GREEK Diagnostic

 

1. A mapping for all laws, policies, and programmes that exist on a national, regional and/or local levels concerning the evaluation of competences  

1.a. Basic knowledge, key competence, illiteracy, analphabetism, what do we mean by that?

In Greece, Key competences cover three major domains:

  1. Linguistic competences: oral communication, written communication (reading, writing) (5,4% of the population have not those competences);
  2. Mathematical competences: capacity to handle numbers, count, work with sizes (percentages, volumes, …etc)
  3. Cognitive competences: logical reason, problem resolution, location in the space and time, concentration, memorizing …etc
  4. Operational analphabetic during various levels of the obligatory education.

Today, in the professional field, professionals prefer to speak about basic skills, and not about basic knowledge, because by doing so, they refer to the knowledge obtained in a professional context. Basic competences are the "heart" of the "8 key competences" defined by Europe (recommendation of the European parliament, in 2006)

 

1.b. The texts of law:

The Law 3094/1954 «Measurements Fighting of Alphabetism "are founded in central level, in the Ministry of Education, the Central Committee of Fighting of Illiteracy and the Prefectural Committees of Fighting of Illiteracy.            The Law 4397/79 was found the ‘’Public Education’’ with main subject the problem of illiteracy of adults. Entering the E.U. the Law 1143 / 31st March 1981 “Special Education, Special Professional Education, Employment and Social Care” for individuals of special care and other educational provisions.

By the Law 2218/94 the “Public Education Services” are transported to Prefectural and Regional Authorities and their services were under the Local Governments and the local societies 

The Decision of the Greek Ministry of Labor and Social Insurances Nr: 115910/9.10.2000 forecasted the operational processes for the established of a National System of Foundation and Assessment of Centers of Vocational Training for unemployment and low education level individuals. 

The Law 3369/2005 "Regularization for lifelong learning and other provisions" attempts to take advance of the previous Greek experience in the space of lifelong learning in the frame of more total strategy for the development of human resources and the investment in the human capital.

The Law 3488/2006 "Application of equal treatment principle of men and women” with regard to their access in employment, in professional education and promotion to equal work conditions". 

The Law 3879/2010 “Development of the lifelong  Learning and remaining provisionsThe law provides an integrated environment for the development of the  lifelong learning, via the recognition of alternative educational corridors.

 

1.c. Financial means: 

Training programmes for job-seekers and employees in an integration process

The State is competent in training job-seekers and employees who suffer from illiteracy and in an integration process. The National Program of Initial Vocational Training created a “National Network of Centre of Adults Education - KEE” which has the mission to train adults on basic skills of Literacy, Maths, New Technologies and Social accession. The programme “HRON” – Adults Training on Basic New Technologies and Communication Skills - which has this mission until 2011, as well as the European Social Funds Programmes (ESF) that concern unemployment people who wish obtain a basic level of knowledge in order to find a new job or they want to reorient their job carrier.

Regions work on this issue and they often offer a linguistic or "basic knowledge" trainings, which are destined to young job-seekers in situations of analphabetism, illiteracy or learning Greek as a foreign language. Certain regions designed joint relationship between basic competences training offer and other existing trainings (creating a project/leading to a qualification/through learning) in a perspective of considering basic competences rather than illiteracy. Those activities are financed through the Greek National General Secretary of Public Training (GSPT). Other regions work on basic competences and key competences in partnership with the Greek Ministry of Labour for people in professional transition who can have the status of job seekers.

Employment office, within the framework of the State, can also propose, in its offer, trainings on key competences and basic competences. Every region makes different choices on the subject and has separate infrastructures to support different kind of training programs.

General Councils sometimes develop trainings within the framework of the Department Plan of insertion. Municipalities or big associative networks can propose "evening classes" or "municipal workshops" on basic knowledge, opened to job-seekers, but sometimes also to employees.

 

Programmes destined to employees

The organisations that are licensed to collect training taxes (LAEK) cover the charges of employees’ trainings. They can finance trainings on key competences and basic competences. These programs have been handled better for a few years now, thanks to the support of the Greek Ministry of Labour.

 

2. Definition of basic competences recognized in each country and the concerned actors in private and public sectors

Definition by the Ministry of National Education.

In Greece, the GSLLL - General Secretary Life Long Learning - Department of Employment and vocational training, defined 5 groups of key competences:

  1. Understanding and written expression
  2. Mathematics, sciences and technology
  3. Office automation and internet
  4. Capacity to develop his/her knowledge and skills
  5. Initiation into a foreign language.

At the GSEA – General Secretary of Adults Education defined 4 transversal competences:

  1. Express himself/herself easily by using written and oral skills
  2. Calculate
  3. Use Internet and simple computing tools       

 

3. Tools used, methodology and how are they applied

1-     User guide for key competences in professional situations

2-     Positioning of the key competence "learn how to learn"

 

4. Accessibility to these evaluations to vulnerable groups (they need to pay, easy to know about, …etc)

The government covers the costs of these evaluations for the following publics:

– Job seekers;

– Youngsters who left the school system without any qualification or diploma.

 

Under the vocational training finances:

– Employees with specific aided contracts under the obligation of training by the employer.

The access to the program "master key competences" is opened to employees, and has to lean on the intervention of professional sectors and GSPT (particularly in terms of financing).

 
5. Efficiency and limitations

Assessment report of 2011 in National Network of Centre of Adults Education - KEE” and  “HRON” programmes. 

KEE: From 2004 - 2011 more than 24.000 beneficiaries in 1700 actions were led in 45 Centres of Adults Education followed various training courses for basic skills on Greek language, Maths (calculate), Tourism and development, History and Social integration.

HRON: 540 actions were led in 42 municipalities from 2006 -2011 and the 6.500 beneficiaries followed various training courses on basic computer and communication skills.

Limitations from the professionals point of view: these programs group together many heterogeneous population, who have specific and diverse needs, this makes it very complex to implement a real tailored work with them (youth, seniors, migrants …etc).