29-06-16 Filis presents paid internship programme for technical schools

Education Minister Nikos Filis outlined measures to upgrade technical and vocational schools in tabling the relevant legislation in parliament today.

Measures that will apply as of the upcoming 2016-2017 academic year include the introduction of specialisations in the third year of study.

 In addition, the ministry will offer an optional fourth year of studies, which will focus on hands-on experience with private sector internships, providing students with invaluable experience at a time of rampant unemployment.

The internship wages will be set at 75 percent of the national minimum wage, and students will also be provided with social insurance during that work period.

In his remarks, Filis also noted that Institutes of Vocational Training will all be fully ready to begin their programme of studies in October.

Filis also presented the ministry’s new policy of equating in terms of service points and privileges educators who are the parents of a disabled child with those who are the parents of more than three children. “One decides to have many children by choice. One becomes the parent of a disabled child not by choice. In the name of fairness we were obliged to establish parity between these two categories,” Filis told parliament.