Reference year 2026
Version 2026
Drafted based on Cedefop sources and input from Martina Kaňáková, Vocational Education and Curriculum Department, National Pedagogic Insitute, Czechia and ReferNet coordinator for Czechia
An amendment to the Education Act adopted in 2025, in force since January 2026, formally embeds dual practical training in the national VET system for the first time. It builds on existing cooperation between schools and companies but introduces clearer rules, defined roles and quality assurance mechanisms to support more systematic development.
The term ‘practical education’ was used for forms of workplace training as part of upper secondary education.
The Methodological Information for dual practical education prepared by the Education Ministry in January 2026 states: ‘Dual education is now enshrined as a voluntary form of vocational education, enabling students to undertake practical education in companies, alongside existing means of practical education, which remain unaffected by this change’.
The new framework introduces dual practical training as a voluntary pathway that complements existing forms of workplace learning. It applies to upper secondary and tertiary professional programmes.
- 3-year VET programmes (completed by a VET examination leading to a VET certificate)
- 4-year VET programmes (completed with a maturita ex¬amination)
- 4-year lyceum programmes with a high proportion of general subjects (up to 70% of the curricula) prepare their graduates for studies at higher education institutions or entering the labour market
- Higher VET programmes offered by tertiary professional schools prepare learners for demanding professional occupations, such as nutritionist. Studies last 3 to 3.5 years and are completed with an absolutorium and a specialist diploma (diplomovaný specialista, DiS).
Since September 2025 so-called short-cycle tertiary professional education programmes have been introduced. Programmes will be developed in cooperation with social partners to allow for greater flexibility in response to labour market needs.
Cedefop’s VET in Europe database provides additional information on the national VET system and the position of apprenticeships within it: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/vet-in-europe/systems/
Czech VET has a long tradition of close links between education and industry. Before 1989, VET schools cooperated extensively with large enterprises that provided a substantial share of practical training. For example, the term ‘apprentice’ existed in the Education Act of 1984 (https://www.zakonyprolidi.cz/cs/1984-29). Training of apprentices was under the responsibility of individual sectoral ministries.
The 1969 Decree (https://www.zakonyprolidi.cz/cs/1969-61) set regulations regarding apprenticeships, including the apprentice salary (low share of the corresponding qualified worker’s salary). The period of so-called “normalization” was characterized by comprehensive care for apprentices, beginning with recruitment and ending with a graduation ceremony. Apprentice recruitment was organized by the company, which had an interest in training future workers and, at the same time, knew exactly how many and what types of professionals it would need. Apprentices were bound by a contract with the company, which paid for their housing, meals, and pocket money and provided work clothes and tools. On the other hand, in exchange for the support provided, the company exercised maximum control over the apprentices, including how they spent their free time. https://dspace.cuni.cz/bitstream/handle/20.500.11956/124666/120382057.p…
During the 1990s economic transition, many of these companies closed or restructured, and much practical training shifted back to schools (See Q5 below).
Skills shortages, particularly in technical and craft occupations, and repeated calls from employers for stronger involvement have renewed attention to work based learning and dual approaches.
From 2017 onwards, pilot projects at secondary and (cross border) tertiary level tested dual VET arrangements in several regions. A flagship initiative in the Moravian Silesian region, led by the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic in cooperation with regional authorities, schools and companies, involved around 120 learners and later expanded to other regions.
These pilots showed the benefits of closer school–company cooperation but also underlined the need for a clear legal framework, quality standards and defined responsibilities. Their outcomes directly influenced the 2025 legislative reform.
Practical training is an integral part of all VET programmes. Since January 2026, it can also be delivered by certified dual providers.
More intensive and extensive cooperation between schools and businesses existed in the case of secondary vocational schools (which provided secondary vocational education leading to a vocational certificate). This was due to the fact that, compared to other types of schools, secondary vocational schools placed far greater emphasis on the acquisition of practical skills. Furthermore, until 1989, vocational training schools were generally part of business associations (so-called “industry directorates”), so employers were directly responsible for the vocational training of apprentices and also financed it to a large extent.
The societal changes that began after 1989 fundamentally altered the overall working environment of these schools, including their collaboration with employers. In the area of initial education provided by secondary vocational schools, the most significant changes involved a shift away from centrally determined educational goals and content and a strengthening of school autonomy.
The severing of ties with companies caused significant economic problems for all vocational schools, which had a negative impact on their material resources and, above all, their human resources. The result was that their equipment became obsolete, and the relevance and innovative potential of their educational programs declined. This trend was also driven by teachers’ minimal exposure to new technologies, materials, and innovations in their respective fields.
Furthermore, because the focus of practical instruction in vocational schools had to shift from companies to school workshops, vocational training was deprived of the opportunity to experience a real-world work environment.