilling and rebalancing of the labour force. Large numbers of unemployed workers will have to be trained in skills that are in demand in the growing sectors, if they are to secure a post. Furthermore, the economic crisis and the fall in aggregate demand has prompted companies to turn to exports and this has affected the skills in demand. The main sectors registering bottleneck vacancies in Greece include ICT, wholesale and retail trade and pharmaceuticals. The bottlenecks identified can be explained in part by a lack of both sufficient work experience and a lack of specialisation of candidates. Within the ICT sector rapid technological change also results in persistent demand for these hard-to-find skills. In addition there is unmet demand for sales workers and managers specialised in exports with specific skills, such as engineering knowledge or June,

7 advanced knowledge of foreign languages. Lastly, there is low supply of low supply of technicians, such as plumbers and carpenters. 2 Production of labour market and skills intelligence 2.1 Forecasting capabilities The main institute engaged in labour market forecasting in Greece is the National Institute of Labour and Human Resources (NILHR). The institute is a public body, operating under the supervision of the Greek Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Welfare. It was founded in 2011, as a result of the merger of Vocational Training SA (EKAE) and Employment Observatory Research-Informatics SA (PAEP)". The Institute has a national scope, is seated in Athens and has nine regional structures. The NILHR mission is to support the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Welfare with regard to the policies and actions designed and implemented for the human resources in the country. In this context, the NILHR implements, monitors and analyzes issues of the labor market and lifelong learning, and in particular the evolution and structure of employment and unemployment, vocational training, labour relations and the interaction between economic and social developments for the population as a whole or for specific groups. A key objective of the NILHR is the analysis of the supply of, and demand for, occupational categories and skills, and the identification of training needs at a national and a local level. Prior to the crisis, NILHR had established two separate data bases, through which forecasting was being made. The first of these relied on annual and quarterly data from the Greek statistical service (LFS data). Forecasts of labour demand and labour supply were being made with the use of econometric techniques (econometric models). Forecasts on labour supply included population at working age, labour and non-labour force by gender, level of education, occupation and sector of economic activity. Forecasts on the demand side focused on employment by gender, level of education, occupation and sector of economic activity. Projections involved also estimates of labour supply and labour demand on regional basis (13 regions). The second database contained information coming from sample surveys of enterprises of all sizes, regions and sectors of economic activity. The first sample survey was carried out in 2003 and contained information from firms. There were also 80 in-depth interviews with persons from public and private sectors. In 2007, a second survey has been carried out in the capital region (Attica), involving approximately firms. The surveys had two main objectives: a/ to estimate labour force needs by occupation, by region, size of firm and sector of economic activity, and b/ to examine skill mismatches (labour demand and labour supply skills) with respect to formal qualifications, generic or social skills (written ability, work in a team, analytical ability, synthetic ability, problem-solving, etc.), technical generic skills (for example information technology skills), technical skills related to specific occupations and other characteristics/abilities such as personality characteristics or demographic characteristics (Palyvos and Xletsos, 2006, Giotis 2006). Following the economic crisis and its devastating effect on the labour market, forecasting retracted as a priority issue, and EIEAD became increasingly engaged in implementing EU programs concerning employment and vocational training, and in studying the changes in the institutional framework surrounding the labour market. This is understandable, given that difficulties in filling vacancies lessened because of the record unemployment level and also because the authorities have instituted a plethora of labour market reforms, necessitating the analysis of changes. June,

