Hungary: Artificial Intelligence becomes a new subject in VET schools

Ninth‑grade VET students already learning about AI

The initiative started with a 10‑hour pilot programme involving 60 VET institutions and nearly 1 700 students. The results confirmed that AI should be addressed at institutional level in education, and both students and teachers showed strong interest in the topic. 

Feedback from the pilot revealed that many students already had basic knowledge of AI and were particularly interested in practical applications and real‑world problem‑solving. At the same time, students and teachers indicated development needs and asked for more time, more practical tasks and deeper engagement with the topic. Based on this feedback, the curriculum was revised and expanded to 12 hours, allowing for more practice‑oriented and in‑depth learning. 

From the second semester of the 2025/2026 school year, the subject has been introduced in all vocational schools at grade 9 level. It appears as an independent course, its completion is recorded in students’ school reports, and in future it is expected to provide an opportunity to obtain a micro‑credential. 

AI ambassadors supporting the transition

A reform of this scale requires strong professional support. Therefore, in September 2025, IKK Nonprofit Plc., in cooperation with VET centres, launched a national AI Ambassador Network. The purpose of this network is to support VET institutions in the responsible use of AI in teaching and learning. The network consists of 46 innovative teachers and trainers from VET centres and selected non‑state educational providers who already use AI in their daily professional work and have practical experience in the field. Their main tasks include: 

• regularly informing VET centres and institutions about current developments and opportunities in AI;
• providing methodological support for the educational use of AI;
• assisting schools and teachers/trainers in implementing AI‑related initiatives. 

The national AI Ambassador Network also played a key role in preparing and implementing the pilot programme. Its members supported institutions, assisted teachers and trainers, and contributed significantly to the smooth, system‑level introduction of the new subject. 

Professional support provided by the AI Ambassador Network is coordinated by the AI Skills Network working group established by IKK Nonprofit Plc., which:

• facilitates knowledge sharing;
• collects and disseminates good practices;
• supports further development of learning materials when necessary.

More than just a subject

The initiative is not only about introducing a new school subject; it aims to build a comprehensive educational ecosystem for AI in VET. IKK Nonprofit Plc. has: 

• developed teacher training programmes to support the pedagogically conscious use of AI in institutional management and vocational education
• published recommendations on ethical and security guidelines and AI usage policies that institutions can use as models
• organised webinars and forums for sharing good practices
• created an online knowledge‑sharing platform.

These measures seek to ensure that AI becomes not only a technological tool, but also a consciously and responsibly used competence in VET.

Next steps

The introduction of AI education into VET is part of a long‑term development process. The objective is to create a flexible and sustainable system that can adapt to rapid technological change while providing students with practical and usable knowledge for the labour market.

The next phase of development focuses on exploring and integrating sector‑specific applications of AI, so that AI use is directly connected to the professional content of different VET programmes.

Hungary has taken an important step to ensure that education keeps pace with technological development. Introducing AI education into VET is not only an innovation; it is also a strategic investment in the future labour market.

The question is no longer whether these competences are needed, but how prepared we are to use them.

Read more: 

• AI Ambassador Network – IKK
• Artificial intelligence in the school – IKK
• AI time‑travel initiative – IKK
• Artificial intelligence in VET – IKK
• Webinar on artificial intelligence in VET (YouTube) – IKK.