One of the most serious problems facing everyone in the Greek labour market is the lack of training that employees receive. Keeping up to date with ones skills and learning new ones, like ICT/computer skills, is an essential task not only for work but for ones whole life. In a different section relating to free time we underline the opportunities that exist for learning throughout ones life as a way of improving the quality of life, staying mentally alert and involved and able to deal with the changes that occur.

Too few employers and employees in Greece understand the importance of training and this may help explain why we are at the bottom of the EU table for training and LLL.

For the self employed, if you belong to a Chamber of Commerce or union that offers any training, explore the opportunities there. There are opportunities for EU funding and thus pressure for training can create a willingness amongst training course providers to develop a relevant course. There are public and private KEKs (Centres for Professional Education) that offer courses that may be relevant, while ICT courses are widely available with many of those teaching able to function in the English language.
There are opportunities in English speaking educational centres –see
1.    Deree College http://www.acg.edu/acg/start.php
2.    The American College http://www.theamericancollege.edu/

Links to Educational Programmes and Seminars, where you can find useful information (only in Greek)

• ΙΝΕ-ΚΕΚ The Centre of Professional Training of INE materialises programs of professional training in its entirety regional and sector-based structures of Institute
• INE’s Annexes for programs of Professional Training in Greece http://www.inegsee.gr/stoixeia-parartimata.htm - %CE%91%CE%98%CE%97%CE%9D%CE%91
• Seminars and Educational Programs PRIMUS Company http://www.primus.com.gr/seminars.php
• Seminars – professional Training Future Business School http://www.futurebs.gr/futurebs.html                    Future Business School is a dynamic, model and rapidly developing presence in the sector of modern private   education and professional training.
• all-seminars.gr constitutes the 1st List/Index of Services of Education and Training in Greece.

If you know of other opportunities for training and learning relevant to work and/or to leisure, please let us know.