In September 2023 the Bulgarian National Agency for Vocational Education and Training (NAVET) concluded – in a final conference – an ESF co-funded, large-scale project titled ‘Quality and efficiency in VET’. The project was implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the Employment Agency, and contributed to the establishment of a more effective monitoring and control system of the main providers of adult VET in the country. These providers are the licensed vocational training centres (CVTs). The project provided better insights and policy pointers on the demand and quality of vocational training for adults and awarded prizes to those CVTs which demonstrated ‘excellence’.
Methododogical and practical results
The project implementation resulted in the upgrade of NAVET’s information system and website, creating a number of new useful functionalities, that made provision opportunities and quality aspects of vocational training more visible to both potential trainees and companies.
Tools developed under the project included:
- a model for monitoring the quality of vocational training provided by licensed CVTs. The model provides reliable information for better, evidence-based VET policy planning;
- a model for monitoring the acquired competences of graduates of CVTs based on external, independent body assessment/evaluation. The model (which was practically tested while the project was in progress) established the necessary conditions and prerequisites for the efficiency of independent, external assessment/evaluation.
Apart from the two models, a large number of studies and analytical reports were also produced, providing an opportunity for policy-makers to update national policies for VET for adults. Adults in the Bulgarian context are individuals who are over 16 years old.
Long-term effects for the VET system
The project had long-term effects in various fields, such as:
- NAVET’s monitoring process model for organising vocational training in CVTs was improved;
- ‘rules’ and prerequisites for effective data exchange between institutions involved in the administration/control of vocational training processes and the CVTs were established;
- guidance services and services providing information on qualifications were improved, raising the expectations of prospective trainees or companies involved in training provision. It is expected that ‘higher expectations’ by end-users will improve the overall quality of vocational training for adults.
Additionally, the implementation of the project led to recommendations for updating and modernising the national VET legal framework in accordance with recent European priorities.
Read more
- NAVET website- briefing note about the beginning of the 'Quality and efficiency of VET’ project (in Bulgarian)
- NAVET website- Press release on the final conference of the 'Quality and efficiency in VET' project (in Bulgarian)
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Please cite this news item as: ReferNet Bulgaria; Cedefop (2023). Bulgaria: the ‘Quality and efficiency in VET’ for adults project. National news on VET |