During a session held on 28th September 2016, the Government of the Republic of Croatia adopted the VET System Development programme 2016-2020. The Programme is a strategic document which defines the vision of vocational education and training until 2020. The Programme is directed towards developing the system of vocational education and training into a quality, effective, attractive and innovative system, as well as facilitate the gaining of competences for personal and professional development, but also for continued education and lifelong learning.
The VET System Development programme 2016-2020 derives from the Strategy of Education, Science and Technology and incorporates different methods of realizing the goals of development of vocational education and training, as stipulated in the Strategy. In this regard, the Programme suggests measures which are coordinated with strategic documents of the EU and strategic documents of the Republic of Croatia.
The Programme aims for changes in the system (in regular secondary education, as well as for achieving secondary school vocational qualification within the adult education system) by making use of all existing measures recognized as suitable, without jeopardizing the quality of already implemented measures, but also including targeted investment to improve the existing system in order to achieve the best possible results.
The Programme identifies several priorities for the development of the system:
- improving the relevance of vocational education and training with regard to the labour market
- improving the quality of vocational education and training
- promoting vocational education and training excellence, attractiveness and inclusion
- internationalization of vocational education and training
- supporting international mobility of students and teachers
These priorities include objectives and measures whose implementation will lead to new vocational curricula, promoting and improving the models of work-based learning, developing the system of quality assurance in vocational education and training, improving the system of professional development of teachers and increasing the mobility and employability of students in vocational education.
The Programme is based on an analysis of the current state of the system of vocational education and training, with an emphasis on the existing strategic and legal framework. The measures proposed by the Programme include:
- development, adoption and implementation of the National Curriculum for Vocational Education, sector curricula and/or curricula for gaining vocational qualifications
- rationalization of the existing network of vocational schools and programmes, as well as establishing regional centres of competence
- establishment of a unique system of quality assurance, modernization of the existing model of self-assessment and connecting it with the system of external evaluation of educational institutions
- use of mechanisms for monitoring and improving the quality and efficiency of systems, as well as improving the system, based on measurable indicators
- strengthening the capacities of vocational education institutions for implementing a unique system of quality assurance
- strengthening the capacities of vocational education teachers and workplace mentors
- promoting the skills of students and vocational education
- developing and increasing capabilities for student and teacher mobility
- supporting the international dimension and internationalization of vocational education and training
The decision of adopting the Programme for Development of the Vocational Education and Training System enables the continuation of the modernization and reform of the system, which began in 2006.
The full text (at the moment only in Croatian) of the Programme for Development of the Vocational Education and Training System can be accessed by using the following link.
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