8 The labour market authorities are currently discussing a plan to develop a permanent and adequate mechanism for providing forecasts, within the frame of the OP Human Resources Development The mechanism is expected to provide information on labour supply and demand at the levels of sectors, occupations, qualifications, competences and skills, both on regional and local bases. The creation of a network of key stakeholders is foreseen (ministries, social partners, regional and local authorities, research centres), under the scientific supervision of EIEAD. The mechanism is expected to deliver its first outputs, based on the analysis of secondary data before the end of Recent attempts to collect information on skills gaps are numerous in Greece and tend to cover the whole spectrum of education and training. Some rely on employer surveys, some on data analysis and trend projections and some on experts panels and qualitative analysis. Tendencies with respect to specific professions, occupations and skills, are recorded by the Recruitment Confidence Index (RCI, Recruitment Confidence Index records the number of employers who state that they are expecting difficulties in locating suitable personnel. The latter is classified according to employment sectors (e.g., IT managers, marketing assistants, office clerks, logistics, sales, promotion, HR, public relations, reception, IT specialists, etc). Employers are classified according to broad sector of activity, other than NACE (manufacture, services, trade, construction, informatics, banking, logistics, publications, pharmaceutical, tourism, education). The most recent data from the Recruitment Confidence Indicator survey from the first half in 2014 shows that, for the first time in almost 6 years, more businesses in Greece intend to hire new staff rather than make redundancies. Demand is estimated to have been restored to its 2008 level, exhibiting increasing tendencies. More specifically, of the employers taking part in the survey, only 14 % stated that they might have to dismiss personnel in the second half of This estimate compares favorably with the equivalent estimate for the previous period (28 %). Further, 41.5 % of the companies stated that they intend to hire new personnel, while the remaining 44.4 % report no plans either to recruit or dismiss personnel. Demand for new hiring comes mainly from the service sector, and also from construction, pharmaceuticals and tourism related activities. Almost half of the companies stating that they intend to hire personnel are seeking young university graduates with skills in sales, in ICT and in marketing. The record level of unemployment faced by youth has prompted various studies exploring the issue of transition from school to work. One such study (ENDEAVOR 2014) examined the prospects for young people, through the use of statistical data and through the execution of two sample surveys. The study notes that although young Greeks were disproportionately hit with more than half a million jobs lost, only half of youth unemployment is due to economic slowdown. The rest is due to the outsider disadvantage that youth traditionally have, which became even more intense during the crisis. According to the study, in order to establish sustainable growth, Greece needs to focus on specific sectors (e.g. agri/food, tourism, logistics, ICT) where it possesses some structural advantage. Apart from major reforms and infrastructure upgrades, this big shift of economic activity requires the re-skilling and relocation of hundreds of thousands. More than 640,000 will need to change sector, as two thirds of the jobs lost are not recoverable. At the same time, more than 500,000 will need to move out of Athens and Thessaloniki to seek employment in other parts of Greece. The study estimates that the vast majority of existing companies, either small or large cannot create the high-quality jobs needed. There is a minority of 3,000 high growth existing June,

9 companies (2,900 SMEs and 100 large) that have the fundamentals to rapidly scale-up and create meaningful jobs. Collectively they can create up to 200,000 new jobs, most of them for youth. The remaining 800,000 jobs need to be created by new companies. The study has concluded that Greece needs approximately 10,000 new high-growth companies with the appropriate extrovert focus and high impact mentality. Social partners have been increasingly engaged in the design and running of vocational education and training, but also in producing reports and studies on skills outlooks and occupational forecasting. In this frame, the main social partners in Greece, including the General Confederation of Labour (GSEE), the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) and the General Confederation of Greek Small Businesses and Trades (GSEVEE) have all produced studies on skills in demand. Perhaps the most systematic of the attempts to forecast occupational needs is the establishment of a Mechanism of Forecasting the Needs of Enterprises in Occupations and Skills, developed by the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV). The mechanism aims at the better matching of labour demand and supply, through the identification of future occupations in demand, the examination of required skills and proposals to the authorities. The forecasts by the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises have so far identified eight sectors and 87 occupations that are expected to grow up to The sectors are energy (photovoltaic technician, energy investment consultant); ICT (mobile applications developer, software engineer specialist, systems analyst/network planner, business analyst, network engineer, ICT security manager, hardware engineer); food (quality assurance manager, marketing expert, R&D scientist, quality assurance expert, maintenance engineer); construction materials (green marketing specialist, construction waste recycling specialist, construction engineer, marketing expert); environment (water quality monitor, environmental economist); logistics (supply chain manager, transportation manager, export manager, logistics engineer, warehouse planner); metals (aluminum structures joiner, metal recycling expert, plant machinery operator), and; health (clinical pathologist, medical auditor, health informatics expert, pharmacologist, geriatric nurse). It should be noted that this intervention has been co financed by the ESF, as part of the OP Human Resources Development Transmission and use of information The principal potential users of forecasting instruments and studies include the Ministry of Labour, responsible for active measures including continuing vocational training, the Ministry of Education supervising initial vocational training, the employment services, the higher education institutes, the social partners and the students and job seekers. In general, there is little evidence that since the start of the crisis, employment and education planners have taken on board the findings of the various forecasting studies. The main reason for this is probably the economic crisis and the record level unemployment. With vacancies diminishing, the discussion on labour shortages and skills gaps retracted to the background. It is also possible that the issue of skill gaps was not taken in account by educational and training planners, because the relevant information was not collected, analysed and disseminated by a single agency on a more or less, permanent basis. This situation is expected to change in the coming years, for a variety of reasons. First, the unemployment rate appears to have stabilized (albeit at high levels). While waiting for the recovery and with confidence gradually returning employers are likely to open up more vacancies. Helping employers to fill their vacancies and increase the job finding rate entails identifying workers with obsolete skills, knowledge of skills gaps and appropriate training or re-training. The vast majority of the unemployed need to be able June,

