Promoting entrepreneurship competence in VET

In 2015/16, 1 193 operating companies - 236 new training firms and 957 training firms (TF) - previously registered, continued their activity.

At the end of 2014/15, total accounts on ROCT reached 5 467, of which 3 883 were active and 1 027 inactive.

In 2016/17, there were 1 180 training firms registered, out of which 1 023 were previously registered and continued their activity and 157 were new training firms.

In 2017/18, implementation of the activity continued.

In 2018/19, there was an increase of 22.30% of active companies compared to the 2017/18 school year.

1 459 operating companies and simulated enterprises were activated. Growth was in all areas, the highest being in production: 62.89%. 507 new companies and 952 companies registered in a previous school year continued their activity in 2018/19.

In 2019/20, the training plan was approved but some competition activities cancelled due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was only a temporary measure.

In 2020/21, the training firm actions performed by high school students on the virtual platform continued as part of regular curricular activity. The platform was intensively used by students acting in a total of 1 555 virtual training firms, out of which 462 were new.

The pandemic situation did not allow organising contests/competitions with physical participation of pupils as planned. Consequently, the Business plan competition took place only at local level and included 323 training firms and 912 students. The other stages of the competitions, which were planned at county, regional and national levels during March-April 2020, were suspended.

The organisation of training firm fairs was possible for 12 important events that took place at local, county, regional and national levels and included the participation of 1 800 students who were active in the virtual entrepreneurship activities on the electronic platform (ROCT).

In 2021/22, the training firm activities performed by high school students on the virtual platform continued as part of regular curricular activity. The platform was intensively used by students acting in a total of 1 060 virtual training firms, out of which 373 were new training firms.

The pandemic imposed many restrictions and did not allow the organisation of public events/contests/competitions with physical participation of high number of participants. Consequently, the Business plan competition could not be organised at all (not local level/regional/national as it used to be every school year).

The ministerial order from 2020, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by the suspension of school competitions with physical attendance, was also applied in 2021. The organisation of the competitions with physical participation of students could not be organised, so the competitions, which involve gradual stages of assessment and selection/award (at school, local, county/regional and national levels), such as training firms fairs and the Business plan competition, were greatly affected. The Quality mark competition could be organised, as this was an evaluation of the schools which were more active/involved in the virtual training firm activities.

Student training activities online varied and were still a strong support for the development of their entrepreneurship competence. These activities included a total of 8 796 students from 1 060 schools that are active in the virtual entrepreneurship activities on the electronic platform (ROCT).

A total of 1 455 virtual training firms performed activities on the virtual platform, out of which 689 were new training firms.

Business plan competition, a multi-stage competition, was not organised at the beginning of the 2022 school year because of unsafe health social context which determined a delay of the calendar of national events for face-to -face activities.

Training firm fairs took place (25) at local, county, regional and national levels (online) and included the participation of more than 3 000 students who are active in the virtual entrepreneurship activities on the electronic platform ROCT. The Quality mark competition was organised, as an evaluation of the practice enterprises activities. 45 companies participated in the Quality mark certification, 11 companies obtained the basic level and 28 the advanced level.

In 2023/24, 987 virtual training firms (including 349 new firms) performed on the virtual platform ROCT based on the national curriculum.

In 2023, the education ministry approved (order of the Minster of Education no. 3469/2024) the organisation of Business Plan competition face-to face. 273 training firms participated at local level in all the country, out of which 146 were selected at county level (42 territorial administrative counties), 35 continued at regional level and 8 reached the national level.

In 2023, 27 firms received a quality mark, 18 obtained advance level and 9 basic level. The quality mark competition evaluated the practice of enterprise activities against the quality standards. The quality mark is granted in the form of the Certificate of Quality Mark of the Exercising Firm, following the evaluation of the exercise firms.

In 2024/25, the training firms at school level continued their practice as a regular activity.