Greece ranks 24th out of 27 EU countries in terms of citizen participation in Vocational Education and Training (VET). Improving VET is essential, as the appropriate reforms and modernisation can boost employment and productivity. However, educators in Vocational High Schools (EPAL) lack the appropriate tools to give proper support to their students.
This issue underlines the urgent need for a new educational approach in VET, which will concentrate on skills development for both students and teachers, aligning vocational education with the demands of the current job market.
The programme ‘EPAL Students Develop Transferable Skills for their Present and Future and Connect with the Job Market’, which is implemented by The Tipping Point with the support of the Bodossaki Foundation, aims to empower the student and educational community while bringing VET up to date.
Specifically, during the programme, EPAL first and second-year students:
1. Participate in live group sessions with professional mentors.
2. Are given useful information about their career prospects and modern working conditions.
3. Discover career paths based on their interests.
4. Participate in an educational workshop focused on developing transferable skills: critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.
5. Prepare for the modern job market.
Educators implementing the programme:
1. Participate in online training to support their students.
2. Learn the importance of questioning, and how targeted questions can help both themselves and their students develop transferable skills.
3. Are empowered and upgrade their role as educators by incorporating modern digital tools into the educational process.
The programme involves 487 students from 12 EPAL schools across Greece, supported by 35 educators.
