Refernet Newsletter Greece: VET Apprenticeship and Certification System
Launched by the Ministry of Education in March 2017, the EPAL (secondary vocational lyceum) Apprenticeship Class, offers the EPAL graduates the opportunity to upgrade their educational qualifications and obtain work experience. The programme lasts for nine months leading to a qualification at EQF level 5 as well as the corresponding professional license in accordance with the applicable legislation. It combines a seven-hour laboratory course of specialisation in the competent EPAL and/or Lab Centre (once a week) and the “Workplace Education Programme – Apprenticeship at work” in public and private companies (28 hours/ four days per week). During the latter, the apprentices receive a salary of 75% of the legal minimum wage and full insurance coverage, so that they become familiar with the rights and obligations of workers and so that employers acquire a sense of commitment to the apprentices’ training.
The third phase of Apprenticeship Class is currently implemented with very promising results. This year, students had the opportunity to apply in 21 specialties (5 more than in 2017 the second phase of implementation). In total there were 5.000 applications, marking a 50% raise in comparison to last year. Classes are expected to be completed by the end of June, bringing us very close to the normalization of the procedure so that all the stakeholders can schedule accordingly.
Furthermore, 48% of the placements is in the private sector, raising significantly the private sector participation in the apprenticeship scheme from the last year’s percentage of 25% and proving that the new institution meets the acceptance of the labor market.
- The chart below is presenting the number of apprentices per specialty, in order of preference, and the type of employer status (private or public sector) in which those apprentices were employed, according to data provided by the EPAL schools
Specialty | Apprentices employed in |
Total | |||||
|
Private Sector |
Public Sector |
Not confirmed by the Epal School data | |||||
|
Phase A |
Phase B |
Phase A |
Phase B |
Phase A |
Phase B | ||
|
Vehicle Technician |
125 |
442 |
87 |
171 |
– |
8 |
833 |
|
Electronic and Computational Systems, Installations, Networks and Telecommunications Technician |
66 |
171 |
128 |
258 |
– |
6 |
629 |
|
Assistant Nurse |
21 |
87 |
126 |
256 |
– |
1 |
491 |
|
Administration and Finance Clerk |
24 |
81 |
239 |
332 |
7 |
8 |
691 |
|
Cooling, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technician |
– |
104 |
– |
48 |
– |
1 |
153 |
|
Informatics Application Technician |
20 |
74 |
146 |
214 |
11 |
9 |
474 |
|
Crop Production Technician |
23 |
54 |
47 |
98 |
– |
4 |
226 |
|
Day Nurser Assistant |
– |
72 |
– |
113 |
– |
– |
185 |
|
Electrical Systems, Installations and Networks Technician |
– |
67 |
2 |
104 |
– |
– |
173 |
|
Food and Drink Technology Technician |
– |
50 |
– |
4 |
– |
3 |
57 |
|
Beautician |
– |
34 |
– |
2 |
– |
12 |
48 |
|
Tourism Business Clerk |
2 |
31 |
– |
15 |
– |
– |
48 |
|
Assistant Physiotherapist |
1 |
24 |
– |
17 |
1 |
– |
43 |
|
Construction Work and Geoinformatics Engineer |
9 |
6 |
31 |
48 |
2 |
2 |
98 |
|
Graphic Arts |
– |
8 |
– |
10 |
– |
– |
18 |
|
Medical-Biological Laboratory Assistant |
– |
1 |
– |
31 |
– |
8 |
40 |
|
Σύνολο |
1.597 |
2.527 |
83 |
4.207 |
In July 2018 the first phase of the certification process for the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Apprenticeship Scheme took place. More specifically, 340 apprenticeship graduates successfully completed the exams that were organised by the National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP). EPAL graduates (graduates from Vocational Upper-Secondary Schools) of seven (7) different specialties were examined, while graduates of these seven, plus another nine – sixteen specialties (16) in total – will be examined in the second phase which will be conducted on February 17th, 2019.
The sixteen specialties examined in the first and second phases are presented in the chart above.
In addition to these 16 specialties, the following three were pilot-examined in the first phase : a) Electrical Installations Technician, b) Electrical Systems, Installations and Network Technician and c) Modern Entrepreneurial Agriculture.
The adoption and gradual expansion of the Apprenticeship scheme, including the certification, is an essential part of the country’s strategy for upgrading VET and central to raising VET attractiveness for graduates, as an alternative course for upgrading their professional qualifications.
