3. ASSESSMENT OF KEY ISSUES AND POLICY RESPONSES

Ukraine started to actively reform its education system in 2014 when a new Law on Higher Education was adopted. This was followed by the Law on Education in 2017. It provides the strategic framework for the implementation of reforms. The greatest attention has been given to modernising primary and secondary general education in which the concept of the New Ukrainian School guides the reform actions and sets the timetable for them.

A new law on VET has been drafted and is due to be submitted to the parliament once the new government has approved it. The new concept on modern VET includes the main elements on VET reform, which Ukraine plans to implement in the years to come.

The Law on Higher Education adopted in 2014 underpinned the move by the Ukrainian higher education system to align with the Bologna reforms. It also introduced the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance, which has started its operations. The law also removed the institutions that provided level 1 and 2 accreditation – colleges and technikums – from the higher education system. Initially, the intention was to unite these institutions under the VET system. However, institutional reforms were compromised based on the legacy of the past and the lack of political will to proceed with the unpopular and painful process of restructuring institutional networks.

In developing the Law on Education, given the urgent need to introduce modern principles for the entire education system, a number of compromises were made, e.g. ambiguity about what is considered to be vocational education and what is considered to be tertiary education. In our view, these impede the advancement of changes in the system and policy implementation. Although the law stipulates a new structure for the education system, it has been resolutely aligned with old institutional structures and their vested interests. Although a new legal and strategic framework has been developed and adopted, various education sub-systems are still poorly or vaguely connected and focus on resolving their own specific problems in terms of governance, provision and funding.

In order to advance education sector reform, Ukraine needs to take a holistic view and develop a new lifelong learning system where different parts of the education system are well integrated with fair and, if possible, harmonised rules and principles that guide policy implementation for the benefit of learners, the economy and society.

The Law on Education (2017) assigned an important role to the national qualifications framework, lifelong learning and competence-based education. The law distinguishes between educational qualifications, delivered through formal education, and professional qualifications, focused on use in the labour market. It introduces the National Qualifications System, sector qualifications frameworks and partial qualifications. It also establishes the responsibilities of the National Agency for Qualifications, which is a collegial body supported by the government and social partners. The agency's statutes were adopted in December 2018 and the establishment of the functional agency is under way. It will have a number of tasks to perform, e.g. coordinating and informing stakeholders; supporting legislative developments; developing and maintaining a registry of qualifications; coordinating the development of occupational standards; supporting the development of educational standards; accrediting qualification centres; overseeing the recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning; and establishing the criteria for recognising foreign qualifications.

In 2019, the implementation of the New Ukrainian School reform process continued. The strategic document – Competence Potential (Foundations of the State Standard) – was adopted. It is a competence‑based framework for the final, compulsory learning outcomes at the end of each education cycle (2nd, 4th, 6th, 9th and 12th grade) and by each subject area. The framework will guide the development of the state standard for each cycle of education beyond primary school (basic secondary, upper secondary education and VET (ISCED 2 and 3)).

Decentralisation of the education system, including VET, began in 2014 and is still under way. Allocation of state budget subventions for VET for each region is approved annually in the Law on State Budget[25] See https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2696-19.
. In 2018, the largest subventions for the modernisation of VET institutions were transferred to the Kyiv region (UAH 12.9 million) and to the Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions (UAH 5.4 million for each region). The shift of VET funding to the local level caused a problem in many regions. Although financial decentralisation aimed to expand the resource base, local funds cover only about 60% of needs in the regions. Local funding covers even less in the case of VET institutions located outside regional centres – only 45% of their needs (Financial and Economic Analysis Office in the VRU, 2019).

As part of the decentralisation process, regional VET councils were established in all regions. They are advisory and consultative bodies in the regional state administrations, and they are responsible for the preparation and oversight of regional VET policy. The ETF has advised the government on the modus operandi and international practices of such councils (ETF, 2018). With a view to activating the work of the councils, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a new statute for the councils[26] See https://www.kmu.gov.ua/npas/pro-zatverdzhennya-tipovogo-polozhennm1002y….
on 4 December 2019. This statute defines the main tasks and responsibilities of the councils' operations. The inter-agency councils need to have at least 21 members, representing the regional authorities, social partners, VET providers and relevant professional organisations. The councils can potentially become the main vehicles to consolidate the vision and strategic priorities of VET reform implementation at regional level.

On 12 June 2019, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted the concept on Modern Vocational Education, which is scheduled to run until 2027[27] See https://www.kmu.gov.ua/ua/npas/pro-shvalennya-koncepciyi-realizaciyi-de….
. The objective is to implement systemic VET reform, which involves the implementation of three main priorities: decentralising VET governance and financing, improving quality assurance and developing public-private partnerships.

