Spyros Protosaltis at newsit.gr: DYPA implements the biggest training action in the country

The biggest action in the country is implemented by the Public Employment Service ( ), according to what the operator’s commander, Spyros Protopsaltis at newssit.gr. This is a plan to boost employment by upgrading skills for 500,000 citizens. The IMIPA Commander said that the body “is implementing a broad framework of training interventions, focusing on the largest training programme ever carried out in our country, with resources of 1 billion from the Recovery and Durability Fund (TAA). It aims to upgrade the skills of 500,000 citizens by 2025, through which there are already over 270,000 unemployed and workers who have received relevant certifications in digital and green skills. In addition, DYPA has collaborated with leading technology-education companies (Amazon, Cisco, Coursera, Google, Microsoft, Huawei) as well as with leading Greek Universities to implement skill upgrading actions, directed towards areas in high demand from the labour market”, are some of what Mr Protopsaltis said about the training programmes that the IRS has and will implement. In detail, the interview of the DYPA commander at newssit.gr is as follows: Especially in recent years, it is clear that the IMIA has turned into training programmes against the employment subsidy programmes which have dominated the past 15 years. What’s the reason for this turn? Our determination to meet the real needs of citizens and the economy: reducing unemployment, increasing employment, good and stable jobs. As you know, companies in our country say that they have difficulty finding suitable personnel (ECB-SEBE 2024), while at the same time our country is in the European Skill Index (29th in a total of 31 states). So as the most important weapon in the fight against the deviation of qualifications and skills of the workforce from labour market requirements is training, in the IPP we have undertaken to implement a number of related interventions. At the same time, training actions respond to the European Commission’s 2030s Digital Policy Programme, consisting of specific objectives and objectives, guiding digital transformation across Europe. Specifically in the field of skills, a central objective is that at least 80% of Europe’s population should have basic digital skills by 2030. The initiatives we have implemented in the IRS have produced significant results in the fight against unemployment, as on the one hand we have invested in training, on the other hand we have continued to emphasise job subsidies. Through the employment programmes we have planned over the last five years, we have subsidized the creation of 200,000 new jobs, which reflects the IMIPA’s contribution to reducing the unemployment rate in the corresponding period, by almost 50%, in a historical low 15-year rate (9.3% in 2024 from 17.8% in 2019). In this direction, we continue, having already started with the first action of the new NSRF, the programme of professional experience for unemployed young people 18-29, which is very successful, while following the programme of entrepreneurship for the unemployed aged 30 to 59 years with emphasis on women, as you know, are 2/3 of the unemployed. The training programmes were financed and continued to be financed primarily by the Recovery Fund. Is there any provision for how the training programmes are financed after the forthcoming exhaustion of the resources of the Recovery Fund? Indeed, the IMPA implements a broad framework of training interventions, focusing on the largest training programme ever carried out in our country, with resources of 1 billion from the Recovery and Durability Fund (TAA) and the aim of upgrading the skills of 500,000 citizens by 2025, through which there are already over 270,000 unemployed and workers who have received relevant certifications in digital and green skills. In addition, we have worked with leading technology-education companies (Amazon, Cisco, Coursera, Google, Microsoft, Huawei) as well as with leading Greek Universities to implement skill upgrade actions, directed towards areas that are highly in demand from the labour market. On the basis of our programming, these actions will continue within 2025, with programmes drawn from the resources of the TAA, and then, as they support and strengthen citizens who seek work or want to enhance their résumé and qualifications. Let us not forget that the working environment is linked to and significantly affected by global trends and according to a relevant study by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), 40% of jobs in the EU are to be transformed in the coming years due to artificial intelligence and automation. In this ever-changing context, training actions are one of our most important priorities in the ISPA to ensure modern and effective training and retraining for the unemployed and workers in our country and no one is left behind. It is almost 2 years since the “Works Again” bill was passed, which provided for, among other things, the “work allowance”. How many are the subsidised unemployed, according to the latest data available to you, who receive the work allowance, who have been employed in a company and what percentage of the total subsidised unemployed are? One of the objectives of the “Tasks Again” bill was to give DYPA tools suitable for the positive mobilisation of citizens who are outside the labour market. After all, faster job integration and reintegration of the unemployed only has good results for themselves and for society and the economy. Law 4921/2022 therefore provided, for the first time, for the possibility of granting work allowance, on the basis that any subsidised unemployed person who finds work before the end of the subsidy is entitled to 50% of the rest of the subsidy as additional to his salary. Since the start of the implementation of the new allowance in 2023, 20,000 unemployed who joined earlier jobs and