- 2015Approved/Agreed
- 2017Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Description
The 2015-20 strategic plan for technical and vocational education and training provides for all initial vocational education and training (IVET) and continuing vocational education and training (CVET) curricula under the remit of the education ministry to be modularised and to use ECVET points to improve permeability. Modularisation and ECVET, along with recognition of prior learning, are expected to ease the access of people who completed the apprenticeship system and VET lifelong learning programmes (afternoon and evening classes) to upper secondary formal qualifications (offered by the evening schools of technical and vocational education, which operate as second chance schools). VET lifelong learning programmes provide initial and advanced technical skills and competences to people of all ages to satisfy the need for updated knowledge and retraining. The framework applies to VET specialisations and VET curricula developed after the approval of the 2015 strategic plan for VET.
In 2015 the 2015-20 strategic plan for technical and vocational education and its provisions on modularisation of all (IVET and CVET) curricula and for VET for adults were approved by the Council of Ministers.
In April 2017, the programmes offered by post-secondary institutes of vocational education and training acquired a higher VET status (i.e. were accredited by the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education). This contributed greatly to further strengthening vocational education and training in Cyprus. The institutes, as Public schools of higher vocational education and training-MIEEKs, offered accredited programmes (NQF level 5B, EQF level 5, leading to the acquisition of a 2-year Diploma of higher VET) of 2-year of duration, which can also be recognised by universities. Upgrading these institutes therefore provided opportunities for enhancing academic cooperation with other higher education institutions both in Cyprus and abroad.
In December 2019, the Department of Secondary Technical and Vocational Education and training submitted applications to the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education for the evaluation and accreditation of 10 new higher VET study programmes to be offered by the public schools of higher VET as of the academic year 2020-21. The 10 new programmes cover four different fields of study: vehicle technology, culinary arts, bar and restaurant arts and computer and communication networks.
Due to the SARS-CoV-2 restrictions, the programmes vehicle technology and bar and restaurant arts have not been evaluated yet by the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education. The programme culinary arts has been evaluated and accredited.
The bar and restaurant arts programme has been renamed restaurant services. It has been evaluated and accredited by the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education and it is offered by higher VET public schools as of September 2021.
The vehicle technology programme has been evaluated and accredited by the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education and will be offered as of September 2022.
Two new programmes of higher VET have been also developed and submitted to the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education for evaluation: building and technical works foreman and industrial technician (with two distinct specialisations: industrial production technician/electrical installation and automation technician). These two new programmes will be offered as of September 2022, provided they are accredited.
The programme "restaurant services" has been renamed "catering services", while the programme "vehicle technology" has been renamed "automotive technician".
The programme "industrial technician" has been accredited by the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education and is offered as of the academic year 2022-2023, while the programme "building and technical works foreman" has not been evaluated yet.
After consultation with the stakeholders participating in the Council of the Public School of Higher VET (MIEEK) and taking into account the needs of the labour market, the new programme 'Foreman for Building and Technical Works' has been developed and accredited by the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education (CYQAA) during 2023.
Furthermore, during 2023, the study programme 'Industrial and Home Automation' was upgraded and renamed to 'Electrical Installations and Automation Systems' by the CYQAA. Moreover, the study programmes 'Pastry - Bakery', 'Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Installations' and 'Computer and Communication Networks' have undergone successful re-evaluation.
In 2023, applications for the institutional re-evaluation of four branches of the School were submitted to the CYQAA.
Within 2024, the programmes 'Dairy and Cheese Making,' 'Bakery and Pastry,' and 'Culinary Arts' were evaluated and accredited at three branches (Larnaca, AITE, and Nicosia).
In the Famagusta District, a new Public school of Higher Vocational Educaiton and Training (MIEEK) opened, offering the 'Culinary Arts' programme, which was certified in 2024 by the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education (CYQAA). The programme is available in both Greek and English, providing opportunities for Cypriot citizens and legal residents, regardless of nationality, to acquire skills and integrate into the labour market.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth (MESY)
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth (MoECSY) (until 2022)
- Ministry of Education and Culture (MoEC) (until 2019)
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
- Adult learners
Thematic categories
Transparency and portability of VET skills and qualifications
European principles and tools, such as EQF, ESCO, ECTS, Europass and ECVET, provide a strong basis for transparency and portability of national and sectoral qualifications across Europe, including the issuing of digital diplomas and certificates.
This thematic category looks at how individuals are supported in transferring, accumulating, and validating skills and competences acquired in formal, non-formal and informal settings – including learning on the job – and in having their learning recognised towards a qualification at any point of their lives. This is only possible if qualifications are transparent and comparable and are part of comprehensive national qualifications frameworks. Availability of qualifications smaller than full and acquirable in shorter periods of time is necessary; some countries have recently worked on developing partial qualifications, microcredentials, etc.
This thematic sub-category refers to the application of EU transparency tools that allow recognition of qualifications among EU Member States (EQF, Europass, ESCO, ECTS). Among others, it includes linking national VET platforms and databases to Europass in accordance with the Europass Decision and EQF Recommendation and the use of the ECVET principles and tools, such as memoranda of understanding or learning agreements applied in mobility actions. The sub-category also covers measures on recognition of foreign/third-country qualifications for specific target groups, e.g. migrants or highly skilled professionals.
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to ensuring smooth transitions (permeability) of learners within the entire education and training system, horizontally and vertically. It includes measures and policies allowing learners easily or by meeting certain conditions to move from general education programmes to VET and vice versa; to increase qualification levels in their vocation through the possibility of attending vocational programmes at higher levels, including professional degrees in higher education. It also covers opening up learning progression by introducing flexible pathways that are based on the validation and recognition of the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- Flexibility and progression opportunities at the core of VET
Osnabrück Declaration
- Resilience and excellence through quality, inclusive and flexible VET
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). The framework for VET programmes (permeability and flexibility): Cyprus. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/sl/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28078