A focus group was held by ActionAid Hellas Community Centre & the Region of Central Macedonia´s team. It gathered employers-representatives from the four sectors tackled by INTENISA’s framework: textile, tourism, agri-food and finance.

Participants were invited to take part in the focus group following personal contact and detailed information via e-mail. Our team met online to discuss about all related challenges and opportunities concerning women’s employability chances and upskilling needs in these sectors. During the focus group, participants were asked to elaborate both on the general aspects of their work in these fields and afterwards were led to more specific questions on requested skills, good practices used and possible educational trainings that would be of help.

The participants in the focus group had the chance to go into details. For instance, the lack of specific digital and soft skills for women working in the above-mentioned sectors. What is more complicated on the integration policies in Greece and the State’s involvement and efforts. Moreover, participants were given the space to discuss and share with companies and the entities they represent on how they are dealing with such issues and what are the best practices they have put in practice.

Among the things underlined by CEO’s and other companies’ representatives that struck the most was the following:

“Technology will have a great part in our future trainings. Since our services are heading towards this aspect. We want employees that are 100% computer literate, since the whole package provided in the sector of tourism, will not remain as it was the last decades.”