Reference year 2019
1Scheme history
The scheme is a continuation of previous apprenticeship schemes provided by the national public employment service. It exists since the 1950s, but with variations. Formally, the current format as it exists today was introduced in 2006 and was regulated with the enactment of Law 3475/2006 ‘Structure and operation of secondary vocational education’. It builds on experience from previous years.
EPAS Apprenticeship programmes provide young people with a combination of class-based theoretical education and on-the-job training in both private and public sector in order to help them acquire professional experience in real work conditions so as to facilitate their integration to the labour market.
2Beneficiaries
EPAS admit students aged 16-23 who must have completed at least the first grade of the Upper Secondary School (“Lykeio”), either the general or the vocational one.
EPAS students’ profile (age range, educational background, etc.) is not published at the official web page of the Manpower Employment Organization. Relevant data (microdata) are kept for statistical reasons at the relevant authority due to the funding of apprenticeship programs from European Social Fund.
5,512 learners were enrolled in the scheme in 2018/2019.
Participation has been declining since the early 2000s, with a significantly lower average in the years of the economic crisis (dropped from 18,445 pupils enrolled in 2001-02 to 12,954 in 2008-09 and then ranging between 10.5 and 11.5 thousand until 2014-15).
Since 2015-16, the drop continues, but private employers are increasing in share (also in number compared with the previous period).
Table: Apprentices by school-year, class and type of employer
| School-year | Class | Public sector | Private sector | % of private |
| 2015-16 | A | 2,301 | 1,506 | 39.56 |
| B | 2,246 | 875 | 28.04 | |
| 2016-17 | A | 2,000 | 1,481 | 42.55 |
| B | 2,029 | 1,369 | 40.29 | |
| 2017-18 | A | 1,640 | 1,468 | 47.23 |
| B | 1,747 | 1,308 | 42.82 |
Source: OAED data provided at the National Coordination Body for Apprenticeship
In 2018-19, 6,100 students enrolled in both A & B class, and in 2019-20, 5,500 students.
Graph: Total enrolments in OAED EPAS apprenticeship, by year
Source: OAED data provided at the National Coordination Body for Apprenticeship
NB: blue column: male, red column: female
3Qualifications
EQF/NQF level 4 (not yet regulated by law)
Technical Vocational Education Schools (Upper secondary education) (Epagelmatiki Sxoli (EPAS), prog. 10032, ISCED-P 2011 level 353 (ISCED97 - 3C).
The qualification awarded on completion of EPAS programmes is the Vocational School (EPAS) Certificate, originally foreseen to be at EQF/NQF Level 4 (not yet regulated by law).
The development of EPAS apprenticeship programmes is based on qualification standards and occupational profiles following the legal framework and the relevant lists provided by the National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications & Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP).
Although in the national context the programmes are considered to be offered outside the formal system, the qualifications are formally recognised and included in the NQF. The qualification awarded on completion of EPAS programmes is the Vocational School (EPAS) Certificate at EQF/NQF Level 4 (foreseen in EOPPEP referencing report, not regulated by law yet).
Direct access is only possible to post-secondary education and training. EPAS graduates can enroll in IEK (Vocational Training Institutes, providing qualifications at EQF/NQF level 5).
Access to higher education requires enrolment to the last year(s) of upper-secondary VET school-based programmes (EPAL), including evening ones.
Otherwise, graduates can move directly to the labour market.
The duration of EPAS Apprenticeship Schools is 2 school years.
4Governance
The Manpower Employment Organisation (OAED) is the Greek Public Employment Service (PES) is the main authority operating and supervising most schools offering the EPAS apprenticeship scheme. EPAS schools, will operate until school year 2020-2021 under the current institutional framework.
The operation of OAED is based on the following three pillars: (i) promotion of employment; (ii) unemployment insurance and social protection of maternity and family; (iii) vocational education and training. OAED is the public authority and central structure managing:
- Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) for reducing unemployment, promoting employment, and vocational training for both unemployed and employed citizens.
- Passive Labour Market Policies (PLMPs) concerning unemployment insurance measures (regular unemployment benefit) and other social security benefits and allowances (family allowance, maternity allowance etc.).
- ALMPs for initial vocational education combined with on-the-job training (including through the EPAS Apprenticeship scheme).
More specifically, OAED is a legal entity of public law supervised by the Hellenic Ministry of Labour, Social Insurance, and Welfare. It is directed by its Governor and Administrative Board.
Composition of the Administrative Board is based on the principle of tripartite representation, since, not only state bodies but also employer and employee associations participate in it, as representatives of the social partners.
OAED structure consists of the Central Administration, seven Regional Directorates, the network of local Public Employment Services (PES) –also known as Employment Promotion Centres (KPA2) –, and its educational units (EPAS, IEK and KEK).
Given the expansion of VET and apprenticeship provision through various schemes at various levels, in the national strategic framework regarding the expansion of VET system, coordination of VET governance, including apprenticeships, is promoted through the establishment of the National Committee and the Technical Committee for VET. In particular, according to the law 4485/2017 (article 79):
- The purpose of the National Committee for VET is the coordination and monitoring of the implementation of the actions for upgrading of Vocational Education and training, including apprenticeships, as well as the support to the initiatives by the Ministries of Education and Labour on major issues of their competence related to the implementation of these actions.
