Ministers, international experts and representatives from eighteen countries gathered in Zagreb for a two-day conference to review progress made in the reform of vocational education and training (VET) by countries seeking to join the EU. The event was organised by the European Training Foundation (ETF).
Speaking at a news conference in Zagreb, Croatian Science and Education Minister Dragan Primorac said that Croatia was planning to adjust the schooling system to market needs, in line with relevant EU documents.
According to a survey conducted by the ETF, 8.4 percent young Croatians aged between 18 and 24 drop out of school before finishing secondary education, which is lower than in the EU where the drop out percentage is above 10 percent.
In Croatia, 90.7 percent of 20-year-olds finish secondary school, which is higher than the European average. However, only 2.1 percent of them undergo further types of training as against 9.4 percent in Europe.
Croatia should also improve possibilities for employment, given that the current employment rate is 53.4 percent as against the European Union's 63.2 percent.