Review the VET financing system by diversifying its resources, developing a costing approach and improving the distribution of funds, their management and monitoring.

This will include establishment of the Vocational Education Development Fund, which will manage and allocate funds among VET institutions in a transparent manner. The planning should take into account the various sources of funds, both public and private (including VET private providers' and donors' contributions), in order to bridge the current gap between strategies and actual achievements, ensure more visibility and transparency, and make the policy more credible.

Integrate general and vocational education at upper secondary level by deploying qualified teachers who work in general education to also teach learners in VET trajectories.

Abolish the Soviet legacy of separating the teaching of theory by VET teachers (in the case of special subjects) and the provision of instruction by practical trainers or instructors. Integrate theory and practice into the teaching profession as it is increasingly essential in competence-based skills development.

Review the competence requirements of modern VET teachers by rewarding their work and practical experience in the workplace or in industry (at least three years) and making it compulsory.

Develop a (short-cycle) pedagogical programme that will enable professionals to qualify as VET teachers with attractive remuneration, career prospects and associated social status. Facilitate skilled professionals in obtaining their VET teacher qualification through distance and on-the-job training schemes while working in VET institutions.

Harmonise provision at upper secondary level after 9th grade by horizontally amalgamating secondary VET and general secondary (academic) education.

Ensure attractive pathways to both academic and vocational tracks without institutional barriers in line with the New Ukrainian School concept.

Rename the providers, particularly the VET providers, to get rid of the negative connotations of old-fashioned types and names of VET schools and institutions. For example, several post-Soviet countries have renamed or plan to name providers as (vocational) colleges that can combine VET programmes at different levels.

Develop an alternative matriculation exam or admission route to replace the academically biased EIT as an obligation for VET graduates to attain full secondary education and allow them to enrol in higher education.

Develop a roadmap for the harmonisation of VET and general education reform at upper secondary level with the support of the development partners, namely the EU and the World Bank.

Increase the autonomy of providers and incentivise them to provide lifelong learning courses.

Build on and enhance the existing capacity of teachers and providers as a whole to train and attract adult learners.

Integrate VET provision gradually for young people and adults by recognising prior learning, creating individual learning trajectories and modularising new VET qualifications while allowing partial qualifications.

Set national guidelines for the optimisation and restructuring of institutional networks using clear criteria to ensure a) the labour market relevance of qualifications awarded by institutions; b) efficiency in the use of teaching and learning resources; c) access of learners in line with their residential distribution across the country and the regions.

Carry out an organisational audit to appraise all secondary VET and professional pre-higher education institutions in relation to their capacity, provision and resources.

Prepare restructuring plans in all regions based on the institutional appraisals and stakeholder consultations and empower regional VET councils to endorse them.

Amend the current and upcoming legislation on VET and professional pre-higher education to harmonise provision and institutional networks.

Differentiate between more complex programmes, for example in healthcare and technical fields. Develop new post-secondary and/or short-cycle qualifications, for example at level 5 in the NQF where there is evidence of clear demand in the labour market and among learners.

Actively engage employers and the National Agency for Qualifications to define and accredit new post-secondary and/or short-cycle qualifications.

Allow admission to pre-tertiary level programmes only after completion of upper secondary education (11th/12th grade).

Connect and harmonise provision and programmes and merge institutions (VET schools, colleges and technikums) with secondary VET, particularly in the fields of studies in which the majority of students enrol after 9th grade.

NB: The current trajectories risk overlapping and having duplication of provision in at least some programmes. This would help to optimise provision and make better use of both human and institutional capacity and the resources of colleges and technikums for the benefit of learners.

Enhance relevance of VET by optimising the VET provider network. This would need to be accompanied by capacity building in change management and redesigning organisational and management structures as well as funding schemes. This could also prepare a ground for establishing Centres of Excellence at regional level.

VET teacher education and requirements would need to be revisited where the focus on VET teacher education should be on teachers' professional competence and practical work experience and perhaps less on pedagogical aspects. Moreover, Belarus could slowly move from the separation differentiation between practical and theoretical teaching where theory teachers have a higher status and pay.

Regional resource centres lay the ground for establishing Centres of Excellence in the regions instead of equipping modest and small-scale laboratories and resource centres in every vocational school. The centres could play a role in advancing vocational excellence, both by deepening and extending their relationship with employers (small-scale partnerships to strengthen the participation of small companies) and by cooperating and coordinating with other skills providers – other schools, companies, universities, research organisations, specialist development agencies and others to boost VET quality and effectiveness at regional level for a more equitable VET.