More than 1,000 students and graduates of the University of Economics met with representatives from 114 recognized public and private sector companies in OPA Career Days which took place on Wednesday, October 24 at Zappeio Megaro. This is one of the actions of the Liaison Office of the Foundation with a history of more than 30 years with the aim of effectively connecting the academic community with the labor market and the real economy.
From early Wednesday morning until late afternoon, the two rooms of Zappeion were filled with young people who were there to discuss with company representatives, to explore professional possibilities and to give “live” interviews at the top career event. It should be noted that Alter Ego Media also participated in the OPA Career Days 2024.
The event was graced by the presence of the Minister of Education, Religion and Sports Mr. Kyriakos Pierrakakis, the Rector of the Athens University of Economics and Business Prof. Vassilis Vasdekis and the Vice-Chancellors of OPA Mr. L. Doukakis, E. Galanaki and G. Siougle
Linking the market to higher education
The Minister of Education, Religion and Sports, Mr. Kyriakos Pierrakakis, was mentioned in his presence in a dual capacity – on the one hand as Minister of Education and on the other hand as a graduate of the Athens University of Economics. “Career Days” have been held continuously by OPA for more than thirty years, I remember them since I was a student, and I am happy because 114 companies are participating this year, putting into practice the interconnection of the market with higher education”, pointed out Mr. Pierrakakis.
“Once everything we see here today was asked for – today it is self-evident. And it’s very nice to see the obvious come true. I was also pleased with the particularly positive outlook for OPA graduates recorded in the University Liaison Office’s recent survey. And, on this occasion, I would like to highlight the consistently excellent work of the Foundation Liaison Office. Many congratulations to the organizers. This culture that today’s event reflects, we must all acquire and promote”, he concluded.
New channels of communication and interconnection
The Rector Professor Vassilis Vasdekis said: “The main aim of the organization remains the development of new channels of communication and interconnection of the University’s students and graduates with the labor market, with the aim of staffing businesses with human resources of high cognitive training and skills. After all, this was also shown by the results of a recent employment survey of OPA graduates, recording that 8 out of 10 graduates had immediate professional rehabilitation after receiving their degree.
Regarding the event, the Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Personnel Professor Leonidas Doukakis added: “The institutionalized OPA Career Days are a first-class opportunity for our students and graduates to come into meaningful contact with the representatives of the labor market. We are proud to continue a tradition of years of recognized acceptance and proven success.”
Meeting of the academic and business world
“The OPA Interconnection, always next to the students and graduates of the Foundation,” the OPA career advisor Ms. Angeliki Panagiotidou told tovima.gr “organizes the annual OPA Career Days event. In the particularly welcoming and emblematic space of Zappeion, the meeting of the academic and business world took place with the aim of two-way lifelong communication and the exploration of collaborations. It remains a reliable point of reference for the country’s current production environment.”
Finally, it would be remiss not to mention the essential presence of the OPA volunteers, the group of students of the Foundation who actually participated both in the setup and during the event.
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