10 to identify the skills they already possess and acquire the skills that are necessary in order to plan and navigate their job search. If offered on a substantial scale, such assistance could ease up matching frictions, lead to quicker and better quality matching and even prevent a part of unemployment from becoming structural (i.e., permanent). 3 Steering the education and training provision 3.1 Policies and programmes During , the education and labour market authorities instituted a number of important policy reforms. The objective of reforms has been to ensure that young people are facilitated in their attempt to enter the labour market and secure a job, through the modernization of VET and through the reorganization of the higher education sector. More concretely, efforts have focused on improving the provision, attractiveness and relevance of vocational education and training (including apprenticeships) and on bringing higher education institutes closer to the current and emerging needs of the labour market. The medium-term strategy for lifelong learning was set in 2013, by the National Lifelong Learning Programme The plan aims at: Increased and widened adult participation in Lifelong Learning (ages years old), with emphasis on removing educational barriers; Upgrading skills and competencies at all levels and connection with the labour market; Improving the quality of provision for adults; Networking and decentralisation of structures and services; Connecting formal, non-formal education and informal learning; Increasing the attractiveness of Lifelong Learning, particularly targeting groups that present limited participation (people aged 50+, unemployed, residents of remote areas, farmers, artisans, etc.). Policies to be utilized in the frame of the plan include the development of a National Qualifications Framework, the certification of educational attainment and continuous training of adult educators and career counsellors, and the utilisation of distance education and e-learning tools. In short, the plan provides the opportunity, especially for adults and those less qualified to improve their ability to adapt to changes in the labour market and society and is a means of upgrading skills of those affected by unemployment or in transition in their careers. In 2013, a National Action Plan for Youth Employment was announced by the Minister of Education and Religious Affairs, the Minister of Labour, Social Security and Welfare, and the Minister of Development and Competitiveness. It included a total of 20 individual actions already under implementation or meant to directly put into effect. The deadline of the action plan (specific actions) is 2014 / The National Action plan for Youth Employment includes projects implemented through Operational Programmes of three Ministries. The new Action Plan aims at the implementation of targeted policies and measures to develop employment and entrepreneurship, for young people of two age groups and years old - placing particular emphasis to those less qualified. The main action lines concern the reinforcement of apprenticeship systems and practical training, the establishment of programmes for the transition from education to employment so as to support the acquisition of initial work experience, as well as the promotion of entrepreneurship. The Action Plan is the first comprehensive and integrated effort of the State to support young people, incorporating into a single plan, all activities and projects of NSRF Operational Programmes aimed at young people, 1 GSLL (2013), 2012 report on lifelong learning in Greece, Athens: GSLL, General Secretariat for Lifelong Learning. June,

