Greece: Challenges and Perspectives in Vocational Guidance in a post-crisis era

The aim of the chapter is to examine some of the challenges and perspectives of vocational guidance in Greece, focusing mainly on counselling for migrants and refugees, the demographic change, the ageing workforce and the jobs of the future. A knowledge of the language and the recognition of their skills are important aspects of the integration of migrants and refugees into society and the labour market. However, access to education and training is fragmented, is inconsistent and largely fails to recognise prior qualifications. Access to the labour market, although it is officially relatively simple, is prohibited by several obstacles, such as a lack of language skills, a maze-like bureaucracy, high unemployment rates and discriminatory practices. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and international organisations are usually the main providers of support, training, vocational guidance and employability services for refugees. Some successful examples of supportive measures and programmes will be presented. However, further support is needed for the refugees’ economic and social inclusion. Demographic change and the ageing population, coupled with the brain drain of the last decade, is another challenge for Greece. For the older workforce, outdated skills and perceptions, a lack of high digital literacy, employers’ negative perceptions and, most importantly, a lack of motivation and despair due to long-term unemployment during the recession are important challenges that a vocational counsellor needs to help people to overcome. Finally, the digitalisation of the Greek public sector and job market, although it has been delayed, has moved faster over the last decade and has been seriously accelerated by the effect of COVID-19 pandemic. This is a rapid but much-needed change for the Greek economy, transforming most of the traditional professions. The role of vocational guidance in Greece is critical for the integration of the skills and knowledge of refugees, which can balance out the effects of the ageing workforce, and for the bridging of the acceleration of technology with the individuals’ career goals and plans.