Cedefop expert, Anastasia Pouliou participated in the conference 'Empowering Greece with skills for a sustainable future’ organized by DYPA - Greek Public Employment Service, which took place in Athens on March 4, 2024 in the framework of the European Year of Skills in Greece. The event was held at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre. The conference aimed to spotlight Greece's efforts to enhance the skills of its human capital, with a focus on the need for lifelong learning and the way to tackle the immense changes in the labour market caused by the twin green and digital transition. Key stakeholders from Greece and abroad, including members of the European and Greek Parliaments and Government officials, leaders from the business and education sectors, social partners and civil society organizations as well as representatives from other European countries attended the event.
This was an opportunity to promote not only Cedefop’s expertise and contribution in the European Year of skills but also show how Greek stakeholders can benefit from the extensive research work and tools Cedefop has developed (related to skills intelligence, skills policies and microcredentials).
Microcredentials hold promise for connecting people’s skillsets with labour market demand in a rapidly changing world of work. They have proliferated in recent years across economic sectors and education levels, reinforcing European and national efforts to understand and develop them better. Cedefop´s research on microcredentials shows that they can be a tool for tackling skill shortages of unemployed, low skilled adults as long as they are recognized by employers and are based on #qualityassurance principles. They can supply some of the #skills Europe needs to tackle the #permacrisis with #permaskilling, offering learners targeted training for better employment prospects, and helping employers improve employee retention and productivity.
The entire event (as it was live streamed) and the presentation by Mr Protopsaltis, Governor and National Coordinator of the European Year of Skills can be watched on DYPA's official YouTube channel.