In 2024, the VET system in Bulgaria continued its major modernisation reform by amending the VET Act (March 2024). The main aspects of the reform will have an impact on the design of the list of professions for vocational education and training (LPVET), the update of the national educational standards and dual VET. It will also allow for flexible learning provision, introducing distance learning options for individuals over the age of 16, and redefine the notion of quality assurance in VET. The amendments contain provisions that will favour better alignment of VET with labour market needs, make validation of prior learning easier and reduce the administrative burden for the licensing/accreditation of VET providers.
The amended VET Act is the result of extensive 2-year consultations with all VET stakeholders. One of the most important changes is the new design of the list of professions for VET (LPVET). The new design – less complicated than the one used in the past – is expected to assist learners in making informed choices. The professions in the LPVET will also be reviewed and reformulated by the 20 Sectoral Skills Councils established at the end of 2023.
A comprehensive update of the national State Educational Standards (SES) will take place combining units of learning outcomes that incorporate the necessary skillset for the twin transition, thus changing the way in which a learner can acquire a full or partial qualification. A new legal definition of training for ‘part of a profession’ is also foreseen.
The amendments introduce a change for dual VET, making the appointment of mentors by employers – including small and medium enterprises (SMEs) – easier. This is done by reducing the mentors’ required professional experience from 3 to 2 years.
The new legislation, which is in line with the Council Recommendation on VET and Osnabrück Declaration, Bulgaria’s national implementation plan and the Bulgarian National Recovery and Resilience Plan, provides the option of e-learning for learners over the age of 16 as well as possibilities for transfer and accumulation of units of learning outcomes.
Moreover, a specific definition of quality assurance, including a clear commitment for the nationally represented employers’ organisations and the branch trade unions to participate in the process of assessing the quality of VET, is introduced.
Additional requirements are introduced regarding data registered in the register of vocational colleges managed by the education ministry.
Another amendment concerns the list of State-protected professions and the list of professions with expected shortage of specialists on the labour market. These will be updated every 2 years as this method of labour market analysis proved to be efficient and realistic.
The validation of professional knowledge, skills and competences has been made easier for training institutions with clear guidelines on validation procedures.
Amendments on the operation of VET centres, which offer opportunities for qualification and re-qualification for learners over the age of 16, reduce the administrative burden of the licensing/accreditation processes.
Read more
- The Law amending the Vocational Education and Training Act(VETA) in the Bulgarian official Gazzette (in Bulgarian only)
| Please cite this news item as: ReferNet Bulgaria; Cedefop (2024). Bulgaria: a new VET Act amendment further modernises VET. National news on VET |