Implementation Period : 2010 - 2011

GENERAL INFORMATION
Vocational Training in basic skills

• Includes actions of Continuing Vocational Training in Certified Vocational Training Centres for the acquisition of knowledge, skills and competences in basic Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The accreditation of basic ICT skills is provided by Certified Bodies accredited by the Organization for Vocational Education and Training, in subjects adapted to the requirements of the labour market as well as to the individual needs of each unemployed.
• Presupposes the participation in the certification process, obligatory for all trainees on specific educational subjects
• Aims to bridge the digital divide, the so called "e-illiteracy", of the potential beneficiaries and the acquisition of skills and competences in order to enable them to operate in the new environment created by the rapid development of the ICT.
• Is allocated throughout the Greek territory, in 3 different regions, for the benefit of 30.000 people in total.

OBJECTIVE OF THE ACTION
The vocational training actions in basic skills of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in conjunction with the certification of knowledge of the beneficiaries contribute to:

• The promotion of the employability as well as equal opportunities by improving access of the workforce to the labour market as well as by providing access to vocational training for young people and particularly for people who face difficulties for social, economic, geographical or other reasons.
• The upgrade of vocational training and the assurance of its quality, by the acquisition of knowledge, skills and competences certificates with international recognition and appropriate response on the labour market’s demand.
• The incorporation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the Continuing Vocational Training and the association of Institutions, who provide vocational training, with Institutions – Organisations who provide accreditation of vocational qualifications.
• The highlight of the accreditation of the acquired competences as a “good practice” for all the vocational training actions.
• The dynamic adaptation of the workforce to the requirements of a modern and competitive economy and society as well as the improvement of the employability of trainees.
• The reinforcing for the transition to a knowledge-based society and economy with the development of the modern ICT’s and the promotion of innovation.
• The equality of opportunities between women and men as well as the ensuring of the non-discrimination principle with the participation of persons coming from socially vulnerable groups.  

BENEFITING GROUPS - SPECIAL PREREQUISITES
Priority to the participation in training in basic ICT skills has the unemployed that are coming from the following groups, including:

• Young People
• Women
• Long-Term Unemployed
• Persons coming from population groups that are excluded or threatened with exclusion from the labour market (such as people with disabilities, repatriates, refugees, migrants, asylum seekers, victims of human trafficking, victims of intra-family violence, users and former users of substances, HIV positive persons, young offenders, prisoners and former prisoners, homeless, persons in poverty or at risk of poverty, individuals with cultural and religious particularities).

Furthermore, the potential beneficiaries could be:

• Graduates of compulsory, secondary, post-secondary and tertiary education  or
• Tertiary education graduates, - like Technical Institutes and University graduates - (who due to their registration in professional unions or/and chambers, such as engineers, are not allowed to be recorded in the registers of the unemployed of the Manpower Employment Organisation)

under the following criteria:

1. The annual income from professional activity up to the level of tax-free amount based on the taxation assessment form of the previous financial year
2. The non-submission of tax return for the previous financial year. In the latter case, with the specific "statement", according to the provisions of the 1599/86 Law, the beneficiaries must have certified that they are unemployed and the period of their unemployment has been registered by their unions.

CO-FINANCE OF THE ACTIONS
The actions are co-financed by national and EU funds, in the framework of the European Social Fund contribution to the priorities of cohesion policy of the European Union for strengthening the economic and social cohesion and its mission for the achievement of a high level of employment by creating more and better jobs.

The co-finance of actions has been allocated in the following region types:

• in the regions of Objective 1 “Convergence”, where the 8 “Convergence Regions” and the 3 “Phasing Out” Regions are included and
• in the regions of Objective 2 “Regional Competitiveness and Employment” where the 2 “Phasing In Regions” are included.