REGULATORY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

1. Modern vocational education concept, which is to run until 2027 (Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Decree No. 419-р dated 12 June 2019)
2. Concept for the dual training of workers and the action plan for its implementation (Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Decree No. 660-р dated 19 September 2018 and No. 214-р dated 3 April 2019)
3. Draft law of Ukraine on vocational (technical and vocational) education (approved by the government on 10 July 2019 – awaiting adoption by the parliament)
4. Subvention for the modernisation and upgrading of the equipment and facilities of VET institutions (Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution No. 302 dated 10 April 2019)

Policy measures are proposed to be implemented in three stages. During the first stage (2019–2021) the plan is to adopt the Law on Vocational (Vocational & Technical) Education and the Action Plan (which is scheduled to run until 2027); continue decentralisation; and launch a network of qualification centres. During the second stage (2022–2024) the plan is to complete a transition to regional budget financing for VET institutions located in regionally significant cities; implement the NQF and the national qualifications system; move to competence-based education programmes and standards; and finalise the internal quality assurance system. During the third stage (2025–2027), a number of results are expected: the VET schools network should be optimised; preparatory work on the introduction of vocational trajectories in upper secondary education should be completed; and a network of regional VET centres of excellence and a comprehensive internal and external quality assurance system should be created. Responsibility for the implementation of VET reform is shared by the government and regional administrations. The new EU4Skills programme aims at supporting the government and regions in implementing these measures.

Another strategic document for VET development is the Concept of Dual Training adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers in September 2018. It aims at combining work and learning in VET and higher education and increasing the youth employment rate. Its implementation is planned in three phases: phase I – legislation and regulatory framework development (2018–2019); phase II – design of dual training modes and delivery of pilot projects (2019–2020); and phase III – creation of dual training clusters (2020–2023).

One example of an unfortunate result of the compromised reforms is the establishment of the sub-system which now falls between higher education and VET and is known as professional pre-higher education. The new Law on Professional Pre-Higher Education was adopted at an unprecedented speed in June 2019[28] See https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2745-19.
. It sets out the institutional and legal framework in which colleges and technikums may define their specific place and role in the education system. The law introduces new qualifications and degrees, which are a new feature of the Ukrainian education system: junior bachelor and professional junior bachelor. They are defined as new short-cycle programmes; neither learners nor employers are yet familiar with them. The 2019 academic year was the last year in which junior specialists were admitted to colleges and technikums; as of 2020, new enrolments should be aligned with new programmes.

As the data in Table 4 shows, the majority of programmes provided by colleges and technikums in recent years led to qualifications for junior specialists, which have now been moved to secondary VET. Almost 74% of students in colleges and technikums have enrolled in programmes after 9th grade. The majority of students (95.7%) are enrolled in non-tertiary vocational programmes (junior specialists) while only around 4% are enrolled in bachelor programmes. New enrolments followed the same trend in 2018/2019 with nearly 97% studying in non-tertiary vocational programmes versus 3% in bachelor programmes. This means that the overwhelming majority of programmes provided by these institutions lead to VET qualifications, which are offered in parallel for the same age cohort by secondary VET institutions.

TABLE 4 SELECTED DATA ON PROFESSIONAL PRE-HIGHER EDUCATION

	2010/2011	2015/2016	2018/2019	Percentage
Number of institutions	483	387	370
Number of students	351 444	230 110	199 926
Enrolled after 9th grade			147 069	73.60%
Enrolled after 11th grade			52 857	26.44%
New enrolments			35 101
Enrolled in junior specialist programmes			33 963	96.76%
Enrolled in bachelor programmes			1 138	3.24%
Source of funding per number of students (%)
National budget	36.3	36.0	13.5
Local budget	21.8	28.1	52.6
Private tuition fees	41.8	35.6	33.9
Enterprises	0.1	0.3	0.0

Source: Ministry of Education and Science and own calculations

Moreover, as seen in Figure 10, analyses of the labour market outcomes of workers who completed short-cycle tertiary education programmes (college and technikum graduates) show the highest incidence of education level-occupation mismatch by comparing supply of labour force by education versus demand (employed by level of occupation). This segment of the Ukrainian education system therefore calls for a serious rethinking of the relevance of training programmes to labour market needs.

