Greening apprenticeships: Bulgaria

This article is part of a series developed by Cedefop community of apprenticeship experts. It was drafted by Petya Evtimova, Community expert for Bulgaria, and revised by Cedefop staff. 

National legislation in Bulgaria provides general stipulations for all education types calling for the inclusion of ‘green content’ as part of existing subjects (Ordinance No 13, 2016, amended in 2018). However, there is no specific legislation concerning skills for the green transition through VET and apprenticeships (‘work-based learning’ scheme). As a result, skills for the green transition are not integrated in the State standards for vocational qualifications nor in VET/apprenticeship curricula. 

However, GreenComp, the European reference framework for sustainability competences, and the European Green Deal requirements provide the context for updates in standards, curricula and training content for apprenticeships, and trigger discussions at national level.  

Such discussions among the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, the National VET Agency and the Modern Education Foundation, led to the ‘ENTIRE’ project (‘Greening VET Curricula for Electricians (ENTIRE)’). The project intends to address the need for adapting VET curricula and VET programmes, especially apprenticeship ones, to the requirements of the green agenda, and to equip learners with skills for the green transition, which are in demand in the business world.  

The project, launched in 2021 under the Erasmus+ Programme with partners from Austria, Lithuania and Bulgaria, will first serve as a pilot for integrating skills for the green transition in apprenticeship curricula.  Under ENTIRE, the Vocational School for Mechanical and Electrical Engineering of Pleven will be supported to develop a draft amendment to (apprenticeship) curricula for electricians at upper secondary level, integrating green skills. The amendment will be presented to the educational authorities for approval in 2023. Once approved, the updated curricula could be applicable to all apprenticeship programmes for electrical technicians.  

For this amendment, the project relies in existing cooperation among the VET school and its business partners in apprenticeships: information will be gathered from all partner companies about the skills for the green transition they need, and will be used for drafting the amendment proposal. This is in line with the autonomy and flexibility granted to VET schools to adjust the apprenticeship content to local business needs in terms of subjects, activities, skills and time split between theory and practice, besides the mandatory content defined in the State standards for vocational qualifications.    

Moreover, building on existing business-school partnerships, the project has developed methodological guidelines for the integration of skills for the green transition in VET curricula, which should be applicable to all professions, together with advice on how business can be actively involved in adapting apprenticeship curricula for skills for the green transition. Exchange between VET schools and employers will continue during 2022-23 before curricula updated with skills for the green transition are implemented, expected in the 2023/224 school year. 

The project should also develop a training plan for VET teachers to support their upskilling in relation to skills for the green transition across disciplines or in a specific area of competence. 

The project is implemented by the Modern Education Foundation and the Pleven Vocational School, and is monitored by the Ministry of Education and the National VET Agency. Project outcomes are expected to inform the update of VET State standards and curricula, as well as in the next national VET strategy.