received the new work allowance, with 4,000 being the beneficiaries for 2024. DYPA has moved on to a series of Memorandums of Cooperation with private sector enterprises in terms of Schools of Discipline. What are the next steps in this field? Given that technical professions are crucial for productive transformation and development and that the country’s businesses record increased deficiencies in many of them we have put as our priority the interconnection of the specialties provided by the 50 Vocational Schools (EPS) Apprenticeship, the 30 Higher Vocational Training Schools (SEKs) as well as the 7 Experimental EPAs established in 2021, with the needs of the labour market. We have moved on to a series of partnerships aimed at upgrading our school curriculum and creating new specialities. Through our cooperation with the Hellenic Air Industry (EB), we operated in EPAS Chalkidas the specialty “Airship Engineer”, enabling graduates to be hired and have an excellent career in EAB. The collaboration with ONEX Shipyards and Technologies Group, in the field of the Blue Economy, was followed, in which we established this year a new branch of Eleftsina Eleftsina in Neorio, Syros, with the speciality “Artisan of Shipbuilding Industry”. At the same time, we have worked with NISSAN NIK. 1. THEHARAKIS for the specialties of EPSA Redi “Body Technician” and “Manufacturer of Machines and Systems of Contract and Electric Car”. At the same time, with the organization of Open Days – Meet the Schools of DYPA, we brought young people and young people together, informed them about our work in Vocational Education and Training and thus this year we had a record of applications for the EPAs, which exceeded 7,000. Our goal is to continue this outward course of cooperation and partnerships, broadening our graduates’ prospects of professional rehabilitation and fueling businesses with trained and skilled manpower. For some time now the platform has been running, JOBmatch by DYPA for tourism and catering sectors. Are you planning to join other branches on this platform? As a main competitive product of the Greek economy, the tourism industry has made an impressive return after the pandemic period and in recent years, as it continues to grow dynamically, it is pressed by the shortages of skilled human resources. The launch of the JOBmatch application came last May to enhance those seeking work in all industry-related specialties and facilitate their immediate and unmediated contact with businesses seeking staff. Soon, businesses using JOBmatch touched 2,500, with job seekers over 17,000. The “massage” through the application exceeded 26,000 and interviews reached 6,900. As far as continuity is concerned, DYPA plans to put into effect another special tool for coupling supply and demand for labour. This is another innovation that we are developing with resources from the TAA. The matching tool we design will use sophisticated system management techniques. Based on mechanical learning, it will process the characteristics of job-seekers, such as qualifications, skills, certifications, etc., evaluate and customize available positions and qualifications, and then present the ideal “massing” (skills-based matching), as well as make suggestions, such as for skills upgrade etc. In recent years you have adopted the institution of Career Day. Is the success of these events the reasoning that led to the decision to make Career Day abroad and what other actions are you implementing to strengthen the citizens seeking work? We started organizing the DYPA Career Days in September 2021 and have now reached the 36th event, which we organize in Kavala on 7 December. Career Days are open events, through which we enable those looking for work, regardless of whether they are registered or not in the DYPA registries, to chat incessantly with business representatives and claim jobs that fit their professional profile. The response we have is impressive, as the number of businesses has now exceeded 1,700 with more than 57,000 jobs, with over 60,000 citizens coming and confirmed recruitments exceeding 7,500. The Career Day we organize on December 14th in Düsseldorf is part of the actions we are implementing in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Last September we signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Deputy Foreign Minister George Kotsira, through which we agreed that the two bodies should take initiatives aimed at bringing Greeks abroad closer together and informing about the opportunities for work in our country. Our goal is none other than to re-invite Greece to contribute to the critical for the future brain gas. It is important that leading business groups responded and thus in Düsseldorf representatives over 40 businesses will attend, with more than 1,000 jobs in cutting-edge specialties. Along with Career Days, we have proceeded to create actions in the field of Counselling. Especially in the fields of job and entrepreneurship, Counselling has been developing rapidly in recent years at international level to help citizens adapt to the new requirements emerging in the workplace. From 2023, we started conducting online team workshops (e-workshops), on the subject of job search techniques. The impressive response prompted us to organize events exclusively targeted at Counselling, JobReady by DYPA, as well as the decision to join living workshops at the IMIPA Promotion Centres (CPA2) throughout the territory. More than 14,000 citizens have now participated in Counselling actions. We have already organized 4 JobReady events by DYPA in Athens and Thessaloniki, and the next one will take place on Wednesday, December 4th in Patras. Our aim is to continuously develop new, innovative actions and programmes, geared to supporting and mobilising those seeking work, while extending our support to the business world, to contribute to the national objective set by the Prime Minister to reduce unemployment below 8% by 2027.