Swiss Support to the Serbian dual VET System, Phase 1
The Government of Serbia has introduced dual vocational education and training (VET) at secondary level in 2018, resulting in 8’000 youths currently enrolled in formal dual apprenticeships. Switzerland will expand the advisory support and technical assistance provided since 2018 to the Serbian Ministry of Education to strengthen its dual VET system, and jointly with Austria, support the Serbian private sector in delivering labor-market oriented apprenticeships in line with the law on dual education.
| Country/region | Topic | Period | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Serbia |
Inclusive economic Development nothemedefined
Vocational training
Employment creation SME development |
01.08.2021
- 30.06.2027 |
CHF 4’993’000
|
- Central State of South East
- ETHZ Zurich
- Foreign private sector North
- Foreign private sector South/East
- Swiss Private Sector
- ETH Zurich, Chair of Education Systems Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development (MoESTD), Sector for dual education Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCIS)
-
Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation EDUCATION
OTHER SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES
INDUSTRY
Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation Vocational training
Employment policy and administrative management
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) development
Aid Type Mandate without fiduciary fund
Project and programme contribution
Project number 7F10788
| Background | The Serbian formal education system at the secondary level is heavily skewed towards the vocational track. 73% of girls and boys in secondary education (age 14 to 18) are enrolled in one of the 3 or 4 years vocational track programme offered by one of the country’s 311 VET schools, while the remaining 27% is enrolled in a general education or arts programme (gymnasium). The widely held belief that vocational education is a second-best education is reflected in the statistics: while children from lower-income families are overrepresented in vocational education, the opposite is true of general education. Failing to find employment at the end of their secondary VET programme, the vast majority of secondary VET pupils opt for further education offerings, thereby delaying their entry into the labor-market (in a job often unrelated to their VET training), but also putting considerable stress on public resources. To address these challenges, the Government introduced dual VET programmes at the secondary level. Currently, (as of 2022), 4.4% of secondary VET students are enrolled in a dual apprenticeship (about 8000). |
| Objectives |
Young labor-market entrants and employers benefit from improved labor-market outcomes thanks to a sustainable and inclusive dual VET system. |
| Target groups |
VET students and their families VET schools and Education institutions Ministry of Education Science and Technological Development (MoESTD), regional education offices, regional school administrations, institutes, councils Chamber of Commerce and Industries Serbia (CCIS) Education Unit, regional chapters, member companies and their company instructors Zavod: institute for improvement of education (curriculum development) |
| Medium-term outcomes |
Outcome 1: The Ministry of education and Serbian Chamber of Commerce have capacities to implement and monitor the Law on dual education at all levels. Outcome 2: The Law on dual education is more efficient and transparent with an enhanced company participation thanks to the improved business processes and procedures. Outcome 3: Improved Ministry of Education and Chamber of Commerce systems in the context of implementation of situated curriculum value chain in formal VET and lifelong learning. |
| Results |
Expected results: In the planned phase, which foresees three partnerships, key outputs can be subdivided into institutional development and capacity building on one hand, and research outputs on the other. Institutional development and capacity building: the project will strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Education’s dual VET sector and the Chamber of Commerce and Industries’ education unit as well as its regional chapters to better fulfil their critical role in implementing dual education. Research and advisory outputs will be produced mainly by the ETH Zurich. They include implementation studies, a cost benefit analysis, support in drafting new laws, by-laws, a masterplan guiding the reform and advisory work as part of the national dual VET Commission. Results from previous phases: The present project is builds and considerably expands on a previous single-phase project focused on policy only. Under this project, the Eindgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich supported the Government with expertise informing the design and implementation of the first law on dual education, which is being amended this year based on the experiences collected since 2018. In addition to advising the President of the Republic, the commission for dual education and ministry of education, the ETH contributed to developing key documents such as bylaws and guidebooks for schools and students. |
| Directorate/federal office responsible |
SDC |
| Project partners |
Contract partner International or foreign NGO Private sector Foreign state institution Swiss Academic and Research Institution |
| Coordination with other projects and actors |
From education to employment - E2E (SDC) GiZ DECIDE project KFW Regional Challenge Fund |
| Budget | Current phase Swiss budget CHF 4’993’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF 2’720’876 Total project since first phase Swiss budget CHF 50’000 Budget inclusive project partner CHF 10’970’000 |
| Project phases | Phase 1 01.08.2021 - 30.06.2027 (Current phase) |