GEOGRAPHICAL ALLOCATION - BUDGET PER REGION - BENEFICIARIES

The actions will be implemented:

• in the 8 “Convergence Regions”  (Eastern Macedonia-Thrace, Epirus, Western Greece, Thessaly, Ionian Islands, Crete, Peloponnesus, Northern Aegean). Total budget: 16.589.618 €, total beneficiaries: 16.590 individuals
• in the 3 “Phasing Out Regions” (Attica, Central and Western Macedonia). Total budget: 12.187.124 €, total beneficiaries: 12.187 individuals
• in the 2 “Phasing In Regions” (Sterea Ellada and Southern Aegean). Total budget: 1.223.258 €, total beneficiaries: 1.223 individuals

CONTENT AND DURATION OF TRAINING PROGRAMMES
The educational programmes are divided into three (3) types:

1. Basic ICT training programmes in Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Internet Applications and Databases - Type 1
2. Basic ICT training programmes in Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Internet Applications and Presentations) - Type 2
3. Basic ICT training programmes in Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Internet Applications, Databases and Presentations - Type 3

Each training programme is addressed to 10 up to 20 unemployed persons; it lasts 100 hours and it is necessary, beyond the estimated 100 hours of training, to include a number of hours for self-training in the premises of the educational Centre. The duration of each programme should not exceed 90 calendar days but it should not last less than 35 working days, without including the certification process.

The whole course of training is going to be carried out in classrooms of the same or another institution certified in Informatics as well as by IT trainers certified by the National Accreditation Centre for Continuing Vocational Training.

After the completion of the training course, it is provided to the participants the possibility of certification of their acquired basic ICT skills. This certification undertakes Certification Institutions, who are activated in Greece or at international level and they have been accredited by the Organisation for Vocational Education and Training.

The participation in the process of the certification of knowledge, skills and competences is compulsory for all trainees and for certain educational units, such as:

1. Databases, for the educational programmes of the 1^st Type
2. Presentations, for the educational programme of the 2^nd Type.
3. Databases and presentations, for the educational programme of the 3^rd Type.

The examination for the proficiency of knowledge and skills is compulsory for each trainee and it must take place within 15 working days from the completion of the theoretical training course of 100 hours.

Each trainee has the right to repeat the examination of each training unit once.

BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES
Unemployed individuals, regardless of the fact that they are entitled or not to receive regular unemployment allowance, are eligible to an allowance of 2,00 Euros gross per hour of training.

For trainees who are coming from socially vulnerable groups of the population, the eligible allowance amounts to 3,00 Euros gross per hour of training.

Throughout the whole duration of the programme, the participants have to be provided with social security coverage under IKA (the Hellenic Social Security Fund) by the Implementation Bodies (Vocational Training Centres).

Apart from the training allowance, the trainee’s nutrition expenses, which are compulsory in cases that the duration of the daily training programme exceeds 3 hours, as well as the eventual transport and habitation expenses are covered by the Implementation Bodies, where necessary, according to the provisions of the Unified System for the management of Vocational Training Actions.

It should be pointed out that each trainee has a limit of absences up to 10% of the total training time, in case that his absences exceed this limit:

• he/she is not entitled to receive any remuneration.
• he/she has no right to participate in the examinations
• he/she does not receive any certificate of attendance /participation in the vocational training.

The absences of participants, who are coming from socially vulnerable groups, are increased by 20% in total for the period of training.

Moreover, if any trainee doesn’t participate in the examinations for the certification of knowledge, skills and competences is not entitled to receive training allowance.

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES

• Registration of the potential beneficiaries on the Unemployment Lists of the Manpower Employment Organisation (O.A.E.D.), in case they are not already registered (regardless of the reception or not of the regular unemployment allowance) and issue of a valid Unemployment Card.
• Participation of the beneficiaries in the Personalized Approach procedure for the formation of the Individual Action Plan by the Labour Advisor of the local Employment Promotion Centres or/and of the Local Employment Services, focused on their real needs for their reference to the Vocational Training Centres for the final selection as well as for the monitoring of the results of vocational training.
• Suspension of subsidy provided to the beneficiary by the Manpower Employment Organisation (O.A.E.D.) in case of receiving any unemployment allowance.

The relevant document of suspension should be presented by the participant concerned to the Implementation Body, before starting the training programme.

INFORMATION - SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS
The interested individuals could be in contact with:

• Local Employment Services of the Manpower Employment Organisation (O.A.E.D.)
• Local Employment Promotion Centres of the Manpower Employment Organisation (O.A.E.D.)
• Local Implementation Bodies of Projects (Certified Vocational Training Centres)