Bulgaria

Description of the VET System in Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, the two bodies responsible for Vocational Education and Training (VET) are the Ministry for Education and Science and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy . The Ministry for Education and Science has the overall responsibility for the entire school system and is the main policy-making body with budgetary responsibility and control for Initial Vocational Education and Training (IVET). The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the Ministry for Education and Science are both responsible for adult education, which can be considered as Continuous Vocational Education and Training (CVET). In terms of legislation, the most important act is the Vocational Education and Training Act (1999). The act sets regulations with regard to a citizen’s right to VET according to their personal interests and abilities. It also regulates the provision of certain conditions that ensure the functioning and development of the VET system based on the cooperation among the VET institutions and government institutions, local authorities and social partners. The Vocational Education and Training Act – VETA (1999) – provides the legislative framework of initial and continuing vocational education and training . Recognition of Vocational Qualification Act – RVQA (2008) – regulates the conditions and rules for the recognition of vocational qualifications, acquired in other EU member states or third countries in order to gain access and practice regulated professions . The update of the Vocational Education and Training Act aims to improve access to adult vocational training. Employment Promotion Act (enforced in 2006) is another important act . This act sets general policies for employment, methods to gather information about employment, promotion of employment, etc. in Bulgaria.

Although legislation regarding the VET system in Bulgaria may not be as comprehensive as some other EU countries, three recent strategic documents were published in order to reach the Lisbon goals for Lifelong Learning (LLL) :

School and pre-school Education Development National Programme 2006-2015: This document determines key curricula goals for pre-school and upper secondary education in Bulgaria. It emphasises the widening of access to education and the opportunity for LLL programmes;
National Strategy for Further Vocational Training 2005-2010: This document aims to define the national priorities for development of LLL in Bulgaria. Better access, quality of training, and institutional and social partnerships are emphasised;
National Strategy for Lifelong Learnging 2008-2013 .

A further change introduced in during the 2007/2008 school year, was the introduction of common National Exam Programs for VET.

IVET

In Bulgaria, IVET begins as early as the completion of the sixth grade, i.e. when students are 12 or 13 years old. Until the age of 16, comprehensive education is the dominate education model for students. IVET elements are dispersed within the comprehensive education during this period. After completing this training period, a student obtains a comprehensive education certificate as well as initial level qualification in a certain occupational field.

In the upper secondary education, a similar mechanism exists. Students in vocational upper secondary schools (VUSS) receive IVET along with secondary education. An alternative is attending gymnasia VUSS. If a student is admitted to gymnasia VUSS after the 7th grade, the educational programme lasts for 6 years. Gymnasia VUSS offers intensive foreign language classes.

Vocational gymnasia are the most popular among the institutions providing IVET since they offer the possibility to acquire a VET qualification and complete secondary education.

IVET is also available to individuals who are older than 16 and have already finished upper secondary school. VET centres or vocational schools offer adult education courses. Equal access to IVET is guaranteed by common access requirements for state-owned and municipal VET schools12.

CVET

Policy responsibilities for developing CVET in Bulgaria are devolved between the Ministries of Education and Science and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. The main challenge in CVET is to address the imminent redundancies of teachers through re-training in order to avoid unemployment11. Furthermore, CVET activities have to be better connected from IVET activities. Lifelong learning in is administered by the Human Resource Development Centre since January 2007. CVET is provided by VET centres after licensing through the National Agency for Vocational Education and Science.

Quality Assurance

In Bulgaria, the Vocational Education and Training Act (1999) established a special body, National Agency for Vocational Education and Training (NAVET). NAVET’s main objective is to “assure and maintain quality in the vocational education and training of young people and adults according to the labour market needs and the development of the Bulgarian economy competitiveness”. NAVET’s mission states it will:

Cooperate with the social partners in implementing coordinated policies for lifelong learning, continuing vocational training and introducing successful European practices;
Expand the access of the unemployed and the employed to vocational education and training according to the labour market needs;
Ensure public access to useful information concerning the continuing vocational training and lifelong learning in the country and in the EU;
Develop the List of professions for vocational education and training;
Develop State Educational Requirements (standards) for acquiring qualifications .

A study conducted by the European Commission in 2007 states that there is “no regularly conducted research and external evaluation of the quality of skills acquired through vocational training” . Nevertheless, certain preconditions for improving the quality and efficiency of LLL have been established and have been applied in practice.

External evaluation of schools is carried out by Regional Inspectorates under the Ministry of Education and Science, located in the 28 administrative centres. In 2005, the Center on Control and Assessment of Education Quality in Bulgaria was established to improve internal and external evaluation, and systems for quality control of secondary and higher schools.

Furthermore, a workgroup has been created to carry out an analysis of qualifications in Bulgaria in accordance with the indicators of the European Qualification Framework .

EQARF Indicators

The following PDF attachment summarises evidence identified that relates any indicators used at national level to the ten indicators proposed in the EQARF recommendation: EQARF Indicators Bulgaria

Note about indicator # 1 (Relevance of quality assurance systems for VET providers):
NAVET is responsible for issuing licenses which entitle centres to provide and certify vocational training of unemployed and the employed over the age of 16 with acquiring a vocational qualification degree or qualification. The license is issued on demand from legal or natural persons by the concept of the Commercial Law . Currently, at the institutional level, all 51 accredited higher education institutions have internal quality assurance systems. 13 of them are certified by ISO 9001: 200014.

Note about indicator # 2 (Investment in training of teachers and trainers):
The Ministry for Education and Science has made some investments in improving the quality of teachers and trainers:
• Short-term and long-term qualification courses are designed to help teachers work in an multicultural environment;
• Knowing more foreign languages and gaining more cultural information are still priorities in improving teachers’ quality. Different courses are provided to address these aspects;
• A new system for teachers’ career development is being developed by the Ministry for Education and Science. Details of this system are not available14.

Note about indicator # 9 (Mechanisms to identify training needs in the labour market):
Since 2006, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy has developed a PHARE project to determine employers’ needs. This project aims to provide a good match between training and labour market needs14.