Reference year 2023
Version 2023 - Drafter by Petya Evtimova, Chairman of the Board, Modern Education Foundation
1Scheme history
In 2014 for the first time, dual education has been introduced in the legislation (See Q4 of the country fiche).
2Beneficiaries
The minimum age limit for enrolment is 16. The age limit is defined in the Labour Code and in the VET Act.
Most of the dual education students are between 16 and 19 years of age (VET Directorate, Ministry of Education and Science). This is due to the fact that dual education is better developed in vocational schools than in training centres.
11705 students enrolled in dual education (VET Directorate, Ministry of Education and Science, 2023) (as a comparison, in 2018, 2 873 students were enrolled in the scheme)
3Qualifications
EQF 4 for dual education in vocational schools (upper-secondary): NQF 4
EQF 2-4 for dual training in training centres (post-secondary): NQF 2-4
The same qualification can be achieved either with dual VET or with school-based VET.
The duration of the VET programme is 5 years; however, students spend time at the workplace only in the last 2 years of the programme.
In the last two years of the apprenticeship programme when the students actually learn on the job in a company the minimum share of the time spent on the workplace is at least 50 %. This share is set as a minimum in the framework programmes for dual education approved with an Order by the Minister of Education on the basis of the VET Act. Days per week in class: 3 or less in grade 11, 2 or less in grade 12. The exact percentage of time spent at the workplace is defined in the school curricula and can be higher than the minimum.
4Governance
Employers’ and employees’ organizations representatives participate in national level committees that are responsible for developing, approving and updating the state standards for VET qualifications.
Employers’ and employees’ organizations representatives participate in the committees for final evaluation of apprentices, which are organised by schools. Sometimes the exams are held in companies where the dual VET training took place.
1. The Ministry of Education and Science is responsible for the overall coordination of the work-based learning (dual system of training) in the country, including the enrolment and certification. The Minister of Education and Science issues the Ordinance on the procedure and requirements for the work-based learning (dual system of training). He approves the State Standards for acquiring professional qualification as well as the List of professions for VET.
2. The National Agency for Vocational Education and Training (NAVET) is a state agency under the Council of Ministers responsible for:
a. the elaboration of qualification standards for different professions taught in VET in cooperation with the nationally represented organizations of employers and employees, which then must be approved by Minister of Education and Science;
b. the elaboration of the List of professions for VET;
c. licencing and monitoring of VET centres and centres for information and vocational orientation.
5Training at the workplace
It is compulsory as per the Vocational Education and Training Act that students alternate between two learning venues: VET school or training center in the case of adults, and the company.
Each week includes both venues. In the 11th grade, students spend minimum 2 days a week at the workplace, in the 12th grade students spend minimum 3 days a week at the workplace.
The scheme is implemented based on the standards for all VET.
Training in the company is based on a curriculum for in-company training developed jointly by the VET school and the partner company.
The employer hosting apprentices is required by legislation to follow a training plan developed jointly between the VET school and the employer.
Besides offering a suitable workplace, each company should have enough mentors/instructors: each company should provide at least 1 instructor for every 5 apprentices.
Moreover, companies should be registered according to the Trade Act or the Act for NGOs and should not have unpaid liabilities to the state budget.
The legislation provides that the mentors at the workplace are employees of the employer who have at least 3 years of professional experience on the job and who have undergone special training for mentors following a training plan approved by the Minister of Education and Science.
The formal roles and duties of the mentors include:
- Participating in the elaboration of the in-company training plan and follows it strictly once approved by the VET school and the company;
- Instructing every apprentice on the safety regulations;
- Helping the apprentice in his/her adaptation to the workplace;
- Taking care of providing the tools and material for the training;
- Giving practical tasks to the apprentice and monitors their execution;
- Participating in the evaluation of the work of the apprentice;
- Keeping regular contacts with teacher-methodologist from the VET school.
6Contract and compensation
At the workplace, the student is an employee with a specific status as he/she works under the supervision of an instructor. As such, apprentices are subject to the same rights and obligations as other employees.
At the school, the student has a normal student status.
The Labour Code requires a labour contract for dual training to be signed between the student and the company.
The type of labour contract is specific for the scheme.
The contract should be registered in the National Revenue Agency.
Apprentices receive a salary. The law defines minimum salaries in the 11th and 12th grade.
In November 2018, a progression mechanism was introduced. Before then, the rate was at least 90% of the national minimum wage. With the changes in the Labour Code of November 2018, in 11th grade apprentices receive a wage which is at least 2 times the maximum student grant defined by the Council of Ministers, and in the 12th grade 3 times the maximum student grant.
The law defines the minimum wage, however, in practice many firm collective agreements apply and also individual agreements between apprentice and company, which can only increase the minimum wage.
7Financing and incentives
Employers provide the working places for the apprentices, instructors (mentors), materials and pay the salaries.
As of 2018, the apprentices’ health insurance is covered by the state budget instead of the employers, as it used to be before. This is a specific policy initiative and has been made possible with an amendment in the Health Insurance Act in 2018, and it is considered as an incentive for the employers participating in the scheme.
As of 2021 part of the salaries of the mentors in the companies are covered from the budget of the EU funded project “Support of the dual system of training”.