Reference year 2026
Version 2026
Drafted by Eva Mezo-Zadori, Coordinator, IKK Innovative Training Support Centre, Hungary, and member of Cedefop Community of apprenticeship experts for Hungary
Hungary has a well-established and legally grounded apprenticeship system embedded in its vocational education and training (VET) framework.
The legal basis for apprenticeship (dual vocational training) in Hungary is primarily established by Act LXXX of 2019 on Vocational Education and Training, which entered into force on 1 January 2020. This act introduced a reformed VET system and created the legal framework for the vocational employment contract (szakképzési munkaszerződés), replacing the former apprenticeship contract (tanulószerződés).
The detailed rules for implementation are set out in Government Decree 12/2020 (II. 7.) on the implementation of the VET Act, also effective from 2020. Together, these regulations define the structure, rights and obligations of learners and training providers, as well as the organisation of dual training in Hungary. It is based on the new VET strategy 4.0.
In a European comparison, Hungary’s apprenticeship system is considered to have a relatively strong and formalised legal framework, particularly due to the introduction of an employment-based contractual model that grants apprentices employee status and social protection.
Since apprenticeship training is not a separate pathway from IVET, the general regulatory framework and governance system applying to any VET programme, apply also to apprenticeship.
The 2011 act introduced a dual VET model according to which students should do their practical training in a school-workshop in the first year(s) of a VET programme, and then at a company in the following years (see also Q3). The dual VET model was implemented from school year 2013/2014 generally, but optionally it had been launched in some schools since 2012.
The 2019 Act introduced a new type of contract for apprenticeships, the vocational employment contract. This is signed by the student and the company participating in apprenticeship.
Apprenticeship offered under the prior model of ‘apprenticeship contracts’ has been phased out (expired in 2024) and for new enrolments the provisions of the “vocational employment contract” now apply.
Website of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry: http://www.mkik.hu/hu/
In Hungary, there is no single, standalone legal definition of the term ‘apprenticeship’ as such. Instead, the concept is embedded in the framework of dual vocational education and training (VET), as regulated by Act LXXX of 2019 on Vocational Education and Training and its implementing legislation. The law defines the key legal categories, including the vocational employment contract (szakképzési munkaszerződés), which constitutes the main form of apprenticeship-type training.
Dual vocational training in Hungary is understood as a form of initial VET (IVET) in which responsibilities for training are shared between vocational institutions and companies. Training is implemented jointly at the level of VET institutions and enterprises, with both actors contributing to the development of learners’ vocational competences. The objective is to ensure that learners acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to perform effectively in the labour market, both independently and in cooperation with others.
Following the 2019 reform, the previous system based on the apprenticeship contract (tanulószerződés) has been fully phased out (by 2024). The current model is based on the vocational employment contract, which establishes a formal employment relationship between the learner and the company.
In the reformed system, VET institutions provide initial sectoral foundation training during the first phase of the programme. The dual phase begins only after this period, when enterprises become the primary providers of practical training, so-called dual training providers, either independently or in cooperation with other partners.
More information is available at https://www.nive.hu/index.php? option=com_content&view=article&id=1024
And https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/vet-in-europe/systems/hungary-u3…;
Dual vocational training is not a separate pathway in Hungary, but a very integrated part of initial VET at upper secondary and post-secondary level.
Dual vocational training (apprenticeship) is offered at upper secondary and post- secondary level, as part of the following vocational programmes:
- 3-year vocational school (Szakképző Iskola, ISCED 353, EQF 4) programmes/practice-oriented VET programmes, provide general and vocational (sectoral foundation) education in grade 9, followed by vocational specialisation (grades 10 and 11). Since the 2019 reform, apprenticeship is an option offered starting grade 10, and lasts for two years
- 5-year technological programmes (technikum, ISCED 344-454), EQF 4/5) combining general subjects and sectoral basic education (common contents of vocational training affiliated to the same economic sector) in grades 9 and 10 and vocational specialisation in grades 11 to 13. Since the 2019 reform, apprenticeship is an option offered starting grade 11, and lasts for three years
- 1- or 2-year post-secondary programmes (ISCED 454, EQF 5). Since the 2019 reform, apprenticeship is, available following an initial school-based phase, and in some cases training can be predominantly or entirely organised at the workplace, depending on the programme structure and institutional arrangements.
Source: VET in Europe database | Vocational education and training in Europe | Hungary | CEDEFOP
Apprenticeship-type training (dual vocational training based on a vocational employment contract) is available at upper secondary VET level and may also be provided in post-secondary, non-tertiary vocational programmes. The same legal and regulatory framework applies irrespective of the level of the programme, including the use of a vocational employment contract and the requirements applicable to dual training providers. Apprenticeships are not organised as a separate pathway but form part of the broader vocational education and training system.
Schemes resulting from sectoral initiatives of the chambers / social partners may be defined and governed outside the education and training system.
Dual vocational training goes a long way back in Hungary. It was dominant in skilled workers’ training even before the political regime change (1989), and only the economic collapse in the early 1990s set it back for a decade.
Since the beginning of the 2000s every government has supported apprenticeship. The legal framework allowing and supporting dual training has gone through a decade-long development.
The Act CLXXXVII of 2011 on vocational education and training and the subsequent legislation introduced further specifications and modifications.
The new Act LXXX of 2019 on VET was based on the new VET strategy 4.0.
This reform replaced the former apprenticeship contract with the vocational employment contract (szakképzési munkaszerződés), strengthening the role of enterprises and formalising the employment status of learners.
Today, apprenticeship schemes are well-established across all main IVET programmes (vocational school, technicum and post-secondary VET). While the system is stable and widely implemented at upper secondary level, its application at post-secondary level is still developing and less uniform.
Cedefop (2015): Apprenticeship-type schemes and structured work-based learning programmes. https://cumulus.cedefop.europa.eu/files/vetelib/2015/ReferNet_HU_2014_W….
Cedefop VET in Europe database
https://www.nive.hu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1024:s… (Hungarian version).
And Ildikó Görgényi Modláné (2015): With Dual Training in the World of Work. Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Budapest.
In Hungary, formal apprenticeship schemes are complemented by a broad range of work-based learning opportunities, including company placements and school-enterprise cooperation during the initial phases of VET programmes. This allows learners to gradually transition into workplace-based training and supports the development of practical skills from an early stage.
The current apprenticeship model, based on the vocational employment contract introduced by Act LXXX of 2019 on Vocational Education and Training, represents a modern and flexible framework that strengthens cooperation between VET institutions and employers. It also enhances learners’ labour market integration by providing real work experience under formal employment conditions.
Overall, the Hungarian system combines a strong legal basis with diverse learning pathways, contributing to a coherent and practice-oriented VET system aligned with labour market needs.