Fifteen new craftsmen, graduates of the Vocational Apprenticeship School (EPAS) of DYPA Elefsina, have joined the workforce of the Shipyards in the presence of the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Niki Kerameus.
In the presence of the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Ms. Niki Kerameus, and the Governor of the Public Employment Service (DYPA), Mr. Spyros Protopsaltis, the President of ONEX Shipyards & Technologies, Mr. Panos Xenokostas welcomed 15 new employes, graduates of the Vocational Apprenticeship School (EPAS) of DYPA Elefsina, at an event held at the Elefsina Shipyards.
These hires were implemented thru a program by DYPA, with paid internships at the shipyards. They highlight both the essential role of technical education in supporting the Greek shipbuilding industry and the need for collaboration between the private and public sectors, with an emphasis on utilizing highly trained human resources.
In her brief address, the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Ms. Niki Kerameus, emphasized the following: "In 2019, unemployment was at 17.8%." Today, 6 years later, unemployment is at 7.9% and we have over 500,000 new jobs. The difficulties are greater now because we have now entered what we call the "hard core" of unemployment, and therefore we need to move even more targeted, even more methodically, and in even greater synergy with the labor market and its real needs. And this is exactly what the DYPA program does. Listening to the needs of the labor market, we prepare the children for these new job positions. I truly hope this program will serve as an example for many other businesses, which, thru this event, we invite to communicate their needs to us, to tell us exactly what they require in the labor market, so that we, as the Public Employment Service, as the Ministry of Labor, can help meet these needs.
The President and CEO of the ONEX Group, and President of the Union of Shipowners of Greece, Mr. Panos Xenokostas, welcoming Ms. Kerameus and Mr. Protopsalti emphasized that "the integration of 15 new professionals into the ONEX family, thru the Apprenticeship Vocational School of DYPA Elefsina, is proof that when the public and private sectors collaborate with vision and plan, numbers take on a face and the shipbuilding industry gains a future."
"The shipyards," Mr. Xenokostas pointed out, Xenokostas, "they are our people and we have been investing in them from day one, every day." Our goal is for the ONEX family to grow even further, and we will do it. Therefore, we are not just investing in skills. We invest in people, in new minds and hands that will take on the responsibility of the next day in our shipyards, and this is because the needs of our industry for specialized personnel are immediate and growing. Our collaboration with DYPA acts as a catalyst for the creation of a new generation of craftsmen, trained according to the real demands of the industry. We support employment and the shipbuilding renaissance that is being built step by step with actions. And for this reason, every new job position is not just a number for us, but a vote of confidence in the future of Greek shipbuilding expertise.
Mr. Xenokostas, moreover, thanked the Prime Minister Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Ms. Niki Kerameus, as well as the Governor of DYPA, Mr. Spyros Protopsaltis, for the excellent, as he said, cooperation.
The Governor of DYPA, Mr. Spyros Protopsaltis, finally, in a brief address, emphasized the following: "It is a great joy, on my last day as the Governor of DYPA, to see the tangible results of yet another public-private partnership initiative that directly addresses the needs of the economy. Seeing our students graduate, secure jobs, and have prospects for professional advancement is the strongest confirmation that our policies yield substantial results." We continue, from whatever position we serve, with the same dedication to the people and the future of our country.