Central

In Bulgaria, significant changes to vocational education and training took effect from November 2018 with the amended Bulgarian Vocational Education and Training Law. The amendments address the structure and functions of the National Agency for Vocational Education and Training (NAVET), dual VET system, licensing procedures and the work of Vocational Training Centres (CVTs). The aim of the changes is to improve the performance of VET institutions and the governance of the VET system. In terms of the division of powers, the amended law does not change the balance between central and local level but recognises the role of municipalities in financing and managing the dual VET system.

The central government is responsible for:

• The overall legislation;
• Setting the requirements for the system of the professional education and training;
• Educational requirements for acquiring qualification for professions;
• Development strategy of vocational education and training

Regional

  District authorities are responsible for:

• Coordinating the interaction between the schools, the centres for vocational training, centres for information and vocational orientation and the centres for qualification of training specialists;
• Coordinating the proposals of the schools for the state admission plan, and
• Participating in the organisation of the examinations for acquiring professional qualifications.

 Local ​

  Municipal authorities are responsible for:

• The opening, transformation, change and closure of vocational colleges, and will take an active role in their management,
• The hiring of training specialists;
• The vocational orientation of students, unemployed persons, as well as of other persons;
• The allocation of the financial resources approved by their budget;
• The development of the material and technical facilities;
• The determining of the state admission;
• Plan for the schools;

Participate in the funding of education under the revised dual system (Article 59).

Responsible ministries/bodies

Ministry of Education and Science

Sources

​Zakon za Profesionalnoto Obrazovanie i Obuchennie (BG) [Vocational Education and Training Act], last amended 13.03.2020

Cedefop: Bulgaria

National Agency for Vocational Education and Training