FIGURE 10 Excess labour supply relative to demand, by education, 2005–2017 (IN %)

Image

Data source: State Statistics Service of Ukraine, labour force survey data[29] Data of 2015 and 2017 exclude Crimea and occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions
based on Olga Kupets's calculations

As in the case of secondary VET, enrolments in colleges and technikums have been decreasing. Enrolments dropped by 57% in 2018 compared to 2010 and the number of institutions declined from 482 to 370 over the same period (Table 4). Local governments have taken over most of the funding due to the decentralisation of institutions to the regions. In our view, it would be vital to review the rationale of these institutions and their qualification programmes in the context of the ongoing VET reform. This would also be essential to achieve the ambitious target of increasing participation in VET to 45% as per the new government programme[30] See https://www.kmu.gov.ua/diyalnist/programa-diyalnosti-uryadu.
and improving the overall matching of supply with labour market demand. As the programme includes both secondary VET and professional pre-higher education in this target, we assume that it is in the interest of the government that these levels are integrated and harmonised in terms of governance, provision and funding.

With a shrinking workforce and a declining youth population, the importance of upskilling and requalifying the Ukrainian working-age population becomes increasingly important. VET institutions could play an important role in attracting more adult learners to participate in lifelong learning courses. As the table below shows, the participation rate of the adult population (aged between 25 and 64) in lifelong learning is very low. It is even lower than in Romania, the EU country with the lowest level of adult participation in lifelong learning (0.9% in 2018). Given the institutional capacity and potential of the large network of both secondary VET and professional pre-higher education institutions and resources to be freed up as a result of the restructuring of the networks, VET provision should increasingly target adult learners in addition to secondary school graduates, who are their clients at the moment.

Table 5 Participation in LIFELONG LEARNING

Indicator		2017	2018
Participation in training/lifelong learning (age group 25–64) by sex (%)	Total	0.8	0.8
	Male	0.8	0.9
	Female	0.8	0.7

Source: State Statistics Service of Ukraine, labour force survey data

Continuing vocational training (CVT) as a form of adult learning in the formal education and training system is also undergoing transformation and needs some clarity in the legal framework. The expected adoption of the relevant Law on Adult Education, which is based on the framework Law on Education, will allow the expansion of existing opportunities in this area. CVT is mostly implemented as postgraduate education in higher or vocational education institutions. It includes the training and retraining of employees or unemployed people, further education or courses to upgrade existing qualifications or an opportunity to acquire a second higher education degree[31] National reporting framework: A.3.3.
.

According to a study carried out by the Institute of Professional Qualifications, 93% of the employers surveyed were satisfied with the professional competences of adult VET graduates. This is an indication of the promising capacity of VET providers to train adult learners[32] See http://www.ipq.org.ua/upload/files/files/03_Novyny/2019.05.15_Zvit/IPQ_Report_09.05.19.pdf.
. Ukraine's overall institutional coverage and capacity to provide VET for adults is strong. This is because, in addition to secondary VET and professional pre-higher education institutions, the State Employment Service has a network of 11 VET centres which offer CVT courses annually to almost 40 000 people. In addition, more than 2 000 licensed private VET providers operate as structural divisions of big industrial companies[33] National reporting framework: A.2.3.
. As Table 4 shows, the share of private tuition fees for programmes offered by professional pre-higher education providers amounts to one-third of their total funding, which means that they are able to attract learners for fee-based programmes. This is an important prerequisite for developing demand-driven courses in the absence of government funding for adult learning.

It is also important to include in the legislation a clear procedure for recognising full and partial qualifications (currently, only occupations can be recognised) and reinforce validation of informal and non-formal learning practices, which are critical aspects in enhancing lifelong learning.

It would be crucially important to avoid a situation in which the previous junior specialist qualifications would be artificially upgraded to comply with the new 'degrees' stipulated by the Law on Professional Pre-Higher Education without clearly differentiating between the two and ensuring that the content of the new qualifications was relevant to the labour market. Such a situation would only confuse employers who would have difficulties in understanding the new degree programmes and the skills that they cover and it would also continue to harm the employability of learners in the labour market. Ukraine could consider the following scenarios to reform these institutions and their programmes in the context of the ongoing VET reform:

1. Harmonise VET provision at upper secondary level after 9th grade

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

2. Differentiate provision at professional pre-tertiary level to distinguish it from secondary VET

Differentiate between more complex programmes, for example in healthcare and technical fields by developing 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).

3. Manage optimisation of school networks in a fair and transparent way

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 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 of VET and institutional networks.

4. Diversify VET provision to increasingly target adult learners

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 for young people and adults gradually by recognising prior learning, creating individual learning trajectories and modularising new VET qualifications while allowing partial qualifications. For example, the State Employment Service has already gained experience of individual learning trajectories by delivering retraining programmes for adult learners and these can be further analysed and scaled up. Another reference worth exploring, is Finland's experience in combining young and adult learners in the same programmes.

