Skills4Jobs, launched by SEV in 2022, gives young people aged 18 to 35 with little or no work experience exactly what employers say is missing. Hands-on technical training, soft skills, and a direct connection to employment opportunities with SEV member companies. The program is open to recent vocational graduates, with priority for mechanical and electrical specialties, as well as to high school graduates. THI has supported the program since 2025, helping SEV extend it to more regions and more young people.
Both programs are delivered by SEV Technical Academy, the federation’s training arm since 1981, and run on weekday evenings. Each program offers 100 hours of training in equipment safety and operation, industrial automation, electromechanical fundamentals, autonomous maintenance and troubleshooting, and productivity and professional skills. Alongside the technical curriculum, participants receive AI training. Attend soft-skills workshops led by experienced HR professionals and are coached on CVs, LinkedIn profiles and job interviews. Visits to SEV member companies in each region give participants a first look at the workplaces and career paths available to them. The program is designed to bring training closer to employment: following successful completion, participants’ CVs are shared with relevant SEV member companies in their region, creating opportunities for interviews and potential employment as Production Machine Operators. The program responds to a persistent paradox in the Greek labor market. Although youth unemployment has fallen to around 20% last year, eight in ten employers still report difficulty finding skilled workers.
“Greek industry is growing, and its biggest constraint today is people with the right skills. Our member companies tell us every day that they have positions ready to fill but cannot find trained candidates. By matching the real needs of businesses with specialized, hands-on technical training, we are creating jobs where they are needed most. Our partnership with The Hellenic Initiative shows what business and the Diaspora can achieve when they work side by side for Greece’s young workforce.” said George Christopoulos, Director General, SEV Greek Federation of Enterprises.
“Every young person who walks out of this program with new skills and a real opportunity to enter the workforce is a young person better equipped to build their future in Greece. Skills4Jobs takes young people who have been overlooked, gives them the skills that industry values, and connects them with employers ready to hire. That is exactly what our Diaspora wants to see.” said George P. Stamas, President and Co-founder of The Hellenic Initiative.
Andrew N. Liveris, Chairman and Co-founder of The Hellenic Initiative, added: “Greece’s recovery will be secured by its people, and above all by its young people. Manufacturing and industry need a skilled, confident workforce to compete, and young Greeks deserve real opportunities at home. By joining forces with Greece’s leading business federation, THI is investing in both, and we are proud to stand behind Skills4Jobs as it grows.”
