Germany and Greece extend their VET cooperation
Germany and Greece have extended their cooperation for four years. The major objectives are combating youth unemployment and strengthening employability.
On 16 February Thomas Rachel, Parliamentary State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research, and Dimitrios Baxevanakis, Deputy Minister of the Greek Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs have signed the Joint Declaration of Intent. Pausanias Papageorgiou, General Secretary for Life Long Learning of the Greek Ministry, and Iraklis Pliakis, adviser of the Deputy Minister of the Greek Ministry of Education, were also present at the signing ceremony.
The Joint Declaration of Intent was developed in cooperation with GOVET and constitutes the framework for the next four years. Greece envisages enlarging its activities based on the outcome of the pilot activities of the past years. Moreover, Greece seeks to focus on young people with special needs.
The German-Greek cooperation in VET started in 2012. The main focus of the five-year cooperation was laid on the enhancement of in-company training and the orientation to the demands of the labor market.
“MENDI – Mentoring dual International” is one of the joint projects within the framework of the German-Greek cooperation. The DEKRA Academy implements the project in cooperation with the German-Greek chamber of commerce AHK Athens, the Greek employment agency OAED and further German and Greek partners. The project partners have developed a three-years training for cooks, hotel managers or restaurant managers in orientation on the German Dual system. At the end of 2016 the first apprentices have completed their training. The following year’s class will graduate in 2017.
Several feasibility studies provide an important basis for the German-Greek cooperation. The German-Greek chamber of commerce AHK Athens is currently carrying out a feasibility study in the agricultural sector. The goal is to assess the merits of a possible pilot training project in the Greek agricultural sector.
The studies are financed by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research. GOVET provides advisory assistance.