In order to achieve a vocational training system that is in line with the economy's demand and stands on a firm professional basis, every year a vocational structure decision is implemented in legislation. It also serves as a footing to the application for financial contribution in the school-based vocational training system.
The decision is the final part of a planning procedure that takes into account the national economic data. It is essential for not just the students but the economy as well, that students apply for not only the “trendy occupations”, but instead they acquire a qualification that allows them to fit in the labour market. The vocational structure decision aims to help the students, so that the vocational education will benefit them.
Procedure of the vocational structure decision
The planning procedure of the vocational structure decision starts in spring, a year before the given school-year, with the work of the county development and training committees, who submit proposals on the funding schemes of individual qualifications and sectors in accordance with the demand from the side of the economy. This is followed by the proposal of the maintainers of VET schools on the qualifications and sectors they intend to serve.
Following the maintainers' proposals, the collected proposals are organised by the national authority responsible for VET and adult learning, the National Office for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Learning, and then the Office makes a proposal on the distribution of qualifications. In the case of agricultural qualifications this process is done by the Ministry of Agriculture. After the negotiations NOVETAL sends the proposal to the government, who then make the decision. After this point the maintainers have the opportunity to make changes in their proposals or make remarks through social consultation.
As a result of the above described procedure, following the analysis of the participants' proposals the government as the maintainer makes a decision on the enrolment numbers broken down by county and capital level, and issues it in a Decree
Changes in the vocational structure decision in the school-year 2016/2017
Decree 297/2015 (X.13) on the vocational structure decision in the school-year 2016/2017 and the qualifications eligible for the stipend programme in the school year 2016/2017 contains more amendments compared to the previous years.
Contrary to the practices of the past, in the school-year 2016/2017 the maintainers do not have the ability to transfer enrolment numbers to each other. It means that – in the case of part-subsidized qualifications and sectors – they can only apply for financial contribution based on the existing number of enrolled students.
The list of bottleneck occupations in each county is also part of the vocational structure decision. Students learning these qualifications are eligible for the stipend programme if they are taking part in daytime education and they are in the process of acquiring their first qualification.
