The member countries of the European Union have begun to implement educational laws that adapt vocational training to the new guidelines in order to achieve the objectives proposed by Europe. The European Commission has made vocational training a cornerstone of the common policy. In this regard, the Committee on the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Social Fund Plus in Council Recommendation 2020/C417/01 specifies that it seeks to “ensure better matching of education and training systems to the labour market and equal access to lifelong learning opportunities for all, through upskilling and retraining pathways.”
THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING MODEL IN GREECE
In Greece, Vocational Training lasts 3 years and is taught at the vocational education school (Epalgematiko Lykeio, EPAL). This training, which leads to a specialization degree, accounts for more than 25% of work-based learning. Once you have obtained your VET qualification, you have the possibility of taking the official national exams for access to higher education. One of the main priorities of the Government of Greece in education policy is to adapt training to the needs of the labour market. For this reason, in 2020 the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs introduced a new Law (4763/2020) with the aim of regulating Vocational Training and establishing it at the national level at levels 3, 4 and 5 of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). With this new law, they seek to offer more labour market-oriented training that facilitates the transition from education to the labour market and contributes to reducing youth unemployment.