About 60% of 9th grade students choose to continue their education in general secondary schools in which the quality of education varies between urban and rural areas. Inequality and access to quality education becomes an issue at this stage of young people's lives and this has consequences for their later career choices and opportunities. Those who enter elite urban schools with specialised curricula are more likely to secure top scores in the EIT. The results of the EIT are used for higher education admission. These schools use competitive admissions procedures, which ensure that their students perform well in the EIT: 55% of these students choose to take the mathematics EIT, considered to be one of the most difficult subjects, and it is required for admission to many fields in demand in higher education.

Students in ordinary urban schools are less likely to choose the mathematics EIT (45%), and only 40% of students in ordinary rural schools do so (World Bank, 2019a). Rural students are less likely than urban students to exceed the EIT cut-off thresholds and are considerably less likely to apply to and enrol in higher education. A total of 70% of urban students pass the EIT and ultimately enrol in higher education; this compares with 40% of rural students (Figure 12). Only 17% of state-funded places for bachelor programmes in 2018 were given to students from rural areas.

FIGURE 12 Higher education admissions by student origin and EIT performance (2018)

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Source: World Bank calculations based on EDEBO (Unified State Electronic Education Database). database

The situation is aggravated for students in secondary VET institutions, who are obliged to sit the EIT in order to obtain a secondary education diploma. Their scores are lowest among all students participating in the EIT, with many failing to pass the exam thresholds. Only around 7% of VET graduates continue their studies in higher education institutions[35] National reporting framework, table 8.
. Due to the academically biased EIT (which most VET students fail), selective admission of high and poor performers at 9th grade and the generally poor image of VET, the current secondary VET system is practically a dead-end in Ukraine. This limits the access and capability of VET graduates to continue their studies in higher education and participate in lifelong learning. It would be important to consider the development of an alternative matriculation test for students graduating in the VET track with a combination of admission exams that would encourage them and enable them to progress to further studies, e.g. in the same fields of study in higher education institutions.

1. Fragmentation of upper secondary general education provision DIMINISHES the quality

It will be critical for Ukraine to accelerate the expected reform of upper secondary education, to introduce the new three-year curriculum structure and to streamline educational pathways from secondary to tertiary education in line with the New Ukrainian School concept. The current structure of upper secondary education in Ukraine is fragmented: as discussed previously in this assessment, upper secondary general education is offered in general secondary schools as well as in vocational schools, colleges and technical schools. At the same time, the quality of education outcomes as evidenced by the EIT results varies substantially in different types of institutions, leaving the students enrolled in various types of VET institutions in the most disadvantaged position.

The transition towards a student-centred and competence-based approach to learning in line with the New Ukrainian School vision will be challenging at the upper secondary level unless reforms are implemented to concentrate and consolidate resources such as schools, teachers, funding and instructional time (World Bank, 2019a). Such reforms will increase the duration of upper secondary education from two to three years. This is an advantage for students, giving them more time to decide on their future studies and careers and equipping them better with important key competences for lifelong learning.

2. A large network of small providers at all levels leads to the inefficient use of learning resources and diminishes quality

The Law on Education and the New Ukrainian School stipulate that upper secondary education will have both academic and vocational trajectories. Although the target year for the implementation of a three-year upper secondary programme is set for 2027, Ukraine should start seriously considering and finding ways to merge and consolidate the learning resources and facilities in both upper secondary general education and secondary vocational education to combat the segregation of young people's career and study opportunities at an early age.

TABLE 6 Evolution of VET institutions and participation in vet

Year	Number of institutions	Number of students	Share related to 1990	Students per institution	Share related to 1990
1990	1 246	643 400	100%	516	100%
2000	970	524 600	82%	541	105%
2010	976	433 500	67%	444	86%
2013	968	391 200	61%	404	78%
2017	756	269 400	42%	356	69%
2018	736	255 000	39.6%	347	67%

Source: http://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/operativ2005/osv_rik/osv_u/ptu_u.html.

A large network of VET providers has been decreasing in size over time (Table 6) but there is still a high number of providers throughout the country. Due to the decentralisation of institutions to regional and municipal level, the number of providers has shrunk more rapidly since 2013 as a result of mergers and closures. At the same time, the average size of providers is declining due to the low level of enrolments, which reduces their potential and flexibility as well as their attractiveness. The report on the national reporting framework shows that in the period between 2016 and 2018 there had been no significant optimisation of provider networks at regional level except in Kharkiv, Lviv and Zaparozhia[36] National reporting framework: Table 2.
.

