1. VET guidance in Bulgaria
History Legal framework/
Legislation
Organization
of VET
guidance
Activities Providers Examples of
good practices
The establishment of a Career
Guidance System in school
education was started in 2011,
under the Operational Program
„Human Resources
Development” of the Ministry
of Education, Youth and
Science.
Since October 2012 were
opened career guidance
centers in all district towns in
Bulgaria. This is a Project called
“Career Guidance System in
School Education”. The project
is implemented with the
financial support of the
Operational Program "Human
Resources Development" and
the European Social Fund of
the European Union. Twenty-
eight regional career guidance
centers, with 150 career
consultants, were established.
The main providers of career
Vocational Education and
Training Act. It is the act of
providing advice to
students and other persons
with regard to the choice of
profession and career
development. According to
the Vocational Education
and Training Act the system
for vocational guidance is
ratified as part of the
vocational education
system. It is stated that:
„Vocational guidance is the
act of providing advice and
counseling to students and
other persons with regard
to the choice of profession
and career development”.
The main task defined by
the law is providing
assistance to trainees in
their free choice of
education, training and
vocational qualification for
There is no unified
national system
for VET guidance,
only some
attempts under
different projects.
Since October
2012, schools
cooperate with
Career guidance
centres which are
established under
the project “Career
guidance system in
school education”.
The centres
organise training
courses in
vocational
guidance for the
school counsellors.
The participation in
the courses is
optional and there
The career guidance
centers provide:
Group and
individual
counseling.
Lectures and
workshops.
Team sessions with
students, teachers
and counselors.
Psychological tests
for diagnostics of
interests, attitudes
and reasons for
choice of
profession.
Interactive methods
and training on skills
for decision-making.
Skills for making a
portfolio and work
Operational level:
Schools – teachers, class
advisors and school counselors.
28 Regional Career Guidance
Centers, which work under a
project.
The National Employment
Agency and its local
subdivisions: the Labor offices.
Private advice centers, which
provide paid vocational
guidance services.
Web-based services for
vocational guidance and advice,
established in 2011, which
receive their financing from
European projects.
Specialized literature – books,
manuals, reference books and
brochures containing
Innovative web-site
for on-line career
guidance, which has
been functioning
since 2011. It
contains exercises,
useful tips and
instruments for self-
assessment of those
looking for a job or
those choosing a
profession:
http://www.zakarier
ata.com
Information on how
to choose the right
profession; career
guidance toolkits;
links to career
centers:
http://www.kakvida
stanem.bg
On-line test МАРР
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2. guidance at school level should
be the school counselors. In the
90’s the first school counselors
were employed. But only one
third of the Bulgarian schools
have a school counselor. The
number of the students in the
school should be up to 500, to
be appointed a school
counselor. There are no legal
requirements for this job and
the schools have to decide
whether to appoint counselors
within the delegated budget.
Currently, the school
counselors are engaged in
other issues and less with
career guidance.
The current state of vocational
guidance in Bulgaria: Lack of a
national system for VET
guidance. Lack of enough
coordination between the
official institutions, providers of
and those in need of vocational
guidance. At this stage there
are some attempts and
initiatives under different
projects but it is still too early
to talk about a unified system
for VET guidance.
the acquisition of the
required knowledge and
skills, corresponding to the
requirements of the labor
market.
National Lifelong Learning
Strategy (2008 – 2013). A
unified national lifelong
guidance system should be
implemented for the
period up to 2013. It is also
required to develop
programs for education
and qualification of the
personnel engaged with
vocational guidance related
services. The provision of
accessible and high quality
services for vocational
guidance to all students in
Bulgaria is defined as a key
priority. The national
strategy aims to
assist/enable individuals
in/to better plan and
manage their own career
path and skills, to further
develop their knowledge
and skills, and to improve
their employability.
isn’t a law that
determines the
duties and
competences of
the school
counsellors.
At the moment a
network of 28
regional career
guidance centres is
launched. All young
people have the
opportunity to
receive free career
guidance services.
The schools are
visited by the
career counsellors
from the centres.
This is an
extracurricular
activity, which is
organised once per
year for 3 hours for
each class. The
guidance and
counselling is
supported by the
school
management and
school counselors.
application /CV, a
cover letter, a
behavior job
interview /.
Relationships
between schools
and labor market.
The time spent for
group VET guidance
is 4 hours per year
for the students
who finish
elementary /7, 8
grades/ and
secondary /11, 12
grades/ education.
The rest of the
Bulgarian students
have group VET
guidance 1 hour per
year.
The schools
provide:
Visits of companies.
Practical training
classes.
School Project work.
Information days.
information about the process
of career development.
Policy level:
Ministry of Education, Youth
and Science. /The Euro guidance
Centre functions within the
Human Resource Development
Centre of the Ministry of
Education, Youth and Science
and provides information and
services for career guidance in
the field of education/.
Education Inspectorates.
The National Agency for
Vocational Education and
Training (NAVET). A road map
called “Development of career
guidance in Bulgaria 2009 –
2013” was created and aims to
facilitate the interaction
between the different sectors.
This is a national document,
which identifies the main
objectives and key priorities for
the development of the policies
and the practices in the field of
vocational guidance and career
development in Bulgaria for a
time period of 5 years.
for vocational
motivation and self-
assessment:
http://www.mappb
g.com
Private organization
for career advice.
Individual advisory
sessions to choose a
profession and on
career
development;
Information
workshops at
schools providing
career guidance.
Delivery of training
for the development
of vocational skills.
Intermediation in
finding work.
Training in working
environment:
http://selfinvest.eu
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