11. March, 2025
The Hellenic Presidency of EUSAIR and the Greek Ministry of Economy and Finance organized the thematic event on Promoting policies and practices for skills in the macroregion targeting the important issues concerning the Pillar 5 main theme „Improved Social Cohesion“. A two days thematic event on 4th and 5th of March consisted of the workshop which focused on promoting policies and practicies for skills in the region.
Among other themes the key actions and objectives of the European Skills Agenda were presented. The Agenda is the EU initiative aimed at enhancing skills development, improving employability, and supporting the green and digital transitions which focuses on the lifelong learning, upskilling, and reskilling across Europe through its 12 key actions.

The participants took part in the panel discussions about vocational education, training design and their implementation in Greece. As presenters explained, the Hellenic Presidency of EUSAIR wants to achieve better compliance of social policies of the participating countries with the European Pillar of Social Rights. EPSR promotes equal opportunities and access to the labor market, fair working condition, the social protection and inclusion.

As discussed, EUSAIR Pillar 5 priorities should promote social cohesion by achieving the equal opportunities and access to the labour market for the youth. There is a need to enhance the adaptability of the labour market and employability of the young people, the unemployed and the existing workforce. This is possible through the up-skilling and reskilling.

Common conclusion is that the most of the EUSAIR countries are facing the issues such as skills mismatching, brain drain, underemployment and the lack of security and technological and societal changes. Therefore, the EUSAIR should address these issues by promoting the vocational education, training and life-long learning opportunities and access to the labor market for the Adriatic-Ionian population.

The second day of the thematic event was reserved for the study visit during which participants visited good practices of the vocational education and training organized by the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs & Sports in Haidari.