For more than 40 years, PPC has rewarded the children of its employees who achieve outstanding results in secondary and higher education. This year, the programme continued with two separate ceremonies in Athens and Ptolemaida, honouring a total of 468 outstanding pupils and graduates.
A total of 126 lower-secondary graduates, 213 upper-secondary graduates and 129 holders of higher education qualifications — undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees — from across Greece were recognised by PPC for their excellent results. The top performers received a personal commendation, as well as gifts including Kotsovolos gift vouchers, in recognition of their effort and achievement, according to the relevant press release.
By rewarding the outstanding children of PPC employees, the programme highlights the importance of excellence, but above all honours the values of perseverance, dedication to achieving goals and continuous progress.
The Athens event
At this year’s event, entitled “Careers in the age of social media and the digital world”, senior PPC Group executives spoke about the importance of developing “soft skills”, from communication to creativity, in a constantly changing technological landscape where social media dominate many aspects of everyday life.
They placed particular emphasis on using social media responsibly, the artificial intelligence revolution and its impact on the future of the next generation.
Alina Papageorgiou, Group General Manager of Human Resources and Organisation, congratulated the top performers on their efforts and results, noting that their academic success, though significant at a time undoubtedly full of challenges, was only one part of their personal journey. “Their experiences, and their continued search for and broadening of their horizons, are far more influential and shape their personalities as a whole,” she said.
Antonis Karras, president of GENOP-PPC, also congratulated the top performers and their families, stressing that “the effort does not end with a degree”. In closing, he expressed his confidence in the younger generation, saying that young people are the future and can help create a better, more humane world.
The event also featured “Game time”, during which the audience was split into two teams — parents and top-performing pupils — who answered questions about social media.
Alongside the game, Elpidoforos Papanikolaou, Director of Digital Communications, Maria Dagla, Recruitment Director, and Eleni Prifti, Director of Corporate Culture & Employer Branding, spoke about how social media have evolved from a simple entertainment tool into an integral part of professional life and the economy as a whole.
They also highlighted the importance of young people’s online presence for their future careers. The speakers agreed that the younger generation needs adaptability and critical thinking in the age of AI, which is rapidly changing both everyday life and jobs.
Sakis Tanimanidis, presenter, producer and entrepreneur, also attended the Athens event. He said that in the age of social media, “the most valuable ‘current’ is human attention” and offered three tips on how young people can make the most of their personal presence and create opportunities for themselves.
First, he encouraged them to talk about their work and efforts, turning their day-to-day journey into a personal “diary” that they can share with others. He also suggested they take the “Google test”, searching for their full name to see what impression someone looking them up online and on social media for the first time might form.
Finally, he stressed the importance of taking the initiative and reminded pupils that if you do not ask for something, the answer is automatically “no”, and that sometimes an attempt can open up a path that would otherwise not exist.
The Ptolemaida event
In Ptolemaida, the event opened with a warm welcome from Director of People Development Natassa Xydou, who congratulated both the top performers and their families, who stand by them at every step.
She stressed that “progress means perseverance, discipline, the curiosity to learn, the strength to set goals, achieve them and strive to surpass them”, and wished the young people well in the next stage of their journey.
Alina Papageorgiou, Group General Manager of Human Resources and Organisation, also addressed the gathering, emphasising the value of career guidance for young people at the age when pupils are called on to make decisions about their future.
Kostas Maniatis, general secretary of GENOP-PPC, underlined the importance of top-performing pupils being able to stand on their own feet, so they are ready to face future challenges and always willing to try what life has to offer.
Alexios Paizis, Deputy CEO of the PPC Group and head of Conventional Power Generation, congratulated the pupils receiving awards and their families, encouraging the former to remain focused on their studies and goals without putting themselves under excessive pressure.
As he noted, “a strong academic foundation will give you the ability to do whatever you want in life”.
He also stressed that Western Macedonia is facing a major transformation, as it retains its pivotal role in energy while developing a new, modern energy portfolio, with investment in modern, flexible generation units, renewable energy sources and energy storage.
He noted that this development is creating new employment and growth opportunities for both specialised technicians and engineers and professionals with new skills. It can also foster innovation, collaboration with the University of Western Macedonia and the creation of a new value chain in the region.
Spyrοs Michaloulis, career guidance counsellor, attended the Ptolemaida event and pointed out that the labour market is changing at a rapid pace, and that the jobs of the future are not necessarily those we know today.
He said that pupils aged 15-17 are not being asked to decide which profession to pursue, but which course of study suits them, as one degree can lead to many different career paths.
He also stressed that career paths are not linear and urged pupils to make decisions that will make them proud.
“PPC Progress”: promoting education and excellence
The recognition of PPC employees’ children who excel in their studies has evolved over the years into the “PPC Progress” programme, through which pupils and students in secondary and higher education are honoured for their outstanding results.
“PPC Progress” is organised by the General Directorate of Human Resources and Organisation and, for more than 40 years, has reflected PPC’s deep belief in the power of knowledge, effort and personal development.
By honouring pupils and students, the event celebrates excellence, but above all the values of perseverance, achieving goals and continuous progress.
Educational initiatives form part of the broader PPC Group Sustainable Development Strategy and contribute to its goals for the “Quality Education” pillar (SDG 4), as defined by the United Nations.