Changing attitudes to combat unemployment –
Proposals for creating closer links between education and production

In recent years we have devoted more and more time to discussing the problems of our society, and the issues heading the agenda have been unemployment and education. Unfortunately, despite the best intentions of those in power, these problems remain unsolved – only their quantitative dimension has altered.

We are all aware that there are businesses all across northern Greece which are facing a daily battle for survival. This is why we cannot treat labour issues as if they were taboo, refusing to discuss them. Now more than ever labour issues are related more closely than one can imagine to questions of education.

This is an observation based on the experience of almost all our colleagues and concerns all those who are likely to be working one day in our own companies. Experience tells us that the real knowledge of our job applicants does not match the qualifications listed on their degrees and diplomas; in fact, their level of knowledge is far lower than we expect. And worst of all is that these people have no awareness of their real educational level.

And we are speaking here of young people, university graduates. Because in the sphere of technical education, among graduates of the country’s technical colleges, there appears to exist a greater connection to reality. The students here have an awareness of their weaknesses; they are aware that they do not possess a high level of knowledge. They appreciate that a business may invest in them, helping them to achieve a satisfactory level of skill and ability.

Consequently, young people need to be prepared to undergo a period of probation if they are looking for employment in industry.

But whereas we see this attitude in graduates of our technical colleges, we don’t find it in economics graduates. The latter don’t yet appreciate the problem. It is clear, then, that there is a problem of attitude.

What we want to see is an improved level of knowledge and skills in the young people graduating from our universities. Business relies on these people, and will have to rely on them to an even greater extent in future.

We have said to the government: ‘Subsidize labour’. We know that often it is the businessmen themselves who are at fault. If some of them don’t want to change and re-orient their business, make a new beginning and make proper use of their staff, no law and no government measure can make them do it. Thus, they are condemned to fail…

Let us not overlook the fact that other issues have come to the fore in recent years, in addition to those we have mentioned. The banking system, for example, is now more strictly run. Businesses which used to be able to remain in operation in difficult times, keeping jobs for their employees, are no longer able to do so, and the death of these businesses is that much more rapid. But there is no proper benefits policy. The workers receive nothing…

We also say: ‘Subsidize the employment of young scientists’. Send us graduates of universities and technical colleges for a year, at minimum cost to us, and let us train them and utilize their potential. But this is currently only possible through a number of programmes for technical college students. My feeling is that, out of 100 individuals from technical colleges who have done practical work experience in factories, 90 have remained in those businesses. But, left to their own resources, the businesses could never have hired 90 technical college graduates for that first year. So I propose that this initial employment be subsidized by the State.

These proposals we have put forward could help to combat the scourge of unemployment and give businesses the chance to select the staff who will help them meet the challenges of the new business environment…