11 funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (2013). Greece submitted to the European Commission (EC) a National Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan (YGIP) at the end of Updates in the YGIP have taken place following the comments by the EC. In its full operation, the Youth Guarantee scheme foresees that all young people up to 25 years old, who are neither in employment, nor education or training, will receive a good quality offer of employment, vocational training, apprenticeship or traineeship within four months of leaving official education or becoming unemployed. The actions of the Plan are divided into two basic categories: a) Early intervention and activation: Early intervention and activation is mainly focused on prevention as well as on supporting young people who are neither in employment, nor education or training (NEETs) so as to effectively improve the situation of NEETs and to avoid the impact of long-term exclusion from education/training or the labour market, and b) Labour market integration: Actions of this category are focused on measures for gaining access to education, training or employment, so as to offer the unemployed the opportunity to achieve normal labour market access. The actions planned are divided into 5 categories: traineeship and apprenticeship, work experience, enforcement of self-employment schemes, skills improvement and re-integration into education. Finally, in the area of higher education, reforms included the re-organization of the governance structure and the consolidation of the network of higher education institutions. Athena was a project of reconstruction of the academic map of the country, aiming at tackling the issues of discipline fragmentation and geographical dispersion of Departments and Faculties. The plan included mergers or abolishment of Departments, integration of Departments into Faculties, and an attempt to connect academic subjects with national development strategies and regional growth prospects. The plan was announced on 31 January 2013 by the Minister of Education and Religious Affairs. Under Athena four universities were closed (the University of Central Greece, the University of Western Greece, the International Hellenic University and the University of Western Macedonia), as well as a large number of departments at universities and technological institutes that had insufficient numbers of students. All in all, Athena reduced the number of higher education departments from approximately 520 to approximately 350. Recent changes to legislation introduced the Higher Education Institution's Council as the body responsible to approve the budget and the long term strategic plan of the Institution 2. The Council also conducts administrative audits in the services of the Higher Education Institution. Specifically, the Institution s Council primarily has the following competences: Draw up the Institution s development strategy at local, national, European and international level and shape the Institution s profile in the context of its mission; Supervise and check on the Institution s operation in compliance with its Organisational Charter and internal Regulation; Undertake initiatives enhancing the Institution s connection with society and economy, as well as its contribution to the country s development plan; Grant approval on the Institution s annual regular budget, final budgetary report, as well as the public investments programme. The Higher Education Institution s Councils (8 internal, 6 external members and 1 student) have already been elected in all HEIs of the country, and thus the majority of the Ministry's 2 Law 4009/2011, on Structure, operation, quality assurance of studies and internationalization of Higher Education Institutions, and Law 4076/2012, on Regulating issues of higher Education Institutions and other provisions. June,

12 powers/responsibilities (including financial and human resource management) have been transferred to the Higher Education Institutions. To sum-up, the authorities are currently engaged in a far-reaching reform of the educational and training system, in an attempt to increase quality of services and facilitate school-to-work transitions. In this respect, the introduction of apprenticeships together with traineeships, work experience schemes and other active measures can help reduce the (high) youth unemployment rate under the current economic conditions.the design of apprenticeship systems is critical and characterized by several trade-offs between different factors, which all need to be in balance. An alarming feature is that collaboration between the Government departments concerned (Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Education, and OAED) has so far been insufficient and substantial additional work is needed to improve implementation of foreseen changes. An urgent need is also to evaluate the National Action Plan for Youth Employment, which is currently coming to its close. Lastly, an important challenge for the YGIP will be the identification of potential beneficiaries, as young unemployed people even those actively looking for a job do not register with OAED in large numbers for various reasons. 3.2 Financial incentives As expected, the deep economic crisis has affected educational budgets. Even before the crisis, Greece s expenditure on education as a proportion of GDP was among the lowest in the EU and, of course, the crisis has aggravated this situation. According to information from the Eurydice network, the educational budget in 2014 dropped by 3.6 % in relation to 2013 (Eurydice 2014). However, incentives to steer the education and training system closer to the needs of the labour market have been in place, largely thanks to the ESF funds. The total budget of the National Action Plan for Youth Employment is 600 million. As part of the plan, the Ministry of Education supports the following actions: Internship/traineeship in Higher Education Institutions and Vocational Training Institutes (IEK), Internship/traineeship in Vocational Schools of secondary education with the system of apprenticeship of the Greek Manpower Organisation (OAED), Internship/traineeship for first year students of Merchant Marine Academies, Apprenticeship programmes for graduates of Technical Education, Career offices in Higher Education Institutions, and Centers for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education Institutions. In all, actions of the Ministry of Education related to initial vocational training, apprenticeship and traineeship have a budget of 130 million, and concern 283,000 new beneficiaries. Actions of the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Welfare include: Voucher for entering the labour market for unemployed young people aged up to 29 years old, Promotion of innovative youth entrepreneurship and counseling/guidance for entrepreneurs, Rural entrepreneurship, National Network of Direct Social Intervention, Cultural Community Service Programmes for young people, Programme for subsidising companies to hire unemployed young HEI graduates, Pilot action for supporting young people in the creation of social enterprises, Supporting enterprises to employ highly qualified staff. These actions have a budget of 390 million and concern 63,000 new beneficiaries. Finally, actions supported by the Ministry of Development and Competitiveness include youth entrepreneurship and comprehensive intervention for supporting unemployed women, through the support of entrepreneurship. These actions have a budget of 80 million, and concern 3,100 people. June,

