The need to create Laboratory Centers (LCs) arose from the fact that in large school complexes, students from more than one school practice in the same laboratory spaces. Thus, for the best protection, maintenance and utilization of the equipment, it was deemed necessary to create the LCs, to which the laboratories were allocated, so that there would be a centralized management of the laboratory spaces.
The LCs, according to their founding law, are independent school units with their own secretarial support, administrative and educational staff. According to the law, the administrative bodies of the School Laboratory Centers are: The Director of the LC The Deputy Director of the LC The heads of the LC sectors and The heads of the LC laboratories A teachers' association also operates in each LC.
In Katerini, the 1st Laboratory Center (LC) of Katerini operates, which is housed in the facilities of the unified school complex of the LC - Model EPAL - Evening EPAL at 150 T. Terzopoulou Street in Katerini as well as in the facilities of the 2nd EPAL, located at the entrance to the Municipal District of Neo Keramidio. The Director of the Laboratory Center of Katerini since July 2023 is Dr. Dimitrios I. Sidiropoulos, a teacher of Informatics PE86.
The LC Katerini has a large number of equipped laboratories, in which students of the following school units practice:
- The Model Vocational High School of Katerini (PEPAL of Katerini)
- The 2nd Vocational High School of Katerini (2nd EPAL of Katerini)
- The Evening Vocational High School of Katerini (Evening EPAL of Katerini)
Also in the laboratories of the EK of Katerini, students of the IEK of Katerini practice. In the EK of Katerini The following departments operate at the University of Katerini: 1. Informatics, 2. Economics & Administration, 3. Health, Welfare & Wellness, 4. Mechanical Engineering, 5. Electrical Engineering - Electronics - Automation, 6. Applied Arts, 7. Civil Engineering, 8. Agriculture.
More Details
The Laboratory Center of Vocational Schools of Katerini is located in the province of Pieria in Northern Greece, 70km far from Thessaloniki. Founded in 1989, the Laboratory center has been located near the city center in a nice position just below mount Olympus, the home of Greek Gods, and at a distance of only 7 Km from the coastline.
The Laboratory center serves about 2000 students aged 16 – 19 and approximately 140 teachers and comprises seven different sectors (Informatics, Healthcare & Welfare, Agriculture/Food Technology/Nutrition and Business/Economics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Electronics, Structural projects, Built Environment and Architectural Design). The Laboratory center includes a number of specialized teaching laboratories for each department and is equipped with modern ICT infrastructure.
Many of the students come from villages in Pieria region and some of them (~15-20%) come from families who have migrated to Greece from Albania, Bulgaria, Russia, Syria, Afganistan etc. Also, the Laboratory center is located in the same premises with the School of Katerini for students with special needs.
The training provided aims to combine general education with technical vocational knowledge, with the following specific purposes:
- development of skills, initiative, creativity and critical thinking of students
- transmitting the required technical and professional knowledge and develop relevant skills
- providing students with the necessary skills and abilities necessary to continue their studies at the next educational level.
The following seven sectors with corresponding specialties work at school:
I) Informatics
- Informatics Applications Technician
- Computer and Networks Technician
II) Business and Economics
- Administration and Finance
- Logistics
- Marketing and Advertising
- Economy and Management in Tourism
III) Agriculture, Food Technology and Nutrition
- Plant Production
- Floriculture and Landscape Architecture
- Food and Drink Technology
IV) Healthcare and Welfare
- Nursery
- Medical Lab Assistant
- Nursing
- Physiotherapy Assistant
- Hairdressing Art Technician
- Aesthetics and Beauty Therapy specialty
- Special Dental technicians
- Pharmacy assistants
V) Mechanical Engineering
- Manufacturing Engineering Technicians
- Refrigeration and Air conditioning Engineering Technicians
- Heating, Petroleum & Natural Gas Technicians
- Vehicle and Automotive engineering Technicians
VI) Electrical Engineering and Electronics
- Automation Technicians
- Electrical installation Technicians
- Electrical engineering
- Automobile electrical system
- Applied Electronics
- Telecommunications
- Computer and Networks systems
VI) Structural projects, Built Environment and Architectural Design
- Construction projects
- Grafic Design
- Graphic arts
- Jewellery and Silversmithing
Modern technical and professional skills are provided in well-equipped laboratories. The Laboratory center has ten PC labs (networked and with Internet access), Library, Greenhouse and a Bio-Garden, healthcare labs.
