The average youth unemployment rate in Croatia with 23% in 2018 remains high, in particular for learners leaving vocational schools. The Sector of personal, protection and other services that includes professions in crafts and service delivery is one of the most concerned. 

Vocational schools and trainings in this sector do not respond to today’s exigencies in the market. Reasons are gaps in the quality of education, but also a lack of interaction on apprenticeships with the private sector. A modernization in the vocational training of the entire sector is required to enhance the employability of these young professionals.

• Reformed VET curricula reflect labour market requirements
• VET providers (schools and crafts businesses) are capacitated to actively contribute to the design, delivery and continuous improvement of work-based learning

• Direct beneficiaries of the project are teachers of VET schools for crafts as well as employers and mentors in craft businesses
• VET students/graduates
• Other beneficiaries include parents of the VET students and the wider public.

The outcomes shall be achieved by several steps, starting with a labour market analysis to identify the major constraints, and based on that, by developing curricula that are responsive to the labor market demand.

The ministry responsible organizes working groups that unite private and public actors to work on each professional profile, defining the general knowledge and the specific competences that shall be acquired during the 3-years apprenticeship.

Training teachers of vocational schools and training mentors of private enterprises are planned activities. And last but not least the experimental implementation of the new curricula shall be launched.

Achieved results:  

The project has ended and achieved the following results:

• The curricula of six professions have been revised and modernized. They reflect now better the future and current labour market requirements (incl. new professional standards) and focus more on work based learning.
• The Swiss expertise on dual education was highly appreciated and many elements such as dual education, high involvement of employers in the curricula development were introduced.  
• The demand for Swiss expertise ehas provided tailor-made consultancy to the Ministry of Science and Education who is in the lead of the Croatian VET reform.

Expected results:  

• Sector profiles per specific sector contribute to analyse and standardise the requirements for nine professions of this sector
• In addition, for each of the professions, the requirements are specified in a revised curriculum
• The main stakeholders from the private and public sector contribute to this process
• Experimental implementation allows for piloting curricula in schools
• Teachers are instructed to teaching according to the new curricula
• Mentors of private enterprises know how to coach apprentices during their practical training 
• Success rate of students, mentors and teachers is increased

Phase 1 01.06.2017 - 31.12.2020   (Completed)