Professional (Technical and Vocational) Education

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Published on Wednesday, 25 January 2012 13:13
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Professional (Technical and Vocational) Education as a component of the educational system of Ukraine is a training system for qualified workers and junior specialists (provided that the accreditation is properly done ).

Technical and vocational education is a complex of teaching and organizational arrangements aimed at helping people to acquire knowledge, abilities, and skills in their chosen vocational area.

The procedures, conditions and forms of technical and vocational education are stipulated by the Law of Ukraine on Professional (Technical and Vocational) Education.

Technical and vocational education is acquired in vocational educational institutions after basic secondary or complete general secondary education. However, students who, due to their health, family circumstances, or other valid reasons cannot acquire complete general secondary education at the same time with vocational studies, or who do not have basic secondary education, or persons who need social assistance and rehabilitation, can still acquire vocational qualifications in professions, the list of which is determined by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

The study modes can be full time, part-time, hybrid, extramural, distance learning, on the job training, and individual pace studies.

Students who have basic secondary education can acquire upper secondary education at a vocational education institution at the same time as acquiring a profession.

Types of technical and vocational educational institutions:

The academic year at technical and vocational institutions may not exceed 40 academic weeks. During the term of study, students are required to pass current, subject-oriented, intermediate, and final assessments. The forms and times of final assessments are determined by a study plan, and include:

Levels of technical and vocational education

Technical and vocational education has three levels that are reflected in respective qualification levels, specialization complexity levels, and educational levels. Each level has its theoretical and practical components, completion of which leads to Qualified Worker and Junior Specialist awards in accordance with their acquired professional knowledge, abilities, and skills.

There are three attestation levels of technical and vocational institutions according to the levels of offered technical and vocational education.

The technical and vocational programs are designed in a way to provide graduates with the opportunity to progress from first to second and third qualification levels. The qualification levels (together with classes, categories or groups of qualifications) are assigned to graduates of technical and vocational programs according to the State List of Professions for Training of Qualified Workers in Technical and Vocational Educational Institutions.

The first level. The first level of technical and vocational education leads to technologically elementary professions, that require simple actions and operations. It allows working with previously studied subjects, objects, performing specific actions and operations, and working under supervision.

The first level programs provide accelerated skills training for students of the technical and vocational schools of the first attestation level and may include individual or group training in manufacturing and service sector.

Educational institutions of the first attestation level may include:

Education at the first attestation level does not require basic or complete general secondary education for admission and is carried out according to curricula and training programs approved by the relevant local authorities.

The duration of studies is determined by programs and curricula but should not exceed one year.

Education at the first level ends with a qualification attestation (exam). Graduates who successfully pass the qualification attestation are awarded a qualification of skilled worker in an acquired profession of the corresponding class or category of a qualification and are issued a certificate of the approved format.

The second level. The second level of technical and vocational education leads to mastering professions of medium technological complexity in various branches of economy. The qualification allows to perform typical actions, production operations independently from memory or with the help of technological maps, instructions, drawings or other documentation, withing timeframes and according to quality requirements.

Training is carried out in professional educational institutions of the second attestation level and typically requires basic secondary education for entry.

Technical and vocational institutions of the second attestation level include:

Education at the second level is carried out according to state standards of technical and vocational education. Students can acquire complete (profile) general secondary education at the same time as obtaining a profession.

The duration of study:

Education at the second level ends with a qualification attestation (exams). Graduates who successfully pass the qualification attestation are awarded a skilled worker qualification with the corresponding category or class of qualification and are issued a diploma of the approved format.

The third level. The third level of technical and vocational education leads to complex qualifications and specialties with high use of scientific and technological knowledge in various branches of economy, which allows to independently perform complex operations and productions, design activity algorithms in unusual situations based on the knowledge gained and previously learned typical actions.

Training is carried out in the technical and vocational educational institutions of the third attestation level, that include:

Education at the third level is carried out according to the state standards. The duration of study should not exceed 2 years.

Training ends with a qualification attestation (exams). Graduates are awarded a skilled worker qualification in the acquired profession with the corresponding category or class of qualification and, if the course was properly accredited, the Junior Specialist diploma of the approved format.

Post-diploma education of qualified workers is carried out at technical and vocational educational institutions of all attestation levels according to relevant curricula and training programs and includes various forms of advanced training and retraining.

Curricula and training programs are developed by institutions based on the state standards and are approved by the local education management bodies in agreement with the customer.

The duration of study is determined by programs and curricula, but should not exceed one year.

The graduates of the post-diploma programs pass a qualification attestation and are awarded an education document of approved format.

Documents on technical and vocational education

Graduates of technical and vocational education institutions who are awarded a skilled worker qualification in an acquired profession with the corresponding category of qualification are issued a Skilled Worker Diploma.

Graduates who complete general secondary education are also issued the Certificate of Complete General Secondary Education.

Graduates of professional training courses, who successfully pass qualification attestation are issued

Certificates of Awarding or Advancing of a Worker Qualification.

Graduates of accredited higher professional programs, who are awarded the Junior Specialist qualification are issued the Junior Specialist diploma.

The technical and vocational education graduates with special educational needs, who successfully pass a qualification attestation (exams) are awarded skilled worker qualification in an acquired profession with the corresponding category and are issued the Certificates of Awarding of a Worker Qualification.

Historical profile:

Professional (Technical and Vocational) Education up to 2018

This information has been produced with the financial assistance of the Council of Europe. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the Council of Europe.