The 2008 financial crisis took a significant toll on the Greek labour market, aggravating already high unemployment rates across all age groups and almost all sectors. The education and training system is not fully aligned with the changing demands of the labour market. Rapid technological improvement and digitalisation are resulting in certain jobs becoming obsolete, while others are emerging.

The low employability of graduates in Greece complicates their transition into employment, with many employers reporting difficulties filling vacancies because of skills mismatches. Recent labour market trends show a need for intermediate professional qualifications that combine vocational and general education. Yet, the lack of work experience of vocational education and training (VET) graduates remains an issue.

The Post-Secondary Year - Apprenticeship Class is an optional pathway that combines learning and practice, providing vocational high school – known in Greece as EPAL – graduates with the opportunity to gain work experience. Greece piloted the Apprenticeship Class in 2016 and expanded its application in EPAL nationwide in 2017. Apprenticeship opportunities help to tackle youth unemployment, facilitate the transition to employment, provide the workforce with better professional skills, and better match training and labour market needs.

The Apprenticeship Class has grown into an 11-month programme aiming to ensure that students gain relevant knowledge and skills. An innovative aspect is that the training guides are written by experts, trainers and professionals with the assistance of the social partners or other public or private bodies and are specifically tailored to each specialty. Each training guide contains: a) curriculum, b) requirements to enter the profession, c) professional functions and standards, d) expected learning outcomes, e) a timetable, f) a description of teachers’ required qualifications, g) teaching methods and required equipment, h) qualification paths and i) certification process, including a certification question repository for the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) exams.

The specialties of the programme are by law tailored to national and regional economic needs, and they cover various sectors, such as information science, mechanical engineering, construction, environment and natural resources, administration, economics, agronomy-food technology and nutrition, or occupations in the merchant marine sector (captain, mechanic). Thus, the 26 specialties that are currently available, include, for instance: food and beverage technology technician, silver-gold-smithing (jewellery designer-maker), infant care assistant, automotive technician, aesthetic art (cosmetology) or crop production technician.

The Post-Secondary Year – Apprenticeship Class is part of Greece’s national apprenticeship system. It is supervised by the General Secretariat of Vocational Education, Training, Lifelong Learning and Youth (GGDVMNG) of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. The Directorate of Policy Planning and Development of VET and Lifelong Learning is responsible for planning, monitoring and evaluating policies, programmes and actions for VET and lifelong learning, coordinating the relevant bodies, monitoring, and international/European representation. It is also responsible for linking VET graduates with the labour market, regulating the quality of education and training for the Apprenticeship Class. The Directorate coordinates and monitors the apprenticeship programme, collects and maintains statistical data, cooperates with stakeholders to find positions for apprentices, and designs and implements curricula.

The Directorate for the Implementation of Vocational Training organises, supervises and evaluates the implementation of the Post-Secondary Year - Apprenticeship Class.

Other entities responsible for delivering the Apprenticeship Class are: 1) Regional Directorates of Education, 2) EPAL and 3) laboratory centres (EK).

Law 4763/2020 introduced one regional and two national bodies responsible for planning and coordinating policies on VET and lifelong learning: 

1) National level - the Central Council for Vocational Education and Training (KSEEK) proposes VET and lifelong learning policy design. It monitors labour market developments, including data from the Labour Market Diagnosis System, and formulates proposals to adjust vocational professional sectors and specialties to labour market needs.

2) National level - the Central Scientific Committee (KEE) supports the GGDVMNG and the KSEEK. It engages in scientific research, study and documentation on the quality of VET and lifelong learning programmes. The Committee comprises a tertiary teacher, VET experts, VET teachers and representatives from the Ministry of Education, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP) and the Institute of Educational Policy (IEP).

3) Regional level - the Liaison Council for the Production and Labour Market (SSPAE) consists of representatives of vocational education institutes, secondary vocational schools, the Labour Employment Office (OAED), vocational schools, regional authorities, and employers’ and employees’ representatives. It mobilises local businesses to participate in apprenticeship programmes and supports the KSEEK by offering consultation on courses, programmes and activities.

Finally, the IEP, in cooperation with social partners and public/private bodies, designs and compiles the training guides for each specialty. EOPPEP validates the inputs and outputs of the vocational training institutes (IEK) and the Apprenticeship Class.

The Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Labour, Social Insurance and Social Solidarity, and the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) launched the thematic country review (TCR) in July 2015 to evaluate apprenticeships. The TCR took stock of existing experiences and policy developments between 2013-2016, and provided policy recommendations for the development and operationalisation of the new apprenticeship system.

In 2018, the IEP evaluated the first year of implementation of the Post-Secondary Year – Apprenticeship Class. It identified challenges and suggested ways to improve.

In 2019, Greece was one of the first countries to participate in the benchlearning process that aims to make progress on existing national systems using a common method defined by peers. In the case of apprenticeship, the benchlearning process fosters the implementation of the Council Recommendation on the European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships, fully supported by SMEunited. In addition to mutual learning, the process involves self-assessment.

Finally, in 2020, the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises presented a special report on initial vocational education and training (I-VET), which included the Post-Secondary Year – Apprenticeship Class. The report concluded with policy recommendations to improve I-VET, suggesting that this could be done by focusing on four key factors: 1) improving the governance system of VET and adopting effective administration to enhance the flexibility and extroversion of the education provided, 2) enhancing work-based learning, 3) developing and implementing an integrated quality framework for VET and 4) design special curricula of sectoral character with a view to improving the link to the labour market.

The various feedback led to an improved apprenticeship scheme that involves the social partners in the design of new curricula and system governance and also adapts to labour market needs.

The close monitoring of the of the Post-Secondary Year – Apprenticeship Class programme’s implementation since 2017, has shown that:

a) the programme would not have become a popular educational pathway without the passionate support of VET teachers who are involved and play a key role in almost all stages of its implementation;

b) key stakeholders and social partners must be involved in the governance of the Post-Secondary Year – Apprenticeship Class, as well as in the design of apprenticeship curricula, since they can provide insights of the labour market needs and bridge the gap between education and workplace;

c) the dual system of courses at the school and workplace training is a core element of the programme and should remain intact. It seems that this system makes the apprentices’ transition from being students to being employees much smoother.

As a result of these lessons learned, a series of legislative changes lead to the enactment of a new law for VET and Lifelong Learning in 2021. The law incorporates all the necessary changes as suggested by the monitoring outcomes.