The Institute of Training & Vocational Guidance (IEKEP) founded in 1990, is a private non-profit organization, functioning in the region of Attica as an accredited vocational training center. IEKEP has more than 30 years of expertise in Vocational Guidance and Training (more than 600 vocational training programmes/over 200.000 hours of vocational training)/over 12.000 trainees) having offered services to over 12.000 trainees and beneficiaries in the wider region of Athens in cooperation with a network of at least 60 experts, trainers and counselling professionals covering a wide range of sectors.
Our goal has always been to combat social exclusion of vulnerable groups through education, skills upgrading, empowerment and awareness raising, as well as offering facilitation for access to rights. For this, besides offering training, life-long learning, orientation, and counselling services directly to beneficiaries, we have been involved in a wide range of projects, programs and research in the fields of vocational guidance, adult education and social inclusion. In more detail: - aiming at supporting socially vulnerable groups to achieve assertiveness, increase their functionality and gain equal standing in mainstream society, IEKEP implements training/ counselling methodologies, also focusing on developing new methods and tools relevant to soft and social skills, professional orientation, and integration, to be further mainstreamed and utilized in our everyday work.
IEKEP has implemented projects targeting people with low or no educational background in an attempt to help these groups break the cycle of unemployment and social exclusion. Understanding the needs of people who have either low or no skills or have informal skills outside of the formal education system, IEKEP has conducted projects that aimed at the acquisition of skills, as well as their recognition through official qualification systems. Οur work as described shortly above is underpinned by the active citizenship principles and consequently our services include features of inclusive and effective civic education, such as awareness, engagement, and individual participation.
IEKEP has successfully implemented numerous conferences workshops and events targeting experts, communities, and stakeholders as well as the general public for dissemination and awareness raising purposes. It has in place effective administration, audit and management procedures. Being an accredited Vocational Center, its structure includes, according to the relevant national framework, a Manager, a Training Manager and a Training Coordinator as well as a career counseling coordinator, all experienced and accredited professionals, supported by a team of experienced executives as administration staff. IEKEP’s function and operation comply with the relevant administrative framework set by the Greek state, including an integrated monitoring and evaluation system running through all its activities.