Training Voucher for Unemployed and Employed Individuals in the Tourism Sector

Reskilling and Upskilling in the Tourism Sector

Under Action 16921, at least 20,000 beneficiaries aged over 18 are expected to participate in training.
The training program has a duration of 250 hours, and offers a training allowance of up to €2,500 (up to €1,250 for each training cycle).
Each beneficiary may attend up to two training cycles consecutively.

The purpose of the training programs is to provide new skills (upskilling) and reskilling for unemployed and employed individuals working in the tourism sector, with the ultimate goal of improving the overall quality of services offered in the tourism industry and, at the same time, enhancing the image of the sector in the post-COVID-19 era.

The action will be implemented through the training voucher system and will include theoretical training with a duration of 250 hours (asynchronous learning).

The action is implemented within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan “Greece 2.0” with funding from the European Union – NextGenerationEU.

Right to Participate

The right to participate in the training programs is granted to natural persons — unemployed individuals and salaried employees — who have completed at least two hundred (200) days of insured work in the tourism sector or in a specialty related to the training subject within the past decade, and who fall under one of the following categories:

• Seasonal workers in tourism enterprises
• Temporarily unemployed and long-term unemployed individuals in the tourism sector
• Employees of tourism enterprises whose employment contracts were suspended in 2020 and/or 2021 due to the temporary closure or suspension of operations of the businesses in which they worked, as part of the measures taken to prevent and address the spread of COVID-19.

Application Submission – Required Supporting Documents

Applicants must correctly submit an online application for participation through an information system accessible via the Single Digital Gateway of Public Administration (gov.gr).

The application serves as a solemn declaration under Article 8 of Law 1599/1986 (Government Gazette A’ 75) regarding the information it contains and must be accompanied by the following supporting documents:

1. A copy of both sides of the identity card or passport, or another valid proof of identity.

2. Individual Insurance Account Statement – or Certificate of Work Experience issued by EFKA.

3. Form E3 (Employment Notification) from the ERGANI information system, to verify the economic activity code (KAD) under which the minimum required work (200 insured days) was provided.

4. Suspension Form from the ERGANI information system, to prove the suspension of the employment contract during the years 2020 and/or 2021 (via the path: Declarations – Search Criteria – Category: COVID-19 MEASURES – select the appropriate form (e.g. Suspension) from the “Declaration – Form” menu).

5. Solemn declaration digitally signed, addressed to the Ministry of Tourism, stating:

• I am not simultaneously attending another training specialty within the same training cycle of Action 16921 “SUB 1: Reskilling and upskilling in tourism.”
• I have not attended a training program in the same subject area during the last two (2) years prior to the publication of this call.
• I am not attending and will not attend any other training program funded by European Union resources that has a timetable which overlaps, in whole or in part, with the training program for which I am submitting this application.
• I have read and accept all the terms of the project under Joint Ministerial Decision No. 10019/17.05.2023 (Government Gazette B’ 3428) and of this call for applications.
• On the date of submission of this application, I am unemployed / employed / seasonally employed at the company named “…………….” with TIN “…………”, under an employment relationship.
• All the information stated in this Application and the supporting documents submitted are accurate and true.
• I have read and consent to the terms of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). I agree that my personal data may be used for the purposes of the program by the Ministry of Tourism, the training and certification providers, the supervisory bodies of this project, and any other entity authorized to verify participation in other EU-funded projects. During the processing of personal data for the purposes of the program’s implementation, the Ministry of Tourism’s data protection policy as well as the terms and conditions of the relevant legislation (GDPR) shall apply.

For the unemployed category, the following will be required:

Unemployment duration certificate, available via the path: Certificates & Other Documents.

Implementation Method

The programs will be implemented through the method of asynchronous distance learning.

Training Allowance

1) Trainees who successfully complete the qualification certification exams are entitled to a training allowance of five euros (€5) for each hour of confirmed program attendance, up to a maximum total amount of one thousand two hundred and fifty euros (€1,250).

2) Trainees who participate in the certification exams but do not succeed will receive an amount corresponding to 70% of the total eligible allowance for the training hours they have attended.

3) The training allowance is paid once, after the completion of both the training and the certification process.

4) Unemployed trainees, as well as those whose employment contracts are suspended, are excluded from receiving the regular unemployment benefit, as well as any other benefit granted due to suspension of employment, for the months during which they receive the training allowance.

5) The allowance is non-transferable and non-seizable, and it is not subject to confiscation or set-off against certified debts to the Tax Authority, the public sector, social security funds, or financial institutions.

Training Program Subjects

The specialties for which training is expected to be provided are as follows:

• Reception Services and Digital Skills (250 hours)
• Food & Beverage Services and Food Hygiene & Safety (250 hours)
• Culinary and Pastry Arts (250 hours)
• Housekeeping Services and Environmental Management (250 hours)
• Outdoor Tourism & Leisure Activity Animator (250 hours)
• Spa and Wellness Services (Balneotherapy/Thalassotherapy) (250 hours)
• Tourism Office Executive (250 hours)

Expression of Interest Form