A very interesting event was held by TÜV AUSTRIA HELLAS on “Lifelong Education and Training as a business development tool”. The event was attended by companies’ representatives and Human Resources and Training Departments’ executives. The goal of this event was to highlight the added value that Lifelong Education and Training offers to modern enterprises and its contribution to the creation and utilization of development opportunities for each business and for the Greek economy in general.
The event was honored by the presence of. Mrs. Andrea Ikic-Boehm, Ambassador of Austria, who in her opening speech stressed out that “We aim for mutually beneficial cooperation of Austrian and Greek companies. Ensuring a high level of quality through joint investment in Lifelong Learning is a key factor for the success of this objective”. Moreover the event was also attended by representatives of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Economic Relations.
On behalf of TÜV AUSTRIA HELLAS, Mr. Ioannis Kallias, CEO and General Manager, welcoming the attendees noted that “the value of Lifelong Learning an internationally recognized tool needs to be recognized and utilized in Greece in order for the country to return to economic development”, adding that “the recognition of the company as a Centre for Lifelong Learning is a proof of its disposal to invest in this area”. Mr. Ioannis Gkotsis, Head of TÜV AUSTRIA ACADEMY in Greece, had the opportunity to present modern methods, trends and tools, the new structure and the updated training program of the ACADEMY. “Education should be viewed by every company as an important investment in human capital” as he noted. In addition, Mr. Christian Bayer, CEO of TÜV AUSTRIA AKADEMIE Austria and Mr. Thomas Rochowansky, Head of Training Division, referred to the international trends and described the educational model successfully followed in Austria.
Remarkable speakers from the academic and business community also participated in the event. Mr. Kyriakos Kyriakopoulos, Deputy Dean of ALBA Graduate Business School, described the Lifelong Learning as an Opportunity for personal development and corporate flexibility while Mr. Harris Constantinides, Permanent Placement & Career Transition of Adecco Director, in his presentation projected the demand of the market for trained and constantly updated staff. Finally Mr. George Georgalas, Human Resources Manager at Aluminium Greece, analyzed how to effectively apply lifelong education opportunities in order to benefit not only employees but also businesses.
It is worth noting that the event was held in collaboration with the “Advantage Austria”, the Commercial Department of the Embassy of Austria, responsible for the continued development of relations with companies based in Austria and activity in Greece.
At the end, TÜV AUSTRIA HELLAS offered guests a “Special Olympics Hellas Support Bag” in a symbolic move sending a message of support to the efforts of athletes to develop physically, mentally, socially and spiritually and to participate in the joy of the sport, a respect for the environment, acceptance and social inclusion.