The government has set aside €1,915,447 to pay compulsory social and health insurance for students in dual training. The money covers January to September 2026, the Council of Ministers press office said.

The money is for 11th and 12th grade students who learn a trade while working at a company. They have an employment contract with the employer that trains them. Under the Vocational Education and Training Act, the state pays their insurance contributions in full.

The Council of Ministers said this supports business and encourages more employers to join dual training.

At the annual conference on the DOMINO 2 programme on 21 October, deputy education and science minister Dr Tanya Pancheva said: "Dual training is one of our most important priorities, which we support in different ways, and the main one is the DOMINO 2 programme," the ministry press office said.

DOMINO 2 runs under the Swiss-Bulgarian Cooperation Programme. It aims to develop and expand the dual system.