Vocational Secondary Education, meaning Vocational Schools, as the main aim has the
preparation of the staff for the labor market, and according to the vocational education
strategy and law on vocational education and training it offers even the possibility for its
application in the post secondary higher education and university education.
The duration of the vocational higher secondary education, as a part of the
pre-university education, is leveled in 3 levels. First level includes grades 10+11. This
level offers a basic qualification and enables the employment at the labor market as a semi
qualified worker. The second level, is a continuity of the first level, and includes grade
12 and offers employment at the labor market as a qualified worker. In these two first
levels a professional and competent staff can be created for a qualified work at the labor
market, but doesn’t guarantee the academic preparation for successful studies in university.
The reason is that to fulfill the needs of the labor market, the curricula of these schools
has 60% theory and only 40% professional practice. It doesn’t mean that they don’t have the
right for further advance in career. In order not to avoid vocational students from
education, in the strategy of vocational education in 2002 it is predicted a link between
vocational education and university education. As the result, the concept of the 13th grade
is drafted, which offers to the students two possibilities: 1)to get the vocational Matura
which opens the chance for university and 2)to get the third level of the qualification at
vocational education which provides better chances for employment and opens the doors for a
fourth level which leads to the qualification as a Technician.
Vocational Education Division of the Ministry of Education, Science and
Technology presents the administrative and vocational component of the higher secondary
education. The main responsibility of the division is to run all the administrative work,
like: planning and preparation of the regulations proposals for the vocational schools
functionality according to the Law on Secondary Education, Law on Vocational Education and
Training, identification of needs, school data collection and the proposals for different
measures for advancing the vocational education. It contacts, according to the requirements,
the governmental and non-governmental institutions, to investigate the needs of the labor
economy with the aim to link the vocational education with the needs of the Kosovo economy.
Also, in cooperation with the Curricula Developing Sector, it develops the educational
curricula in accordance with the vocational education different profiles. It also cooperates
even with the Legal Office, Inspection Office, Coordination Sector with Municipalities and
Information Unit.
High Professional Education
The students of professional schools are entitled to university studies. There has been a
need for creating a linking bridge between professional education and university education.
For this reason the concept of class 13 was established, which offers the students of
professional schools two options: receiving professional graduation that opens the doors to
different faculties or receiving the III level of professional qualifications that offers
better chances for employment and opens doors to education for IV level, which enables the
qualification for the title Technician. The latter is planned to be developed in the next
two years in Kosovo. The law on professional education provides that Kosovo is in need for
developing the post-secondary education such as colleges of applicative science, which would
open the doors to the successful students of professional education for better development
of their professional career.
Private institutions of high education decide on their own about the
conditions for students’ admission, procedures and fees and the manner of their application.
The citizens that want to get registered into these high private institutions should consult
with the Kosovo Accreditation Agency to get more information about the accreditation of
these institutions.