- The Purpose of the Technical Committee for VET is to support the work of the National Committee for VET, to monitor the implementation of the National Strategic Framework for the upgrading of Vocational Education, Training and Apprenticeship and to make proposals/ submissions to the National Committee, concerning matters related to apprenticeship. The Technical Committee of VET, for the implementation of its competences, as appropriate:
- Considers the Development Priorities of the country on a national, regional and local level
- Takes into account the suggestions of the Regional Committees of VET, any apprenticeships associations, the social partners and other stakeholders,
- Considers the outputs of the Labour Market Needs Analysis Mechanism of the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Social Solidarity
The National and the Technical Committee consist of Ministry and national institutions representatives and covers all VET, including apprenticeships.
For apprenticeships in particular, the National Apprenticeship Coordinating Body was also established aiming to improve the institutional framework for apprenticeship and the design, implementation and evaluation of apprenticeship schemes. It includes social partners, employers' and employees' organizations and local authorities - in addition to the representatives of the Ministry of Education representatives of the Ministry of Labor and OAED.
At national level the competent bodies for these functions in apprenticeships are the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour and OAED.
Social partners sit on OAED’s Administration Board and thus they can directly influence the type and nature of measures, interventions and programmes that OAED develops and implements, including apprenticeships. So far, the involvement of social partners in the design, implementation and assessment of apprenticeship schemes has been limited.
When drafting apprenticeship curricula, OAED takes into consideration the relevant occupational profiles, which are developed by national level social partners under the supervision of EOPPEP (Social partners are also represented in EOPPEP’s governing board).
Since 2016-17, involvement of social partners, chambers and labour market representatives is further promoted in the overall apprenticeship governance:
- The National Apprenticeship Coordinating Body, aiming to improve the institutional framework for apprenticeship and the design, implementation and evaluation of apprenticeship programmes, includes social partners, employers' and employees' organizations and local authorities - in addition to the representatives of the Ministry of Education representatives of the Ministry of Labor and OAED.
- Representatives of relevant ministries, social partners, the Central Association of Chambers, and the National Institute for Labour and Human Capital, participate in the National Council for Education and Development of the Human Capital. The council’s aim is to provide advice and scientific guidance on major issues related to the design of educational policy in the context of the promotion of knowledge , sustainable development, the use of human resources capacities, the promotion of inclusive employment and, in general, the link between education and the labour market and employment.
- In addition, the selection and the development of the occupational profiles as well as the development of the apprenticeship curricula will take into account the outcomes of the national Mechanism of Diagnosis of Labour Market Needs, in which social partners and labour market authorities are represented and/or contribute with their input.
According to Article 4 of Common Ministerial Decision no. 26385/16-2-2017, Quality Framework for Apprenticeship, representatives of social partners, sectoral associations or chambers may sit in the panel for the final assessment together with VET teachers. However, this provision is not integrated in the daily operation of the scheme yet.
At local level, newly established Teams supporting apprenticeship across schemes (comprising OAED and VET school teachers, both EPAS and EPAL) may include representatives of local chambers, employers’ and employees’ associations to reach out to local companies, in the effort to increase placements in the private sector.
EPAS Apprenticeship Schools traditionally launched training programmes for specialties according to the local labour market needs and their capacity in respective technological equipment. Each year EPAS Career Offices had annual deliberation with social partners, chambers and companies for the selection of specialties. The specialties that operated mostly over time were mainly related to craftsmen of various kinds (bakers, chefs, car technicians, electricians-mechanics, electronics, CNC, graphic arts,) as well as plumbers, silversmiths, watchmakers, carpenters, hairdressers and administrative staff.
There is not a regulated role for representatives of social partners in the actual delivery of the apprenticeship scheme.
5Training at the workplace
Regulations set by OAED for the EPAS scheme describe the common practice, i.e. four days per week shared between the enterprise and school, and one day only at school.
During the two years of study (grades A and B):
- four or five days a week (5th day being Saturday in some specialties) is devoted to workplace training at the workplace relevant to the specialty, according to a specified programme, combined with theoretical learning and workshops in EPAS schools in the afternoon
- one day a week is exclusively dedicated to school-based learning (in the morning) and 4 days in the afternoon).
Similar specialties can be also offered by school-based VET, but EPAS apprenticeship is a distinct apprenticeship scheme, different in many implementation aspects than the school-based VET provision at post-secondary level e.g. in terms of duration and training content, and also different from the recently introduced EPAL and IEK apprenticeship schemes at post-secondary level. Other organization features are common for all schemes (e.g. wage, social insurance, quality conditions).
Curricula are developed in particular for the EPAS apprenticeship scheme and are distinct from those developed for other forms of VET provision.
OAED has successfully implementing the system of Apprenticeship in Greece since 1952. The Organization is active in vocational education and training through its 50 Vocational Apprenticeship Schools (EPAS), its 30 Vocational Institutes (IEK) and 30 Career Offices.
