16 - Bulgaria - Educational/vocational guidance, education/employment links
Providing educational/vocational guidance is a relatively new sector within the higher education
system. The need to offer such services appeared with the separation of the system into degrees and
the establishment of the first degree as widely profiled, which made it necessary that students
themselves take a more active participation in planning their own educational and professional profile.
Transition into a highe degree and the need to make an informed choice of a master’s programme (the
ratio of bachelor’s:master’s progarmmes on offer is 1:6 or 7). This requires students to be
knowledgeable about labour market perspectives and their own capabilities to access it.
It took two years (2005 – 2006) to establish career centres within the network of higher schools (in 24
higher schools). Career consultants were trained and web pages for all these career centres were
created. The establishment of these centres represents an important step towards binding tertiary
education with employers’ needs. Career orientation offers information on the demand of specialist in
a particular region, in various enterprises, as well as information on the graduates according to their
specialisation. These centres offer career consultancy and support students’ internships and
professional practices. The first master’s programme on preparation of career consultants was created, which is expected to provide the necessary quality of activities performed at the higher
schools career centres.
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009