Mitsotakis and Karamouzis at the 44th ‘Career Day’ of Public Employment Service: ‘Our Goal is to Help Our Fellow Citizens Find Jobs’

The 44th ‘Career Day’, organized by the Public Employment Service, was visited midday by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Peristeri Exhibition Center. He had the opportunity to tour the booths of over 230 participating companies and spoke with employers and job seekers. Mitsotakis was informed by the Minister of Labor and Social Insurance, Niki Kerameos, and the Director of Public Employment Service, Spyros Protosaltis, about the progress of the initiative, which has helped more than 10,000 people find jobs so far, as well as about ‘Career Days’ held in major cities abroad like Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, and London to enhance the brain gain dynamic. The fourth event will take place later this month in Stuttgart. Concluding his visit, the Prime Minister stated: ‘I believe, Minister and Director, it’s a common notion that the Public Employment Service has changed course in recent years, something we are particularly pleased about, confirmed by the highly successful ‘Career Days’ institution. We are here today in Peristeri for the 44th ‘Career Day,’ with over 200 companies and more than 6,000 job openings proposed. It’s truly a celebration of the labor market. It’s encouraging to see how both businesses and job seekers have embraced this tradition. Our task, as unemployment decreases and more jobs are created, is to ensure every business finds the employee they need and every worker finds the job they desire, meeting their expectations.’ This is precisely what we achieve through programs like ‘Career Days,’ which will continue both domestically and internationally. It’s very encouraging to see ‘Career Days’ going abroad, addressing the brain drain generation, which is gradually turning into a brain gain generation as trust in our country and labor market prospects grow. Many young people who left during the crisis are now returning home. I would like to close by congratulating the staff of the Public Employment Service, always smiling while serving both businesses and primarily the workers and unemployed who come with hope for a better future.’ Minister of Labor and Social Insurance Niki Kerameos noted: ‘Our main goal is to be useful to society, helping our fellow citizens find work and assisting businesses in finding employees. As unemployment in our country has decreased by 50% in the last six years, the challenge of finding workers for these many new job openings is significant, and it is the duty of the Ministry of Labor and the Public Employment Service to stay close to the people, to act as the field of connection between supply and demand. For this reason, we are here. The heart of the labor market beats today and tomorrow in Peristeri, where thousands of our fellow citizens will come either to find work or because they want to change jobs. We thank you very much, Mr. President, for your presence, and greatly appreciate the administration of the PES and, if you allow me, every employee of the Public Employment Service and the Ministry of Labor, who make tremendous efforts to reach our goals. And the result is one: through ‘Career Days,’ more than 10,000 of our fellow citizens have found jobs. We will constantly strive to increase this number, further strengthen employment, create new job opportunities, and reduce unemployment in our country.’ Director of PES Spyros Protosaltis mentioned: ‘I want to thank Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for honoring us with his presence again. Our Prime Minister and Mrs. Kerameos have strongly supported this institution because it delivers results. People find jobs and businesses find personnel through these events. That’s why we’ve gone to 18 cities in the last 3.5 years, with an impressive response from the public. It has become an established institution, a celebration of the labor market, because the mission of the Public Employment Service is to help the unemployed find work.’ Earlier, the Prime Minister visited a store in Peristeri created with funding from PES, through a program targeting unemployed youth aged 18-29, with special emphasis on women, who represent 60% of beneficiaries. Mitsotakis had the chance to discuss with the two siblings who developed a business plan, received funding, turned from unemployed to creating their own business, and now generate jobs. ‘You’ve created an amazing business, funded by PES, with a program designed to support the unemployed, mainly young women, and now you’ve become an employer from being unemployed. And with excellent coffee, I recommend it,’ the Prime Minister noted, addressing one of the two owners of the store.