Cyprus brings back work week for secondary school students

Employers across Cyprus have until January 16, 2026 to express interest in hosting students from the second grade of lyceum as part of the reintroduced work week (job shadowing) during the 2025–2026 school year, an initiative aimed at strengthening links between education and the labour market.

In an announcement, the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth said the programme will be implemented by the directorate of secondary general education, within the framework of the government’s Governance 2025 planning and the ministry’s Annual Action Plan for 2025–2026.

The intervention falls under Strategic Objective 1, which focuses on student-centred educational policies.

The measure revives the institution of the work week, providing for the planning and implementation of a structured job-shadowing experience for second-year lyceum students.

Through short-term placement in real working environments, the scheme is designed to help students gain first-hand exposure to professional settings, better understand workplace routines and responsibilities, and make more informed decisions about future academic and career paths.

According to the ministry, the project is also embedded in Cyprus’ Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), specifically under the reform targeting skills mismatches between education and employment in secondary and tertiary education.

The intervention contributes to the completion of a national job-shadowing programme, in line with the relevant reform milestone set under the plan.

The job-shadowing period is scheduled to take place between February 18 and April 3, 2026, spanning approximately six and a half weeks, during which students will be hosted by public or private sector organisations across the country.

The ministry notes that participation by private schools of the same type is optional and subject to each school’s internal decision.

Employers wishing to participate are invited to submit their details electronically by January 16, 2026, by completing the official Employer-Host Organisation Declaration Form.

The form requires basic information about the organisation, a designated contact person, the sector of activity, and a brief outline of the type of workplace exposure students will receive.

The official announcement, along with all supporting documents and forms, is available on the Education Ministry’s website.

The same page includes downloadable material such as Annexes 1 and 2, which outline the programme’s objectives, structure and implementation timeline, as well as Forms 1–4 used by students, parents, schools and host organisations.

Organisations operating in more than one district and willing to host students in multiple areas are required to complete a separate form for each district in which they intend to participate, the ministry said.