Title of the practice |
VOCATIONAL TRAINING SEMINARS FOR WOMEN AND SPECIAL POPULATION GROUPS. |
Precise theme/issue tackled by the practice |
An integrated approach on matching the demand and supply in the labour market by providing focused training to unemployed people, particularly women and other special population groups, and assisting them afterwards in finding a new job. |
Objectives of the practice |
» help unemployed people, particilary womes and special population groups, obtain new competences for the labour market » assist trainees in applying for a job » reinforce social cohesion, and match the subjects of the training courses and the changing demands of the labour market |
Location |
Region of Western Greece, Greece |
Detailed description of the practice |
The upgrade of professional training is ensured by the use of new methods in the planning, the concretisation and the way an action is evaluated. A basic criterion of the efficiency of this action is the placement of the trainees in new jobs in a six month period after the end of the training course. Specifically the action was concentrated in the following: » the upgrade of the quality of the educational programs and their correspondence to the needs of labor market with emphasis in the development of a range of key skills for the trainees and their familiarization in current office automation applications. » the integration of new methods of organisation of production and work. » the flexibility of the training course depending on the needs of labor market in combination with the individual needs. The action aimed at unemployed adults, in particular long-lasting unemployed, from which some small percentage are persons with special needs. The trainers of the course were chosen from the 'National Accreditation Centre for Continuing Vocational Training'. The training was implemented based on unified System of the Training Energies Management (ESDEK). |
Evaluation |
A new vocational training system where training is combined with an after training support and guidance of the trainee in order to find a job has been developed in Western Greece. Through this innovative approach a number of trainees already found a job and this number is expected to increase. The new model for vocational training can easily be transmitted to other training centres for different types of training. It is one of the few pilots that had a direct impact on employment. |
Lessons learnt from the practice |
» It is not enough to give some training to unemployed people. The vocational training should be accompanied by a marketing course in order for the applicant to have better chances to find a job. » Furthermore, unemployed people do not necessarily have a clear picture of the market, thus a kind of coaching is very useful in order to find the right addresses. » By not giving any financial motivation to the trainees, it is secured that they are really interested in finding a new job (and not just applying for the course in order to get the reimbursement as in the case of other national training programmes). |
Relevant factors/conditions for the transfer of the good practice |
Following are indicative factors/conditions for the transfer of the good practice, as they have been determined in relevant EU projects in which we have participated: » Does the same problem (addressed by this practice) occur in the receiving region? » Does the practice fit into the given regional planning/national strategy? » Are the institutional prerequisites fulfilled? » Are the prerequisites regarding knowledge structure fulfilled? » Are the financial resources available? » Is the practice compatible with the overall incentive structure in the receiving region/country? » Is the practice compatible with/additional to existing projects in the receiving region/country? » Are the requirements regarding social capital, credibility, reliability fulfilled? |
Implementing organisations |
Vocational Training Centres, Vocational Training Institutes, Competence Centres, etc. |
Contact information |
Mr. Kostas Vasilakopoulos – Intermediate Managing Authority of the Western Greece Region (email: vasilakopoulos@mou.gr) Mr. Stefanos Michos – Regional Development Fund of Region Of Western Greece (email: smichos@ptapde.gr)  |
Other possible interesting information |
www.ptapde.gr/projects/wise and www.ptapde.gr/projects/files (FILES was a descendant of the WISE project, where a Local Employment Strategy was developed in the Region of Western Greece and led to the pilot actions that were implemented within the FILES project) |