1st EURO-MED TOURISM CONFERENCE – November 2010 George Stavrides Senior Human Resource Officer Skills Development for Tourism in Hard Times

Contents of Presentation 1. The Human Resource Development Authority (HRDA) 2. Special prevention – action plan to minimise the effects of the economic crisis on the labour market through training 3. Schemes / programmes for the tourism industry

Training & Development of the Human Resources in Cyprus

HRDA STATUS  Semi-government organisation  Set up and controlled by legislation (1974 & 1999)  Governed by a 13-member, tri-partite, Board of Directors comprising 5 Government, 4 Employer and 4 Trade Union representatives  Financed independently (training levy paid by all employers, except government & self employed - 0,5% of payroll)

To create the necessary prerequisites: For the planned and systematic training and development of the island’s human resources at all levels and in all sectors for meeting the economy’s needs within the overall national socio-economic policy MISSION

The social partners are actively involved in all aspects of the operation of HRDA Decision making (Board of Directors) In establishing the training needs of the economy In the formulation and implementation of various initiatives In promoting the work of HRDA CRUCIAL ROLE OF THE SOCIAL PARTNERS

H R D A ENTERPRISES Employed Training providers/ trainers Consultants Unemployed Graduates Board of Directors Ministry of Labour Council of Ministers House of Parliament Employer and Labour Organisations HRDA STAKEHOLDERS

Research / study of the economy Implementation of training activities HRDA’S TWO - PRONG OPERATIONS

 Sectoral studies  Occupational studies  Labour market studies  Evaluative studies  Thematic and other studies MAIN TYPES OF RESEARCH / STUDIES

C HRD INFRASTRUCTURE & SYSTEMS D RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT 5 PRIORITY POLICY AIMS A HUMAN RESOURCES TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT B SUPPORT TO ENTERPRISES TO IMPROVE THEIR HR E EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE

C Promoting Employment SPECIAL PREVENTION - ACTION PLAN TO MIMIMISE THE EFFECTS OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS ON THE LABOUR MARKET THROUGH TRAINING A Prevention of Unemployment B Promoting Employability

TRAINING SCHEMES FOR THE TOURISM INDUSTRY

 To meet the specific needs of individual Enterprises  Can cover all enterprises in all sectors of the economy at all levels (of the hierarchy)  Can be implemented within the enterprise or outside it, in Cyprus or abroad  Can use trainers from within the enterprise or from outside it, from Cyprus or from abroad  Can be implemented at any time, convenient to the enterprise, at short notice to HRDA

Benefits  In hard times, best utilisation of slack time  Retention of staff / avoidance of large scale lay-offs  Best utilisation of internal trainers  Introduction of flexible specialisation methods  Improvement of skills and increase of productivity  HRDA assistance in implementing training programmes  Financial support from HRDA in the form of subsidy  Linking training to Vocational Qualifications

 Programmes designed and implemented according to the needs of the economy  They improve the employability of the unemployed  Programmes are aimed at upgrading :  horizontal skills (use of computers, professional ethics, communication skills, entrepreneurship etc), and  technical skills (installing photovoltaic panels, specialised metal welding, bakery, air conditioning etc)  Free participation  Participants receive an allowance from HRDA (€8/hr)

 Programmes designed and implemented according to the needs of the economy  Programmes are aimed at providing specific technical skills required for employment (cooks, welders, plumbers, builders, air conditioning and refrigeration technicians, electricians, mobile phones technicians etc)  Free participation  Participants receive an allowance from HRDA (€200 / week)

 ESF co-financed scheme  Horizontal skills and training placements in enterprises (Use of Computers, English, Secretarial Studies)  Free participation  HRDA allowance €8 / hr (for training ) or €200 / week (for placement)

 Scheme specifically designed to combat unemployment amongst graduates of tertiary education  Training according to a tailor-made training plan  Training duration : 6 or 12 months (on- the-job training)  Minimum salary : €110 0/ month  Subsidy to employer up to €1600 / month (depending on employer's eligible costs)

Prerequisites / conditions for entering the scheme :  The employer must have a need for employing the graduate in a position of responsibility  The graduate must become employee  The employer must have a competent facilitator  Tertiary level course of at least 3 years of study  Not more than 3 years since completion of studies  Not more than 12 months of relevant experience  Not more than 4 months in employment of the applicant employer

Combating the economic crisis through the provision of incentives to employers (financial, technical support) for providing employment and individualised training to the unemployed  Training according to a tailor-made training plan  Training duration : 3 or 6 months (on-the-job training)  No minimum salary stipulated  Subsidy up to €1600 / month (depending on employer's eligible costs)

Prerequisites / conditions for entering the scheme ;  Employers should have registered their vacancy with the Public Employment Office and have not carried out redundancies in the last 8 months, in the same district and in the same position as the registered vacancy  The prospective employee (trainee) must have been a registered unemployed before joining the employer  The trainee, must not be in employment of the applicant employer for more than 2 months

 Setting standards accepted by industry and the social partners (3/5 already developed, 14/72 under development)  Recognising knowledge, skills and competences  Valuing all learning, including prior and experiential learning  Transparency and comparability in a European context  Providing quidance for adapting the content of VET programmes  ESF Co-financing 85% COMPETENCE-BASED VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

T h a n k Y o u Contact Details George Stavrides Senior Human Resource Officer Human Resource Development Authority of Cyprus Tel.: , Fax : Website :