Filenews 10 January 2026 - by Evangelia Sizopoulou
For those who graduated from school before 2013, the institution is familiar. For those who followed afterwards, unknown. The reason for the Work Week, an institution that was implemented for many years in high schools, giving the opportunity to students of the second grade for a week not to come to school but to a workplace of their choice. The aim was to bring the children into contact with professions that interested them and probably had in their choices and preferences for studies. The institution ended in 2013 and now, 12 years later, it is back and in fact, differentiated.
Asked about this, the Deputy Director of Secondary Education of the Ministry of Education, Giorgos Koutsidis, told "F" that the institution of the "Work Week" is returning and that it is a very positive development. Mr. Koutsidis stressed that it is a very important action and also meets the Ministry's goal of connecting the school and students with the labour market.
This year, the institution concerns 5,925 students of the second grade of Lyceum, who from February, when the program will begin, will be able to be placed in various workplaces, get to know professions that interest them and gain knowledge and experience.
This policy of the Directorate of Secondary Education of the Ministry of Education is part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (Reform C5.1R1 Addressing the skills mismatch between education and the labour market (secondary and tertiary education)) through the achievement of goal 239b "Completion of a job shadowing programme".
Students from public schools will participate in the program, while the participation of students from private schools is left to the schools themselves. The program will be held from 18/02/2026 until 03/04/2026 with a total duration of 6.5 weeks.
The difference in the renewed "Work Week" is that instead of five days, students will be in workplaces for only three days (consecutively). On the remaining two days, experts from various professional fields and sectors will visit schools to brief students.
It is also noted that the working hours of students in the workplaces will not exceed 13:35, i.e. the time they normally school from their schools.
Among the information provided by the Ministry of Education in a relevant circular, it is noted that parents/guardians are invited to find host institutions/employers with whom their children will be placed during the three-day period set for their Lyceum of study, giving their consent.
Students for whom it will not be possible to find a host institution/employer, will be placed, with the consent of their parents/guardians, by the Ministry of Education in positions offered by host institutions/employers who will express interest in participating in the Job Week – Job Shadowing program.
