VET graduate pilot tracking

Policy development
Practical measure/Initiative
Bulgaria
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Timeline
  • 2020Implementation
  • 2021Completed
ID number
38844

Background

A brief overview of the context and rationale of the policy development, explaining why it is implemented or why it is important.

The model/prototype for VET graduate tracking was created in the line with principles and standards proposed by the EC Graduates Tracking Working Group. The Methodology incorporates review, selection, piloting and analysis of comprehensive administrative data from education (MES registers for secondary school data, higher education registers and register of diplomas and VET certificates) and labour market (National Social Security Institute registers for labour contracts, register of unemployed persons) and use a survey among VET graduates. Administrative data monitor continuation of studies in higher education, the speed of entry into the labour market, employment, unemployment, professional realisation, income and labour mobility within the country. In addition to administrative data collection and analysis, a sociological survey was conducted among graduates to measure their satisfaction in the applicability of skills and competences acquired in VET schools. Administrative data analysis and survey results are included in the final analysis of tracking model implementation.

Objectives

Goals and objectives of the policy development.
  1. implementation of actions in the national context related to Council recommendation on graduate tracking;
  2. ensuring quality of VET provisions and labour market relevance of VET skills and qualifications;
  3. development of pilot model for VET graduate tracking, which combines analysis of administrative data in education and the labour market with sociological survey among VET graduates;
  4. testing the model in three regions (NUTS III): Burgas, Stara Zagora and Vratsa;
  5. elaboration of a prototype for VET graduate tracking, applicable at national, regional, local and school levels.

Description

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

The VET graduate pilot tracking project (No 609397-EPP-1-2019-1-BG-EPPKA3-EQAVET-NRP) is funded by the Erasmus+ programme. It is implemented by the education ministry in the period April 2019 to March 2021.

A graduate tracking mechanism (prototype) has been developed under the project to monitor the career development of VET graduates. The prototype was presented and adopted by the Consultative Council for VET and the education minister on 29 September 2020. The prototype includes a sequence of actions, sources of information, indicators to track and analyse the administrative data from the education and the labour market systems combined with a survey among graduates in the three pilot regions (NUTS III): Stara Zagora, Vratsa and Burgas.

The administrative data in the analysis prototype cover the following key indicators: inclusion of VET graduates in the higher education system, pace of entry into the labour market, employment, unemployment, professional development, income and labour mobility in the country. In addition to this analysis, the sociological survey measures the satisfaction of VET graduates with their studies and training programmes, the applicability of skills acquired in their workplace or/and in further study pathways. The analysis will be available till the end of March 2021.

The methodology used in the prototype is universal in its nature, hence it can be used for tracking secondary school graduates.

The VET graduate pilot tracking project (No 609397-EPP-1-2019-1-BG-EPPKA3-EQAVET-NRP) is funded by the Erasmus+ programme. It is implemented by the education ministry in the period April 2019 to March 2021.

A graduate tracking mechanism (prototype) has been developed under the project to monitor the career development of VET graduates. The prototype was presented and adopted by the Consultative Council for VET and the education minister on 29 September 2020. The prototype includes a sequence of actions, sources of information, indicators to track and analyse the administrative data from the education and the labour market systems combined with a survey among graduates in the three pilot regions (NUTS III): Stara Zagora, Vratsa and Burgas.

The administrative data in the analysis prototype cover the following key indicators: inclusion of VET graduates in the higher education system, pace of entry into the labour market, employment, unemployment, professional development, income and labour mobility in the country. In addition to this analysis, the sociological survey measures the satisfaction of VET graduates with their studies and training programmes, the applicability of skills acquired in their workplace or/and in further study pathways. The analysis will be available till the end of March 2021.

The methodology used in the prototype is universal in its nature, hence it can be used for tracking secondary school graduates.

2020
Implementation

The prototype was tested in the pilot regions by analysis of administrative data for all VET graduates in 2018.

2021
Completed

The project was completed in March 2021. The report and analyses are available on the education ministry website.

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.
  • Ministry of Education and Science

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

  • Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices

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.

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.

Subsystem

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

Further reading

Sources for further reading where readers can find more information on policy developments: links to official documents, dedicated websites, project pages. Some sources may only be available in national languages.
Project information, tracking methodology and results and analyses of its piloting
Final analysis of tracking model implementation
VET graduate pilot model

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). VET graduate pilot tracking: 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/38844