Each year, about 5.000-6.000 (2018-19 data) pupils are enrolling in the EPAS Schools of OAED.
According to the Government Gazette 1500/B/07 and the Operating Rule of EPAS, the implementation of dual Apprenticeship lasts for two years.
Learning takes place in schools (for the theoretical and laboratory part) and in organizations of the Private and Public Sector for the on-the-job training part.
Students attending OAED Schools gain vocational experience in real working conditions by being trained in enterprises of all sectors of the economy and for many technical specialties.
Yes, according to Article 4 of Common Ministerial Decision no. 26385/16-2-2017, Quality Framework for Apprenticeship workplace learning should be based on educational programmes at the workplace that should be developed based on existing occupational profiles of each specialty and be updated accordingly with the occupational profiles (supervised by EOPPEP). In addition, workplace learning Programmes should be developed in accordance with the (recently introduced) Framework for Quality Curricula. These provisions apply across all apprenticeship schemes to ensure common quality standards.
A learning agreement should complement the apprenticeship contract, according to the same article. In practice, the specific article is not fully implemented. Nevertheless, OAED has recently developed pilot work based learning programmes (http://oaed.gr/programmata-matheses-sto-choro-ergasias).
According to Article 5 of Common Ministerial Decision no. 26385//16-2-2017, Quality Framework for Apprenticeship employers must:
- sign the Apprenticeship Contact
- provide good conditions for on-the-job training, have the appropriate facilities and equipment, and designate a trainer responsible for apprentices
- meet the necessary hygiene conditions and employee safety and provide them with necessary personal protective equipment during the workplace learning
- must inform the apprentice of the activities, objects and areas of the job and integrate it into the work environment.
- contribute to the acquisition of personal skills and the formation of work culture by the apprentice.
- comply with the terms of the apprenticeship agreement and the terms set out in the learning agreement.
There is no information on arrangements for compensation, in case a company cannot ensure the acquisition of all required learning outcomes for company-based learning as defined by the curriculum.
In practice, if the company fails to provide the indicated training, the contract can be eventually terminated, and the school would be less willing to co-operate with that company in the future.
6Contract and compensation
Apprentice is a specific status, as mentioned in the Quality Framework for Apprenticeship (Article 7, apprentice work and learning conditions)
(Quality Framework for Apprenticeship)
An apprenticeship contract is signed between the employer, the apprentice (or the apprentice’s guardian in case of an apprentice less than 18 years old) and the director of EPAS school. The contract is provided by the EPAS and has to state clearly the duration of the training programme and the obligations of the company. The employer has the obligation to facilitate the apprentice, by allowing them to attend their school training programme. Each signing party gets a copy of the contract (Article 2 of Common Ministerial Decision no. 26385/16-2-2017, Quality Framework for Apprenticeship / https://www.minedu.gov.gr/publications/docs2017/plaisio_mathiteias.pdf).
The tripartite contract is a specific type of contract, still regulated by the labour code.
All apprenticeship contracts are registered in the central information system used by the Ministry of Labour for all types of employment contracts under specific field for apprenticeships (ERGANH).
https://eservices.yeka.gr/(S(ppskitjb0fphgyesfo2k5iuj))/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f
Furthermore, apprentices in the public sector are registered also in the Greek State Payroll Registry.
Apprentices receive wage by employers that is in principle taxable.
In practice, the subsidised part of the wage (now paid directly to the apprentice, not through the company) is tax-free, reducing the taxable part below the taxation thresholds.
The remuneration of the apprentice amounts to 75% of the daily minimum wage (as determined by the National General Collective Labour Agreement/EGSEE) for all four semesters. The wage remains the same for each of the four semesters.
The employer’s contribution to the social security of the apprentice is set as the 37.78% of ½ of the actual wage the apprentice receives.
7Financing and incentives
According to the current provisions, the students of EPAS apprenticeship during the –workplace learning periods, are receive wage equal to 75% on the minimum daily wage of the unskilled worker (29.04 €), that is, 21.78 €.
Employers pay 11.39€ (25% of that amount, plus insurance contributions) and a subsidy tops up the remaining amount (14.5 €). The subsidy is paid directly to the apprentice and is co-financed by the NSRF 2014-2020 (ESF funding). Previously the employers used to receive this subsidy and pass it on the apprentices.
Employers pay approximately 25% of the set apprenticeship wage plus social protection and insurance contributions.
The bulk of the resources (€33,390,720) was provided by the ESF co-financed O.P “OP Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning 2014-2020”, with the rest of the planned resources coming from OAED’s own budget. The overall budget of OAED (the national PES) largely relies on enterprises contribution. Some of the budget is channeled to the operation of the apprenticeship scheme.
Enterprises participating in the program are subsidized for their apprentices. As of 1/2/2019, each apprentice is paid 21.78 € / day (75% of the wage) and the subsidy from the above-mentioned OP is 14.5 € while the employer pays the remaining amount and insurance contributions.