The policy of the Ministry of Economy and Industry to reduce the shortage of skilled personnel for business and overcome the growth of youth unemployment in the country is aimed at a wider integration of dual training in the country. This was underlined during a meeting between the Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Dimitar Danchev and representatives of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Thomas Stauffer and Franz Kehl attended the meeting on behalf of the Agency.
“To support businesses, the Department has developed an Information Database which brings together employers delivering work-based learning to students. It currently includes 89 enterprises, 806 students willing to take part in the training and over 400 students and young people in training,” said Deputy Minister Danchev. He also presented long-term measures to encourage employers to implement dual training and to support enterprises that actively recruit young people for work-based learning.
SDC representatives expressed their support for the Ministry’s actions and presented their experience and good examples from the introduction of dual training in Switzerland. In September 2022, the governments of the two countries signed a Cooperation Programme, which provides for Switzerland to support Bulgaria in the implementation of key priorities, one of which is dual education.