Since its establishment, the Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education has been actively involved in the implementation of numerous international and bilateral projects in the field of vocational education and training:

• CARDS 2002
• CARDS 2003
• CARDS 2004
• MATRA
• SKILLS @ WORK

CARDS 2002 – “Vocational Education and Training: Modernisation and Institution Building”

Project results:

• proposal of the content of the future law on vocational education;
• White Paper, which provided basic guidelines for the development of the system of vocational education and training;
• detailed specifications for the information system for the management of vocational education – VETIS;
• analysis of the labour market and qualification proposal.

As part of the CARDS 2002 program, the Agency established a Working Group for the study of the labour market. After the systematic collection and analysis of all information, the working group within the CARDS 2002 project presented a proposal for new educational sectors of vocational education and training in Croatia. By accepting this proposal, the Agency redefined the previous 32 educational areas of work into 14 new educational vocational sectors. In June 2006, the Agency established 13 sectoral councils for 13 vocational education sectors and appointed their members. The Sector Councils started their work on July 1, 2006. The CARDS 2002 project professionally and materially supported their establishment and work.

CARDS 2003 – “Modernisation of schools for vocational education”

Project results:

• Concept paper was prepared, which included the entire qualification structure of teachers and professional associates;
• A feasibility study has been developed to investigate where a study for higher education teachers and professional associates should be established;
• A range of profiles of professional teachers and professional associates has been developed;
• An equivalent of a modular one-year study for professional training of teachers and pre-service associates was developed;
• A system of continuous professional development for professional teachers / associates has been formed, based on the process of staff evaluation;
• A complete set of educational programmes for professional training and development of professional teachers and professional associates has been developed, as well as the main training modules;
• A study on the economic sectors in Croatia and their main skills profiles was reviewed, as well as two examples of qualifications and tools for the approval of qualifications from the CARDS 2002 VET project;
• A review of the general progress made by the SAFs was carried out and new guidelines for their work were developed;
• The implementation of 13 projects financed by the European Union, with a total value of € 2,660,674, aimed at the development of vocational schools with encouragement and partnerships, has been contracted.

CARDS 2004 Adult education

Funded by the European Union CARDS 2004 program, implementation lasting 20 months. The total value of the project is EUR 1.5 million.

The ultimate goal of the project: to create a modern and flexible concept of adult education in Croatia that will follow the new requirements of the labour market and the principles of lifelong learning and examples of best practice from the European Union countries.

The project will focus on improving the structured model of adult education and training, adapting and modernizing adult training programs (with special emphasis on basic skills) and raising public awareness of the importance of continuing professional development.

Project results:

• Establishment of a database
• User guide when using the database access application
• Organization, procedures, standards and security measures for the database of the Agency for Adult Education
• Adult education and learning in Croatia: situation and proposals for improving policies, legislation and funding
• Quality and accreditation of training programmes for simple occupations
• Quality assurance of training programmes and service providers
• Short training programmes: Construction
• Short training programmes: Agriculture
• Short training programmes: Social welfare
• Short training programmes: Tourism
• Initial training of professional supervisors
• Revision of the project “For Croatia Literacy: The Road to a Desirable Future”
• Revision of the project “For Croatia Literacy: The Road to a Desirable Future”
• Adult primary education programme
• Handbook for teacher training in the adult education system
• Implementation of an educational campaign
• Adding knowledge to experience
• Draft establishment of info points
• The concept of an educational portal

MATRA 

During 2007, good cooperation was achieved with Dutch experts through several bilateral projects within the Dutch MATRA program.

At the end of 2007, a new cooperation with Dutch experts began through a new MATRA project, which included representatives of two sectoral councils (agriculture, food and veterinary medicine and tourism and catering), vocational schools from the Republic of Croatia and the Agency for Vocational Education with similar partners from the Netherlands. The aim of this cooperation was to strengthen the capacities of sector councils in the Republic of Croatia in the implementation of labour market analysis, to provide support to vocational schools in the development of new approaches to teaching and the like.

On 13 December 2007, the conference “Vocational Education – the Foundation for the Development of the Croatian Economy” was held in Zagreb.

The Agency for Vocational Education was involved in another MATRA project, which was carried out by the Agency for Science and Higher Education (ASHE), and related to the strengthening of the national ENIC / NARIC office in Croatia, but also the development of recognition of foreign qualifications in Croatia.

Skills @ Work

Skills @ Work is a regional project of the British Council that is being implemented in 18 countries. The project seeks to promote internationalism in vocational education throughout Southeast Europe.

The project in Croatia focused on the tourism sector and consists of two components. The first is a partnership of schools (Hotel-Tourism School in Zagreb and Wales Llandrillo College of Tourism), which works on developing project work with students, developing e-learning systems, developing quality assurance systems, developing cooperation with employers and improving student practice. As part of the project, study trips for teachers and student exchange were organised (6 students from the Hotel and Tourism School spent a week in Wales – at school and in practice). Through cooperation with the Agency for Vocational Education, work was done on the development of a manual for teachers of vocational content in hotel and tourism schools on the topic of care for the guest. After the development of the manual, it is planned to hold a seminar for teachers on the same topic.

Project activities:

• development of manuals for teachers and holding seminars for them,
• exchange of students with Wales (arrival of students from Llandrillo College to the Hotel and Tourism School in Zagreb),
• holding forums with employers,
• further work on the development of e-learning materials and on project work with students
• holding seminars on customer care for employers (hotels and travel agencies) with which the Hotel and Tourism School in Zagreb cooperates.