It is wonderful when a good thing is repeated. My good friend Olga Papakyriakou has been nominated, once again to represent Greece in Brussels as the Vocation Guidance Ambassador of Greece. I am very proud of my friend. Furthermore, I would like to congratulate her on the hard work she has put in the work she does to help students and their future. Olga is promoting vocational programs instigated by the European Union for high school students that would assure them employment in the future.

Ambassador of Greece for Vocational Skills Week in Brussels.

As an active member of the educational community, I do consider these programs as vital in the school communities. It is also wonderful when Corporate Companies in the Private Sector become interested and actively take part in providing work experience for students. In turn, this would inspire them and would help them decide for their future.

You might ask, ” How can companies in the private and even the public work within these Vocational Programs that have been formulated by the EU?”

• They can work with the Education Department linking them with School Communities in the area. This would enable school students to gain an opportunity to work in a natural work environment focusing on the professions that exist. This would then assure employment in society. *
• School Counsellors can organize “Career Evenings” with career advisors of each and every school in the district for parents, guardians, senior high school students, and the public.
• Companies in Tourism, IT, Construction, Design, Business, Logistics, Marketing, and Administration can work with Departmental School Counsellors and School appointed teachers working as Career advisors to work out a ‘project plan’ study for students to follow and report about to their peers, after their ‘work experience’.
• ” Work Experience” can be planned for senior high school students entering their 3 final years of (Lykeio). This would surely help students to see what the job market has to offer.

Once again, you might ask, ” What would the students gain from this work?”

• First of all, it would provide perspective, motivation and 3 to 6 opportunities to select a vocation or a profession they would grow to love.
• It would give them the chance to gain confidence and a mindset with ‘work sense’.
• It gives them the guidelines to follow a vocation or a profession where they can work as a volunteer, with ‘feedback’ and ‘recognition’.
• It provides the School Communities to award a reference or references to graduating students who have completed the Vocational Guidance program that would be attached to their first CV.
• It would also help the student to create a network of opportunities to find work in a professional environment with the previous experience of having worked and having been awarded.

Youth are our future, let’s help them pave their way to a brighter and more prosperous future.

This program hopes to pave the way for the young generation to open doors for prospects for work in the future.

Written by,
Debbie Papadakis