Training providers
The majority of state-maintained (basic and upper-secondary) general educational schools also offering adult education and training were governed by Klebelsberg Institution Maintenance Centre until 30 June 2015. However, the majority of those providing vocational training are now maintained by the Ministry for National Economy from July 2015. The main institutions of adult education without vocational qualification (primary schools and upper secondary grammar schools) are still governed by Klebelsberg Centre.
Based on the new government's strategy after 2018, the area of adult and vocational training is now within the responsibility of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology. The maintainer organized vocational schools in vocational training centres per county (2-3 centres each) with the consideration of the number of students, the structure of the vocation, the labour market and the geographical aspects. According to the VET Information System, there are 40 vocational centres in the country in 2021 with 537 schools in all. A school is a vocational institution, an organisational unit of the vocational training centre with legal personality. Vocational training centres can also organize and launch formal vocational education and non-formal vocational training as well as the preparation for a partial vocational qualification. They are constantly monitoring and responding to the needs of the labour market in the given region.
Based on the current regulations on VET, in a phasing-out system, the acquisition of vocations takes place in VET provided in the school-system. The Technicum includes the option of obtaining an upper secondary school leaving certificate and a technician qualification following a 5-year course (Hungarian Qualifications Framework (HuQF) level 5), the three-year vocational school (szakképző iskola) gives vocational qualification at the end of the training (HuQF level 4). For adults, the training time can be shortened by validating their prior knowledge and practice.
Technicum is the institution that lays the foundation of general knowledge, prepares students for the upper secondary school leaving examination and vocational examination and helps further higher education in specialisation and job finding. Technicums have the number of grades specified in the Register of Vocational Occupations (Szakmajegyzék). The vocational training activities of a vocational school include general knowledge and vocational education necessary for the acquisition of the given vocation.
From September 2020, the name ‘upper secondary vocational school’ (szakgimnázium) is referring to an educational institution providing five-year artistic, pedagogical and general competences training. It prepares students for upper secondary school leaving examination and obtaining a vocational qualification based on the Act on VET. Upper secondary vocational schools are in an exceptional situation, they fall under the authority of the Ministry of Human Capacities. This Ministry defines the trainings launched in the field of education, arts and culture in case of these institutions.
Besides public school-based education, several church-maintained and privately maintained schools offer school-based adult education.
A new type of vocational educational institution is the accredited examination centre, which means an examination centre operating as defined in the Act on VET. Only an accredited examination centre may organize a professional examination for the acquisition of a profession or a qualification examination that follows a vocational training. The accreditation of the examination centre is carried out by an accreditation body on the basis of the national standard for the conformity assessment of personal certification organisations published by the Hungarian Standards Institution. VET institutions qualify as accredited examination centres until 31 December 2025.
The maintainers of non-school based institutions (e.g.: churches, NGOs, companies) are free to decide on the profile of their schools and the range of programmes/courses they offer. From 1 September 2020, an adult education activity must be notified, so all the maintainers are obligated to file a notification application. From 1 September 2020, an adult training institution outside the school system cannot offer training leading to a recognised qualification, only preparation for a partial vocational qualification or specialized vocational training.
The amendment to the Adult Education Act created the possibility to use a training loan. From 2021, adults aged 18-55 can apply for a concessional loan and a student loan for an interest-free tuition fee. As of 1 April 2021, the Government has designated the Student Loan Centre as the organization providing training loans, the tasks of which are performed by the Student Loan Centre Ltd. The operation of the Student Loan Centre and the rules on training loans are regulated by Decree 1/2012 (I. 20.) on the student loan system; the provisions on training loan are effective of 1 April 2021.
The development of local equal opportunities programmes, monitoring of specific tasks of equal opportunities mentors became the responsibility of the Directorate-General for Social Affairs and Child Protection (321/2011. (XII.27.) Government Decree). The right to launch and organize trainings to help the employment of disadvantaged adults also belongs to the Directorate-General for Social Affairs and Child Protection.
The local-level responsibility in adult training is limited; it is mainly related to the obligatory training element of public work schemes, where the training participants are selected by municipalities.