The Modernisation of Vocational Education and Training Project in Bulgaria

In recent years, Bulgaria has introduced several initiatives to improve the quality, relevance and attractiveness of vocational education and training (VET). The “Modernisation of VET” project (2024-2029), funded by the European Social Fund Plus and the national budget, is a comprehensive reform initiative to strengthen labour market relevance by updating curricula, improving teaching practices and reinforcing links between VET providers and employers. This interim evaluation examines progress in the first years of project implementation, focusing on efforts to enhance collaboration between VET and the labour market at system and school level. It finds that the project addresses a long-standing need in Bulgaria by introducing or enhancing collaborative mechanisms, such as Sectoral Skills Councils, practitioner teachers, and 240-hour student placements. These and other reforms under the project align closely with national and EU priorities and there are early signs of effectiveness where reform and implementation design have promoted coherence and multi-stakeholder partnership. However, tight timelines for system-level reforms and limited operational guidance for schools have created challenges, particularly in ensuring consistent, high-quality practice. Nevertheless, the project represents an unprecedented effort to reform VET at scale, laying a strong foundation for vocational programmes to be more relevant to labour market needs.