A total of 2,653 eighth-graders are in dual-training classes this school year, up 21% from 2,184 in 2025/2026, the Ministry of Education and Science press office said.
Vanya Tividosheva, head of the Vocational Education and Training directorate, reported the rise at the annual conference of DOMINO 2, a programme that develops dual training.
Deputy education minister Dr Tanya Pancheva opened the forum. She said dual training is among the most important areas, and DOMINO 2 is the main tool to support it.
"The Swiss model is extremely important for us because it stands out for strong business involvement, early youth employment and lasting partnerships between institutions," Pancheva said.
She said business and education should work more closely together, and industries should have a say when curricula are drawn up and when decisions on developing skills are made.
Switzerland's ambassador to Bulgaria, Pierre Hagmann, and Inanna Göbel-Bösch, head of the Swiss Cooperation Office, also attended the opening. Hagmann said dual education is one of the leading initiatives in the cooperation programme between the two countries. In his view, the partnership since 2015 shows what happens when schools, employers and state bodies work together: a system that prepares young people for the job market and gives business a skilled workforce.
The shared aim is more chances for young people to grow professionally and succeed, Göbel-Bösch said.
"DOMINO 2 – dual education for the modern requirements and needs of society" was launched in October 2025. Krasimir Valchev, then education minister, said he was convinced that more schools, employers and students would join dual training under it.
The programme builds on the results of the first project, this time with the biggest focus on active business involvement.
Experts, employer groups and vocational schools attended the conference. DOMINO 2 head Polina Zlatarska presented the main parts of the programme and the next steps for developing the system.
Prof. Ursula Renold of the CEMETS Global Foundation and ETH Zurich, an expert on education systems, spoke about the durability of the Swiss system and about the course content, which industry chambers oversee. Erik Swars of the Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education and Training (SFUVET) presented Switzerland's experience, the factors behind the model's success, and how its practices could be applied in Bulgaria.
Luc Lambert of the Le Repuis specialist vocational training centre stressed one-to-one support for young people as a route to work. Vasil Radoynovski of the Bulgarian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce pointed to the major role of employers.
DOMINO 2 is part of the Swiss-Bulgarian Cooperation Programme, which has a budget of 5.8m Swiss francs and will run from 2025 to 2029.