A flashback of the history of the Technical Institute of Heraklion Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Heraklion Chamber of Commerce and Industry in response to the imperative needs of the education of specialized craftsmen, took over the responsibility of establishing and running the Technical Institute of Heraklion Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Technical Institute of Heraklion Chamber of Commerce and Industry was established in the year 1950, following the decision of the Hellenic Ministry of Economy (ref. No. 28531/24-2-1950) and was published within the Hellenic Government’s journal under the ref. No. 45/11-2-1950.
The Technical Institute was working as a Legal Entity under Private Law and its main goal was the training of specialized craftsmen in order to cover the needs of the most important industry and crafts branches, as well as those of various technical services of the state and also the need for cultural and financial development of the city of Heraklion and the whole of Crete in general. The Institute’s facilities covered an area of 12.000m² which in addition to the not-built site covered a total of 16.000 m². The below crafts were initially introduced:
• Year 1956, Intermediate Technical Training for Foremen
• Year 1965, Higher School of Electronics.
4 fully equipped workshops were available at the time: 1 for electrical works, 1 for engineering, 1 for carpentry and 1 for electronics. Until the year 1967, 1.150 students had been trained. From the year 1968, the student numbers reduced due to the establishment of the Public Technical School in Heraklion and Neapolis in Lasithi. After the law 576/77 was introduced, the Lower and Intermediate Schools for Foremen were abolished and therefore the Technical Institute stopped providing classes on these areas. Following that development, under the new law of 1268/82, also the Higher School of Electronics was abolished too. In 1978, the Technical Institute granted a part of their classrooms to the University of Crete in order for the University to be able to establish the school of Physics and Mathematics in Heraklion. It is worthy pointing out the fact that from 1978 to 1985, the classrooms were given to the University for free, which is an act that proves the Institute’s higher sense of responsibility towards the society of the island of Crete.
Up until mid-1980’s, the Technical Institute was recognized and gained a great reputation as an Intermediate and Higher School that had trained thousands of professionals, who today offer their services to the financial business life of Heraklion. From 1950 to 1985, the year that the Institute stopped their direct educational work, approximately 14.000 businessmen had received training there. From 1987 until today, the Technical Institute hire the biggest part of the infrastructure of the 3rd Technical and Professional School. In 1992, the Institute started again their work, by putting extra weight on the informal continuous training with their main goal being the development and improvement of the skills of the 15.000 businesses/members and their employees, of the Heraklion Chamber of Commerce and Industry. At the same time, funded training programmes were introduced and used in a relatively small degree from R.O.P. of Crete and the N.D.C. In the year 1995, the Technical Institute created a Professional Training Centre according to the decisions with ref. No. 115373/11-11-94 and 115372/11-11-94 of the Minister of Employment and after the approval of the Managing Board of the Heraklion Chamber of Commerce and Industry on 08/02/1995. Those decisions referred to the newly created centre as well as to the modification and restatement of the Organisation, based on which the Technical Institute had been functioning since 1970, in order for the Institute to cover all perquisites to be certified as a Professional Training Centre. The Technical Institute received a temporary certification as a Professional Training Centre in 1995 with ref. No. 4001. In 1998, and within the frame of the notices announced by the National Center for the Certification of Lifelong Learning Structures and the relevant ministerial decisions the Institute did not receive further certification, however, they continued to plan and put into action their whole training programme, meetings and international connections and relations with other Chambers of Commerce for the Heraklion Chamber of Commerce and Industry. More specifically, the Institute’s contribution in the training sector stayed exceptional, providing more than 205.000 hours of training since 1992.
Today
The building complex of the Technical Institute at No 1 Ikarou & Arhimidous Street has been renovated and completely refurbished and consists of 3 classrooms that cover a total area of 210m² where the programmes of the Institute are being taught. Also, there is another room for the secretariat, the Institute’s Management, a café that covers the needs of trainees and tutors and an outdoor area that covers an area of 214m². The Technical Institute of the Heraklion Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a certified Professional Training Centre or regional range and since 2001 continues after being re-certified until 2008, specializing on the below subjects:
- Environment
- Public Health & Care
- Culture & Sports
- Pedagogy and Education
- Finance and Management
- IT
- Touristic & Customer Service
- Agriculture
- Technical & Transport
The Technical Institute is actively working on 4 main areas:
- The implementation of Training projects both under the co-funding of ESF as well as self-financed programmes.
- The planning and implementation of wider projects in order to promote the developing of human resources such as the involvement into European programmes and initiatives (Enlarge, Leonardo etc.)
- The development and management of the high-level infrastructures benefitting the businesses in the prefecture of Heraklion as well as wider social classes.
- The support of the development and management project of the Heraklion Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as it employs experienced members who are in position to monitor the actions of the Chamber.
The Technical Institute continues its dynamic work having arranged a wide plan that includes actions for all the above-mentioned areas. More specifically, in terms of education matters, the planning is related to training cycles based on the main focus which is the MME. Of course, the Institute will continue to participate in all Training Programmes announcements coming from the European Social Fund (includes the unemployed as well as the employed) since the Institute has made a come back into the training of the unemployed, a fact that is proven by the long-term funded programmes that were implemented and are coming from the Ministry of Employment, the Information Society as well as the Region of Crete. Furthermore, the Institute is in a position to organize a wide range of self-funded programmes.
It is known that the Institute’s main subject of work are the development strategies, the support of the local businesses and the provision of training. The Institute have created a wide self-funded programme of training that is currently under full implementation. Those seminars are basically specialized and interactive and are addressed to business executives and entrepreneurs.
The Institute is the Heraklion Chamber’s of Commerce and Industry spearhead in relation to the innovation, the planning and organizing of development prospects, the perquisites and terms of development of the Region of Crete while supporting the general improvement of the business environment.
Our excellent staff, infrastructures, the total support from the Heraklion Chamber of Commerce and Industry in addition to the crucial advantage that comes from this relationship, guarantee our essential and effective role in the area of training and the job market.