Significant changes in legislation governing VET take effect from November 2018 with the amended Bulgarian Vocational Education and Training Law. They concern the structure and functions of the National Agency for Vocational Education and Training (NAVET), dual VET, licensing procedures and the work of Vocational Training Centres (CVTs). The changes aim to improve the performance of VET institutions and the governance of the VET system.

Following publication in the State Gazette, the amendments and supplements to the Vocational Education and Training Act will take effect as of November 2018.

The list of amendments and supplements comprises:

  • a reduction in the quorum required to hold a NAVET Governing Board meeting to half of its members. It also sets a minimum number of staff for NAVET, now set to 30 people;is expected to aid the agency in improving its performance, especially in relation to activities related to control and assessment;
  • a list of specialties in occupations where shortages in potential staff are expected is created and the role of the institutions involved in the development and update of the list is regulated again;
  • the prerequisites for holding and maintaining mentor and teacher-methodist qualifications, with consequent changes to dual training, are amended. Other amendments consider the legal provisions for the offer of training placements by employers and the establishment of an employer database. Both these are closely related to the implementation of dual training;
  • the licensing procedure for CVTs becomes easier. Stages in the procedure are introduced: the first is verification of the validity of submitted licensing documentation and the second is assessment of the applicant’s capacity to offer training. Confirmation of conformity with on the spot audits is also introduced and becomes an integral part of the licensing procedure;
  • licensing and other fees (for every procedural step) in favour of NAVET are amended;
  • the obligation of CVTs to update their curricula every five years and to publish information about completed training to the NAVET website within 10 days after completion of training. These are newly introduced provisions, contained in the Law The Law also provides for the inclusion of new specialties, or the modification of existing ones (should changes to the relevant occupation occur) to the CVT license and introduces the possibility to end licensing at the request of the applicant.

These legislative amendments and supplements are expected to lead to overall VET system improvement.

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Vocational Education and Training Act