National Centre for Vocational Orientation (EKEP)

In recognition of the need to properly inform young people on employment and training possibilities and career development at the national and European level, the Ministries of Labour & Social Insurance and Education & Religious Affairs, established in 1999 the National Centre for Vocational Orientation (E.K.E.P.). The Centre, which co-operates with existing vocational guidance services both in the employment and in the education sector, provides a range of services to Guidance Professionals and individuals on the subject of National, European and International Careers Information. A Board of Directors, consisting of representatives from the two Ministries and the two main bodies offering vocational guidance and counseling services in the education and employment sector, independent experts, and representatives from national employer and trade union organizations, manages the Centre. The President of EKEP is Mr. Dimitrios Stamatopoulos.

E.K.E.P. operates also as the Greek National Centre for Vocational Guidance (NRCVG Greece) within the Euroguidance network for vocational guidance.

The main objectives of EKEP both at the national and international level are: 

• The development of a comprehensive national guidance policy related to education, training and retraining programs.
• Promotion of the European dimension in the national structures of educational and vocational guidance services in cooperation with training and labour market authorities.
• Coordination of the activities of public and private institutions in order to provide clients with high quality vocational guidance and counselling services. 
• Providing information services to guidance professionals for matters related to education, training and employment opportunities as well as to vocational guidance services provided, in national and international level. 
• Contributing to the evaluation and certification of the quality and efficiency of the offering guidance services in the country. 
• Conducting and/or assigning research projects and transnational studies related to the formulation of policy, training programs, and the development of learning methods and material for counselling and vocational guidance.
• Participating to the development of the European network of NRCVGs and providing support activities to the network.
• Collecting, producing and disseminating quality information about education and training opportunities in other EU and EEA Member States to meet the needs of the national users. 
• Planning adequate methods and tools for communication, liaison and support activities for the various actors in the field of guidance, at national and transnational level, in order to achieve the mission and the objectives of the NRCVGs.