13 Regarding challenges, a rigorous effort is currently under way concerning the expansion of the dual system of apprenticeship. According to a recent law on the modernization of the VET system (Law 4186/2013 on New Lyceum ), as of September 2016, all VET students will be provided with one-year apprenticeship placement. The apprenticeships are to be provided by the Greek Manpower Organization (OAED) within the Greek dual system. The new arrangement foresees the increase in new apprentices from the current places, to approximately by September The new places potentially needed imply substantial extra funding and raise concerns on the feasibility of the whole plan. Financing has been included in the Partnership Agreement for the period , but it is evident that structural funds resources will not suffice in financing the introduction of apprenticeships in the mainstream educational system. According also to unofficial reports, OAED is currently faced with low and decreasing supply of apprenticeship places and is experiencing difficulties in securing enough places for its own apprentices. Introducing cost-sharing arrangements with employers constitutes a policy option. 4 Career and vocational guidance In Greece, the responsibility for administering career guidance services in the fields of education and employment lies with the Ministry of Education & Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Labour, Social Security & Welfare, through the activities of the National Organization for the Certification of Qualifications & Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP) ( In this respect, EOPPEP acts as the national coordination body, implementing systemic guidance interventions, which ensures the quality provision and the professionalization of career guidance, the networking among the different guidance stakeholders and the constant development of information, guidance and counseling tools and material for the guidance practitioners working in education and employment settings in the public and private sector. In addition, innovating guidance services for the end users of all ages are also developed within the activities of EOPPEP at national level. EOPPEP has developed a number of tools in order to reach its target groups, including a National Database of Learning Opportunities (PLOIGOS, an Interactive Guidance Portal for adolescents and youngsters ( and a Lifelong Career Development Portal ( PLOIGOS was developed in 2009 by the Euroguidance Centre of Greece and aims at providing information to Greek and European citizens (students, job seekers, parents, guidance counsellors, teachers etc.) about learning opportunities of all types (General Education, Vocational Education and Training, Special Education etc) and levels of education in all geographical regions of Greece. The Interactive Portal for youngsters was developed by EOPPEP at the end of 2012 with the aim to be widely used by students, young people and guidance practitioners. Friendly career tools enhance the access of more users to guidance in the field of education, such as: Digitized interest, values and decision making tests, E-portfolio development Tool available also in English language, Ask the counsellor section, Thematic information catalogues and Useful Links. Finally, the newly developed Lifelong Career Development Portal provides innovating services for career development and mobility information, and is targeted to adults of all ages (Digitized career tests, E-Counselling Services, E- Lifelong Career Portfolio Development Tool, Career & Mobility information Resources, Career Management Skills Section). Apart from EOPPEP, Counselling Bureaus operate inside Second Opportunity Schools all over Greece with the mission to cover the needs of the students and help them to their personal, social, educational and professional development. The personnel of these Bureaus consist of Guidance Counsellors and Psychologists. The services offered by June,

