The State Educational Standards (SES) for acquiring professional qualifications are core regulatory documents in the Bulgarian Vocational Education and Training (VET) system that define the essential knowledge, skills and competences required to practise a profession included in the List of Professions for Vocational Education and Training (LPVET). SES are developed and periodically updated by the National Agency for Vocational Education and Training (NAVET) and approved by orders of the Minister of Education and Science, in coordination with relevant line ministries and administrative units, in accordance with the Vocational Education and Training Act.
Following the 2024 amendments to the Vocational Education and Training Act, significant updates in the regulatory framework further modernise the design and implementation of vocational standards. These include a newly organised List of Professions for VET (LPVET), introduction of flexible and modular learning pathways, enhanced validation of prior learning, and strengthening alignment with labour market needs and EU-level frameworks.
Purpose and Legal Basis
Under Art. 42, paragraph 3(b) of Vocational Education and Training Act, SES define mandatory professional competencies that are required for performing a profession and are binding for all licensed training providers authorised to deliver vocational education and training and issue Certificates of Vocational Qualification or Training upon successful completion.
Key Components of State Educational Standards
State Educational Standards by profession include comprehensive and modernised elements such as:
- Minimum entry-level qualification and education requirements for both learners and adult trainees.
- Updated professional activity descriptions, responsibilities, working conditions, tools and equipment.
- Competences aligned with European and national qualification frameworks (EQF/NQF) and labour market needs.
- Units of Learning Outcomes, specifying knowledge, skills, and competences in modular form for greater flexibility and adaptability
- Set of Units of Learning Outcomes for acquiring qualification in a part of a profession
- Requirements for theoretical and practical training facilities and training infrastructure.
- Trainer and assessor requirements, including professional and pedagogical competencies, with provisions for dual and blended delivery models.
- Assessment procedures and tools that support objective competence evaluation.
The state educational standards for acquiring professional qualifications provide the necessary information regarding:
• Individual career planning
• Developing curricula and syllabi
• Planning human resources development in enterprises
• Personnel selection and employment
• Personnel training and competences assessment
• Developing proposals for changes in the content of vocational training
More information
Bulgarian system for Validation of Non-formal and Informal Vocational Competences
