Since the beginning of Greece’s economic crisis approximately one decade ago, tens of thousands of the country’s young professionals have left the country seeking better employment opportunities.
But now the Greek government has initiated a program which aims to mitigate the loss of Greece’s young workers — a phenomenon which many refer to as a “brain drain.”
That very name inspired the title of the new program, called “Rebrain Greece.” The initiative falls under the Ministry of Labor and offers financial incentives for young Greeks to bring their professional talents back to their homeland.
For highly-qualified workers, the government offers to pay as much as 70% of their salaries of up to 3,000 euros per month — for one year.
“It is not about golden boys,” Greek Labor Minister Giannis Vroutsis said in an interview with Euronews. “It is about young Greeks with a high level of studies that went abroad to find a better future. We want them back, to build this better future here in Greece; to bring their knowledge and experience to Greek companies.”
Konstantinos Agrapidas, the head of Greece’s Labor Relations General Directorate, said the decrease in skilled workers has come at a great cost to the country.
“Greece has paid a high price because of the brain drain,” he said. “Greek families and the Greek state have invested in these young people. Now Greece ranks 26th out of the EU’s 28 in digital integration skills.”
In the video below, Athens-based Euronews correspondent Symela Touchtidou interviews a fellow Greek who had traveled to the United Kingdom and worked there for six years. But he has since re-located to Greece.
Watch the video
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