site.bta President Plevneliev in Bern: Bulgaria to Increase State Subsidy for Vocational Education

President Plevneliev in Bern: Bulgaria to Increase State Subsidy for Vocational Education

Sofia, October 13 (BTA) - A Bulgarian vocational education
strategy for the 2014-2020 period, prepared by the Ministry of
Education and Science about a month ago, envisages development
of the system of vocational education and training including
through an increase of the state subsidy for this purpose,
President Rosen Plevneliev said during a visit to the Crafts and
Industry Vocational School in Bern.

Plevneliev is on a two-day visit to Switzerland.

The Bern school is the largest of its kind in Switzerland. It
provides vocational training and periodic training to 7,000
school children in over 60 professions. It employs 600 teachers
and other qualified staff.

President Plevneliev was welcomed by the School Headmaster,
Sonya Marty. He told his hosts that the strategy, presented by
the Ministry, contains priorities and mechanisms for the
development of dual education. "The measures, contained in the
document, enable the establishment of a real connection between
business and education and create conditions for overcoming
youth unemployment," the head of State commented.

The strategy also envisages an increase of the start-up salaries
of teachers. Participation of the business and the sectoral
organizations in the setting of the curricula, establishment of
professional orientation centres in each municipality,
organizing of internships are but part of the measures mapped
out in the document.

A draft document on supporting dual education in Bulgaria was
agreed during Plevneliev's visit to Switzerland. The project
will be launched in the beginning of December and will continue
until 2019. Mechanical engineering, mechatronics,
electrotechnics, apparel and textile are the sectors, where the
Swiss experience in dual education will be applied. Some 1,200
youth and between 120 and 150 teachers are expected to be
trained within the project.