Detection of Training Needs of Workers in the Fur Industry: The case of Macedonia Greece

Abstract

The paper investigates the training needs of workers in the fur industry and suggests the design of a respective training program. Based on the views of the workers themselves, the paper detects the theoretical knowledge and the practical skills necessary for their employment in this field as well as it identifies training gaps. In order to gain access to a big sample, the region of Macedonia, Greece was chosen as the place at which the field research took place, as it presents the highest numbers in fur production in the country. Qualitative field research, through semi-structured interviews, has been conducted. The main findings of the survey showed that there is no training support for the fur industry in Greece, both at the level of initial education and at the level of continuous training of the employees in it. The workers’ participation in a specialized training program will contribute to the upgrading of the industry, according to the workers’ views.