While VET providers in larger cities are usually better equipped and staffed, the situation is most difficult in rural areas for both VET and general education. Due to the small size and limited capacity of providers, rural providers are often not able to form study groups for different occupational profiles, but instead end up training all students in the same profession. This leads to a surplus of supply and, in particular, qualifications that do not necessarily reflect labour market demand (ETF, 2019, unpublished).

Article 18 of the current Law on VET (adopted in 1998) defines 16 different types of VET providers. Article 32 of the new draft Law on VET suggests reducing the number of provider types to four, namely professional lyceum (a specialised secondary school), centre of vocational education, centre of professional development of employees and professional college. Article 31 of the Law on Pre-Higher Education defines three types of providers: professional college, military college and professional college with specific learning conditions (e.g. for the needs of police, border control and law enforcement authorities).

The Law on Education requires a 12th grade to be introduced by 2027. However, by accelerating reform, Ukraine could speed up the restructuring of school networks and ensure a quicker transition to three-year upper secondary education. Moreover, integrating the reform agendas driven by the New Ukrainian School and secondary VET would also avoid further fragmentation of academic and vocational learning pathways.

The horizontal integration of schools at upper secondary level with VET providers and their learning resources could increase operational efficiencies; improve the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in general education subjects; and, more importantly, abolish the stigma associated with VET, which is deeply rooted in Ukrainian mindsets.

School optimisation and restructuring at upper secondary level, including VET, could be piloted first in a number of regions or large cities or municipalities. Thus, the same large education provider would offer both academic and vocational pathways for students who have completed 9th grade. Former independent schools would become new units or departments within the new education provider with subject-, occupation- or location-specific learning centres. Underutilised schools, vocational lyceums and colleges would be merged or closed.

3. Low status of the teaching profession

In 2019, a total of 33 900 people were involved in teaching in VET. This figure included 14 800 senior instructors and vocational training instructors. There are more than 3 000 open vacancies for teaching staff. Key factors in the decrease in the number of teaching staff are a decline in the number of enrolments of VET students and the low social status of VET instructors[37] National reporting framework: D 2.5.
. Lower salaries for VET teachers relative to their peers in industry is another contributing factor. This has led to an ageing teacher workforce, low professional mobility and poor motivation to master modern technologies.

The existing legislation determines requirements for VET teachers[38] National reporting framework: D 2.1., D 2.2., D 2.3.
. In order to become a VET teacher, a student/candidate needs to have a full higher education (master's or specialist degree) with vocational education as their main subject or another full higher education degree with psychological and pedagogical training. Practical instructors are required to have a college level or higher education in their specialism and their qualification level (grade) should not be lower than the standard set for the specific occupation or field of study which the instructor is hired to work on. The above requirements do not yet guarantee the expected results.

VET teacher education and requirements would need to be revisited. The focus in VET teacher education should be on teachers' professional competence and practical work experience and less on pedagogical aspects. Ukraine continues to follow the old Soviet model, which separates theoretical teaching from work practice. Teachers who teach theory have a higher status and pay while instructors of practical training who are expected to have practical work experience are paid less than theory teachers and their peers working in industry, making this job unattractive to professionals. Moreover, moving towards a competence-based approach and modular programmes requires better integration of theory and practice. Regulations for VET teachers should be modernised and a new type of VET teaching profile, combining theory and practice, could be developed and piloted which rewards and incentivises teachers who gain practical work experience.

Requirements for VET teachers could be harmonised with those of the New Ukrainian School concept. Efforts should be made to attract more competent specialists from industry by giving them the option of gaining a pedagogical qualification to qualify as a VET teacher. A specific modular course on vocational pedagogy could be developed, which the candidates could undertake while working in a VET institution. The role of teachers and trainers is rapidly changing internationally; teachers and trainers are less involved in teaching and concentrate more on supporting individuals to learn, often in different locations. This means that teachers will have to learn new skills, including digital skills, and unlearn some existing habits.

In order to combat the declining enrolments in VET programmes and increase the overall attractiveness of VET, we recommend implementing actions that will help to reduce the stigma associated with current VET institutions and provision and cease the segregation of young learners at an early age. The aim would be to increase VET participation as envisaged in the new government programme.

1. INTEGRATE the provision of VET and general education at upper secondary level

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 names and types of VET schools and institutions. For example, several post-Soviet countries have renamed or plan to rename all 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.

2. Reform the teaching profession

Ukraine needs to develop the skills and competences of VET teachers and trainers and use them more efficiently to improve the quality of learning and the attractiveness of VET and to make the teaching profession appealing. In our view, this could be achieved by the following measures:

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.