Connecting with market
Part of the mission of the Tourism Studies Department of the University of Piraeus is the preparation of business executives in the tourism industry, capable of progressing careering in the labor market and taking on higher managerial positions. The Department seeks to combine contemporary knowledge with the cultivation of skills related to the application of scientific knowledge in addressing the real needs and problems of tourism. Special emphasis is given to preparing students to capitalize on the challenges of the tourism market and their absorption into top businesses and organizations. In this context, the educational process aims to familiarize students with the evolving nature of businesses in the tourism sector, a sector whose demands constantly generate new job positions.
For the effective connection of its graduates and alumni with the labor market, the Department organizes events with speakers from the Greek Tourism sector and arranges student visits to tourism businesses or organizations as part of their courses.
Furthermore, the Department collaborates with the University of Piraeus’s Career Office to provide personalized services tailored to the needs of its students and graduates. Examples include online interviews of graduates with businesses in the sector, and events on topics such as “Professional Career and Tourism in the post-Covid-19 era,” “Introduction to Effective Job Search,” “Interview Process and Tips,” “Personal Branding,” “The Importance of Participating in Career Days and Similar Events in the Job Search Process.” Additionally, the Department organizes Career Days for its graduates and alumni in cooperation with the Career Office.
At the same time, students have the opportunity for internships through the “University of Piraeus Students Internship” program, which helps in the professional application of the knowledge and skills they have acquired during their studies and creates a channel for mutual information exchange between the Department and businesses.
The Department aims to implement targeted actions to provide students with a better understanding of the conditions and particularities of the labor market and the challenges they will face in order to have a successful professional career. Thanks to the Department’s extensive network of collaborations and contacts with tourism businesses, it plans to organize events and visits to businesses that concern all sub-sectors of Greek tourism as part of the taught courses, organize “Mock Interviews,” establish “Career Tourism Days,” conduct research on the “Best Place to Work in the Tourism Sector,” and contribute to the creation of an Alumni Association.
In summary, the Department of Tourism Studies organizes and offers various actions for its students, specifically:
- Career Days for graduates and final year students of the Department of Tourism Studies.
- Organization of Scientific Seminars-Workshops for connection with the labor market.
- Participation of executives of the tourism labor market with presentations in the Department’s courses.
- Visits to professional venues and contact with the tourist labor market.
Until 2022, the Department of Tourism Studies has organized for its students:
- 3 Career Days with participation from more than 90 tourism businesses represented by human resource executives.
- 4 Seminars and Workshops with the participation of 25 executives from the tourism market to inform students.
- 23 executives from the tourism market participated with presentations in the courses of the Department of Tourism Studies.
- 5 visits of students to tourism organizations and major tourism businesses.
For a more detailed presentation of the actions taken to connect students of the Department of Tourism Studies with the market click here.