site.btaIME Study: The Economy Does Not Need Half of Vocational School Leavers

The index of the relevance of vocational education to Bulgaria's economic profile is 54.8 points, the Institute for Market Economics (IME) found in a study. This means that about half of school leavers from vocational education are not matched to demand and jobs for people with their qualifications.

The proportion of students training for agriculture, the hospitality industry and the ICT sector is relatively high compared to the labour market needs. In contrast, the number of students training for the manufacturing industry, construction and transport falls short of demand.

The relevance index at regional level is highest in Sofia at 69.5 points and lowest in the southern Smolyan Region a 25.0 points.

The index of the relevance of vocational education to the country's economic profile shows a great disconnect between the education system and labour market needs, according to IME. Vocations and specialties which are not demand in the regions or the country as a whole are still taught. A policy of broadening vocational education at the expense of comprehensive secondary education in recent years has had a negative result in that it has led to filling places in vocational schools just for the sake of it. The data show a significant weight of specialties and vocations which are not in demand but attract students, such as outdated and needlessly broad specialties (e.g. agricultural disciplines) or those with relatively low education costs (e.g. the hospitality industry).

The negative impact of the disconnect between training and the economic profile can be reduced through a more general education in a school environment, improving language and technology skills, and broadening dual education and vocational guidance, according to IME. DD