The aim is to promote common European policies for the upgrading of Vocational Training

The strong intention to participate the General Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen and Traders of Greece
actively promote common European policies and initiatives to improve the quality of Vocational Training,
through the participation of KEK -GSEVEE in the European Vocational Training Association (EVTA),
and GSEVEE at SMEunited, but also at any other European forums,
stressed the President of the GSEBEE κ. George Kavvathas, in his address during the EVTA Symposium 2023
"Philosophical principles of Aristotle and other ancient Greek philosophers", which was held in
on 31 May and¹ June 2023 at Cedefop's premises in Thessaloniki, with the support of KEK -GSEVEE.

In his address, the κ. Kavvathas, in his dual capacity as President of the General Confederation of Professionals
Craftsmen and Tradesmen of Greece and the Vocational Training Centre, welcomed the participants
at the EVTA International Annual Symposium and expressed his joy and emotion for the choice of the theme of the Symposium
which this year connected the timeless philosophical principles and teachings of Aristotle with the current reality
and the needs of education, in particular vocational education and training.

As the κ. Kavvathas "is a key objective of the GSEVEE, the highlighting of the history of Greece as a nation, and the enormous contribution of the
its contribution to European and world culture and education. GSEBE is a tertiary nationwide employers' organisation and one of the main social partners that co-sign the National General Collective Labour Agreement.
It is the highest and most massive trade union body of Professionals, Craftsmen and Traders throughout the country and is active in the promotion and protection of professional, economic, cultural and social interests in general.
of small and micro enterprises".

As regards the Centre for Vocational Training of the GSEVEE (KEK GSEVEE), which is an active member of EVTA
more than a decade, founded in 1995, on the initiative of the Confederation, as a non-profit educational company
and as underlined by κ. Kavvathas is an educational center of national scope, but also has been granted
licence of a Lifelong Learning Centre.

"The focus of the educational activity of the KEK GSEVEE is on the professional sectors that are members of the GSEVEE ,
such as construction, vehicle repair and maintenance, food and beverage, and many other professional specialities, while it is also addressed to unemployed people of all ages who seek to upgrade their professional qualifications,
to facilitate their access to the labour market", said the President of the GSEBEE .

He also underlined the great interest of the Confederation, but also of the Education Centre,
on a range of issues and challenges relating to vocational training and related to
the efforts of small and micro enterprises to first survive and then grow sustainably.

The promotion, from the bottom up, of concrete practices of cooperation between systems
Vocational Education and Training, in order to make them more attractive, sustainability-oriented,
and innovation, accessible to all, but also flexible,

In addition, to enhance mutual learning, capacity building, and exchange of best practices among SMEs,
and in particular micro and small enterprises, but also Vocational Training Providers,
through the development of partnerships and networking.

Ways in which the EU and national/regional vocational education and training policies
could facilitate and support a new role for training providers,
in the context of the digital and green transition of economies, with the aim of offering businesses
and society at large with modern and high quality services.

Finally, he stressed his absolute conviction that the above issues and challenges can no longer be addressed
within the narrow confines of individual national education policies, due to their complexity,
but only through the design and implementation of truly common cross-border and transnational policies at EU level.

In the framework of the Symposium the κ. Kavvathas during the ^1st day he awarded him an honorary plaque of the GSEVEE
to the President of EVTA Giorgio Sbrissa, while the same day was also held the
General Assembly of the European Vocational Training Association (EVTA).

On the second day of the Symposium, a networking event and round table discussion was held on the following topics
adult business education at the Chamber of Crafts of Thessaloniki , followed by a historical tour
in Thessaloniki for the participants in the afternoon of the same day.

The work of the Symposium was attended by the Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the General Confederation of Greek Trade Unions (GSEVEE) Dimitris Vargiamis,
the Executive Vice President of KEK-GSEVEE Eleni Tezapsidou, also Makarios Papadopoulos Branch Manager
Central Macedonia, Ioannis Papargyris, Representative of GSEVEE, member of the Board of Directors of DYPA (formerly OAED) and EOPPEP,
Vassilis Siomadis Head of the KEK Branch of Central Macedonia and
of the respective branch of FHW GSEVEE and Head of European Projects. (KEK-GSEVEE),
as well as Greek and foreign speakers including the President of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Aristotelian Studies
of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Philosophy, Dimitra Sfendoni-Mentzou,
ο Dr. Christos Pehlivanidis, Marc Aguetta (GIPA), Irini Psifidou and Elias Livanos (Cedefop) and others.