On track project

Timeline

2018Implementation
2019Implementation
2020Completed

ID number

28055

Objectives

Goals and objectives of the policy development.

The project aims to develop a tracking system for initial vocational education and training (IVET) graduates.

Description

What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.

In November 2018, the National Agency for Vocational Education and Training (NAVET) launched the Erasmus+ project Tracking learning and career paths of VET graduates, to improve quality of VET provision (On track), in cooperation with seven countries. The project aims to develop a tracking system for IVET graduates. The tracking system will gather graduates' qualitative and quantitative data related to further education, employment, career paths, and skills and competences required by the labour market. On track is expected to:

provide feedback to the quality assurance system of the VET providers;
aid the design of VET qualifications and programmes;
inform the planning and implementation of learning processes and additional services (such as vocational guidance, support to VET learners, networking with labour market, provision of work-based learning).

2018

Implementation

2019

Implementation

Within the project, a context study of tracking systems and measures has been designed for conducting an in-depth analysis of the context and the specific needs of each country. The transnational partnership with seven different countries showed that each one of them has a different approach to VET. The study is based on reviewing national documents, policies, legislation and a survey among VET providers for their experience in tracking graduates. A case study for each country is also included in the survey.

Training was delivered on ways of creating a conversion tracking mechanism, including why, how and when to do it. Technical details were presented and approved. The minimum resources needed for launching and administering the process, the required skills, the role of management and the specificities in assessing individual progress were identified. The importance of tracking training completion in an institution as an element of a qualitative self-assessment of the system was discussed. A mechanism for establishing follow-up steps, techniques for increasing the number of the respondents, and opportunities for modifying the questionnaires were presented, alongside with the factors that influence the level of interest in the survey. In addition to the time of sending the questionnaire and, the content of the text, there were other indirect factors that affected participants in the survey. For example, if the environment in the VET class was not friendly or if there were problems with the course, it was unlikely that graduates would respond. Also factors such as purely technical access and frequency of phone calls and emails were also affecting participation.

The structure and content of the graduate tracking questionnaires were reviewed. The questionnaires for different EQF levels were reviewed and discussed in groups and editing was proposed with a view to optimising survey results and avoiding ambiguity in the wording of questions.

2020

Completed

A model survey was developed and it was piloted among graduates from 18 VET providers. 782 graduates were reached and 245 questionnaires were received and analysed. The main obstacles to the pilot testing were the COVID-19 pandemic, closed VET centres, low level of interest among graduates, and low motivation of VET providers. The results from the ex-post evaluation, carried out in the final phase of the project, showed that VET providers benefited from the graduate tracking by receiving useful information about the quality of the VET programmes and by finding new perspectives for future training activities, such as updating VET curricula.

As a result of the project, a technical manual was developed in English and all partners' languages, including Bulgarian, which aims to provide technical guidance to VET providers that want to design and establish a VET graduate tracking system, based on On track methodology and using the model surveys. The technical manual deals only with the technical aspects of how to adapt the model surveys.

A guide for VET providers was developed in all partner languages. This is an autonomous product: a step-by-step methodological guidance, independent from the tracking system developed and piloted and can be used by any VET provider that wants to implement a VET graduate tracking system with their own resources, tools and technology.

Bodies responsible

This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.

National Agency for Vocational Education and Training (NAVET)

Target groups

Those who are positively and directly affected by the measures of the policy development; those on the list are specifically defined in the EU VET policy documents. A policy development can be addressed to one or several target groups.

Learners

Adult learners

Entities providing VET

VET providers (all kinds)

Thematic categories

Thematic categories capture main aspects of the decision-making and operation of national VET and LLL systems. These broad areas represent key elements that all VET and LLL systems have to different extents and in different combinations, and which come into focus depending on the EU and national priorities. Thematic categories are further divided into thematic sub-categories. Based on their description, policy developments can be assigned to one or several thematic categories.

Governance of VET and lifelong learning

This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.

This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.

The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.

Further developing national quality assurance systems

This thematic sub-category refers to further development of national quality assurance (QA) systems for IVET and CVET, for all learning environments (school-based provision and work-based learning, including apprenticeships) and all learning types (digital, face-to-face or blended), delivered by both public and private providers. These systems are underpinned by the EQAVET quality criteria and by indicative descriptors applied both at system and provider levels, as defined in Annex II of the VET Recommendation. The sub-category concerns creating and improving external and self-evaluation of VET providers, and establishing criteria of QA, accreditation of providers and programmes. It also covers the activities of Quality assurance national reference points for VET on implementing and further developing the EQAVET framework, including the implementation of peer reviews at VET system level.

Establishing and developing skills intelligence systems

High-quality and timely skills intelligence is a powerful policy tool, helping improve economic competitiveness and fostering social progress and equality through the provision of targeted skills training to all citizens (Cedefop, 2020). Skills intelligence is the outcome of an expert-driven process of identifying, analysing, synthesising and presenting quantitative and/or qualitative skills and labour market information. Skills intelligence draws on data from multiple sources, such as graduate tracking systems, skills anticipation mechanisms, including at sectoral and regional levels. Actions related to establishing and developing such systems fall under this thematic sub-category.

European and international dimensions of VET

This thematic category covers both European and international cooperation in initial and continuing VET, aimed at promoting EU VET systems as a European education and training area and making it a reference for learners in neighbouring countries and across the globe.

Expanding opportunities and increasing participation of VET learners, young and adult, and staff in international mobility for learning and work, including apprenticeship and virtual and blended mobility, account for most initiatives in this thematic category.

Apart from established and financially supported EU cooperation, VET opens up to cooperation and promotion of European values and national practices beyond the EU, which is becoming a trend. This thematic category also encompasses internationalisation strategies, transnational cooperation projects and initiatives – including those where joint VET programmes, examinations and qualifications are developed – and participation in international skills competitions that promote the image of VET. Using international qualifications – awarded by legally established international bodies or by a national body acting on behalf of an international body – in the national VET systems and recognising them towards national qualifications is also in focus.

Transnational VET initiatives, including joint VET programmes

This thematic sub-category refers to transnational cooperation initiatives on VET and lifelong learning, including coordinated and jointly developed programmes among the EU Member States or beyond the EU, bilateral or multi-country: same curricula, one qualification, joint examinations.

Subsystem

Part of the vocational education and training and lifelong learning systems the policy development applies to.

IVET

Country

Bulgaria

Type of development

Policy developments are divided into three types: strategy/action plan; regulation/legislation; and practical measure/initiative.

Practical measure/Initiative

Cite as

Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). On track project: Bulgaria. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].

https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28055

Timeline of VET policies in Europe