Many of the former socialist technical and special high schools were closed down in Bulgaria over the last 24 years as their outdated and inadequate curricula do not meet the real economy requirements. But, typically, nothing functioning was built in their place.
At the beginning of this academic year it turned out that even the surviving vocational schools may be closed because there were no willing students to enroll. Instead of becoming more attractive because of shortages of labour in many sectors, vocational secondary education in this country is increasingly unpopular. According to Director of the Vocational School of Mechanical and Electro- Technics, Mardiros Zovikyan, students are massively deceived by erroneous labels such as „elite schools“ (predominantly focusing on foreign language education) and go there.
Education Minister Aneliya Klisarova decided to „refresh“ the educational terminology. By 2015 the popular school „practice“ will be replaced by „dual education“. This is an alternative model of professional education in which students (mostly) go on apprenticeships in corporations against the minimum wage, and
are occasionally trained theoretically at their specialized school. In Germany, 66% of the students are studying and working in a dual system in 348 occupations. In Austria 37,500 firms and companies train approximately 130,000 students in 220 occupations.
If the scheme is formulated and implemented well, everyone would win – students, businesses and government. The young people grow into highly skilled workforce and their wages give them some financial independence. Diplomas are highly valued in professional circles and allow changing jobs within „fraternal“ industries or even better – for starting own business. Practically trained, they may find it easier to go on to study at universities. Employers can teach trainees not only the profession, but also the specific corporate requirements. The dual system produces specialized staff ready to work independently in the firms immediately after graduation.
Indeed the businesses incur additional expense, but
investment has a high return ratio
in the future, as it reduces spending for the searching and training of staff. Apprentices participate on equal terms in the production and their wages and insurance contributions to be paid are lower than those of other workers. Last but not least, companies receive tax breaks and financial support from the state.
The state, on its turn, obtains a more balanced labour market and an improved living standard of the majority of its taxpayers. The dual system is a regulator of the labour market as companies train staff according to their forecasts for growth. This excludes the „creation“ of the young qualified unemployed graduates, as otherwise happens with the educational system in Bulgaria. The system is favourable to the inclusion of vulnerable groups, such as school dropouts. In the local educational system in 2013 from 11,000 dropouts only 600 were excluded because of poor performance, while the rest left mainly for social reasons. A salary, though minimal, is likely to eliminate this bad scenario for thousands of young people.
To have a true dual model will be initially need a bunch of legislative changes. Forthcoming new Law on preschool and school education regulates two stages of training in high schools. „Students in 10th grade can participate in all general educational programmes, and in the 11th and 12th grade they will specialize more actively,“ said Minister Klisarova. Labour Code will also be changed to include contracts for dual training and rules for employment of minors.
The BANKER