20 students from the Vocational School “Ivan Hadzhienov” in Kazanlak (south Bulgaria) received at an official ceremony today a certificate for dual education under the Swiss model “studying through working”, part of the DOMINO Project. This DOMINO certificate complements their diplomas from the high school and the document of professional qualification for machine technicians – CNC machines.
This is the first class in Bulgaria that graduates school under the Bulgarian-Swiss project DOMINO (Dual Education for Modern Requirements and Needs of the Society), funded under the Bulgarian-Swiss Cooperation Program. Vocational School “Ivan Hadzhienov” is one of the two schools that in 2015 started dual education under the DOMINO Project.
Dual education is the key to the economic development and the low rates of the youth unemployment in Switzerland. “You have paved the road of a new model of education in Bulgaria, which will be introduced in more and more schools”, said Roland Python, Director of the Swiss Contribution Office in his address to the students, their teachers and parents. “This success will be not possible without a shared vision by the business. The cooperation between the business and the school is extremely important for the success of the dual system of education”.
The students received congratulations form the Minister of Education and Science Krassimir Valchev and Deputy Mayor Tsvetolina Tsvetkova.
“You know the way to our companies, welcome back to us”, said representatives of the companies-partners. 20 graduates had the opportunity to work in real work environment in three companies, guided by mentors, as well as to receive a salary. Nearly 90 % of them intend to start working full time in the companies, where they have gathered their experience. As of tomorrow several of them will sign their permanent contracts, a few plan to do both, working and studying at university.
The first dual education class graduates with very good marks, said Mariana Yordanova, Class Teacher. In total 125 student have dual education in the Vocational School “Ivan Hadzhienov” in two professional occupations: machine technicians – CNC machines and mechatronics. As of the new school year, four new classes of the Vocational School “Ivan Hadzhienov”will be organized under DOMINO, said School Principal Mariana Demireva.
Currently, 425 students in 16 vocational schools throughout the country have dual education on five professional occupations in partnership with 63 leading Bulgarian and foreign companies. 14 more schools and three new professions, as well as new companies will become part of DOMINO. Until 2019 the project will involve 1 200 students in 15 vocational schools, as well as ten occupations. The total budget of the project is 3, 530, 000 Swiss francs, of which 15 % is the co-financing from the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science.