14 these bureaus, in individual and group level aim at: a) the connection between education and job market, b) the provision of educational and professional information, c) the cooperation with other services from the employment sector ( In the field of tertiary education, Career Liaison Offices, Internship Offices and Innovation and Entrepreneurship Units operate in Universities and Technological Educational Institutions, with the aim to support students and graduates in the transition phase from education to employment. Services offered include liaison with the labour market, opportunities to meet with potential employers during Career Days, provision of information about postgraduate studies and scholarships in Greece and abroad, individualized and group counselling to enhance the students career management skills. Lastly, The Manpower Employment Organization (OAED - Greek PES) is the public authority supervised by the Ministry of Labour, Social Security & Welfare managing Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) for halting unemployment, promoting employment, and vocational training for both unemployed and employed citizens. OAED is also responsible for the unemployment insurance measures (regular unemployment benefit) and other social security benefits and allowances as well as for the provision of initial vocational education combined with work practice/traineeship (Apprenticeship system). The above mentioned policies are enhanced with employment guidance services especially to the unemployed in order to support their labour market inclusion. These services include career guidance, career management - job searching techniques, entrepreneurial counselling. Employment mobility information and support is provided by OAED as part of the EURES services. To sum-up, the extensive network of career and vocational guidance that has been developed during the last few years, is expected to gain from the development of a permanent and adequate mechanism for providing forecasts, envisaged by the OP Human Resources Development Stakeholders in steering education and training provisions The social partners have lately assumed an even larger role in planning and implementing vocational training actions funded by the European Social Fund (ESF). These actions address sectoral or local/regional labour market needs and combine training with guidance and counseling services and work placements to provide on-thejob experience. These training programmes cover both technical skills, such as ICT, safety and quality, sales, energy and environment and general skills, such as communications, project management and teamwork (CEDEFOP 2014). The General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) implements vocational training programmes aimed at workers in the private sector, the unemployed, and its own union officials. These programmes target sectors like tourism, technical trades and manufacturing/construction, teachers and teacher trainers, commerce, environment, consumer protection, social economy, informatics and economics/administration. The Hellenic Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen and Merchants (GSEVEE) implements training and retraining programmes relating to tourism occupations, environmental management and basic technical vocational education skills, addressed to employers, self-employed persons, workers in every sector of the economy, and also to the unemployed. The Civil Servants Confederation (ADEDY) implements programmes designed to improve and upgrade the knowledge and skills of civil service personnel, with a view to promoting modernisation of public administration services and improving the skills of public sector staff. June,

15 Furthermore, the National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce (NCHC) implements programmes for the personnel of commercial enterprises. The Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) implements training programmes, initiatives and lifelong learning networks aimed at improving the knowledge, skills and competence of the country s labour force, promoting innovation and boosting the competitiveness and export orientation of Greek enterprises. Finally, training programmes are run by certain press journalists associations, the chambers of commerce, the Technical Chamber of Greece, the Hellenic Management Association (HMA), and the Hellenic Adult Education Association. In addition to implementing vocational training courses, the social partners are actively involved in providing employment support services. The Greek Workers Confederation (GSEE) has created an Information Centre for the Employed and Unemployed ( giving information about job openings, tenders, employment programmes and training seminars. Similarly the Hellenic Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen and Merchants (GSEVEE), operates a portal ( with the view to assist the unemployed and/or those currently employed in finding appropriate positions and also to assist employers in finding the appropriate candidates. The Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has created an Information Office for the Unemployed and Businesses, offering e-recruitment services through the new ACCI portal In this portal enterprises interested in recruiting appropriate candidates can post job advertisements and job seekers can post relevant job applications and upload their CVs. Furthermore, the new service has a data matching system automating job seeking and offering procedures ( US/Default.aspx). 6 Bibliography CEDEFOP (2014), Vocational education and training in Greece, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. Citi Hellas and ALBA Graduate Business School at The American College of Greece (2014), Youth Employability in Greece ENDEAVOR (2014), Creating jobs for youth in Greece, Athens. Eurydice (2014), National Sheets on Education Budgets in Europe 2014, European Commission. Giotis G. (2006), Identification of labour market needs in the region of Central Makedonia, PAEP (in Greek). Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (2013), Mechanism for Diagnosis of Businesses Needs in Skills and Occupation, Information Notice IOBE and Remaco (2013), Strategic study: human resources development and innovative entrepreneurship, Athens (unpublished). Karantinos, D, (2014), Labour Market Developments in Greece, European Employment Policy Observatory (EEPO), Brussels. McKinsey (2012), Greece 10 years ahead: defining Greece's new growth model and strategy: executive summary, Athens: McKinsey and Company. June,

16 National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications & Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP) (2013), Developing occupational sectors in Greece and new skills requirements, Athens. Palyvos, Th. Xletsos M. (2006), The labour Market in Greece: Models and Predictions, PAEP (in Greek). RAMBOL (2014), Bottleneck Vacancies in Greece, Mapping and Analysing Bottleneck Vacancies on EU Labour Markets, Report prepared for the European Commission, September June,

17 Free publications: one copy: HOW TO OBTAIN EU PUBLICATIONS via EU Bookshop ( more than one copy or posters/maps: from the European Union s representations ( from the delegations in non-eu countries ( by contacting the Europe Direct service ( or calling (freephone number from anywhere in the EU) (*). (*) The information given is free, as are most calls (though some operators, phone boxes or hotels may charge you). Priced publications: via EU Bookshop ( Priced subscriptions: via one of the sales agents of the Publications Office of the European Union (

18