Czech state plans analyses to better align school programs with energy and industry trends

School programs in Czechia should in future be better aligned with developments in the country’s energy sector and other industries. In the autumn, the Ministry of Education (MŠMT) is preparing an analysis and data collection to support subsequent changes to secondary school programs. It is also preparing an amendment to education legislation that will enable professional programs to develop at universities. The ministry told the Czech News Agency (ČTK). Companies have also called in recent weeks for changes to the training of new experts, in connection with plans to build new nuclear units.

„In cooperation with employers and other key partners, MŠMT is preparing to change the structure of secondary school programs so that they better reflect the current needs of employers and the interests of applicants,“ ministry spokesperson Tereza Fojtová said.

During the autumn, the ministry will collect data and analyze the needs of key professions in the energy sector and other areas where significant investment is expected, such as semiconductor and chip manufacturing. Changes will also extend beyond technical fields; according to Fojtová, the ministry has already completed an analysis of healthcare workforce needs.

„There is no need to create entirely new fields of study and framework curricula. Instead, existing ones can be used effectively, updated, and schools and employers given room to adapt their existing school curricula,“ the spokesperson said, describing what any changes might look like.

The ministry is also preparing changes to education legislation to enable the creation of shorter vocational programs in post-secondary education, which are currently lacking in Czechia, and to support the development of professional programs at universities. „Under the Higher Education Act, universities have autonomy in delivering specific study programs. However, the aim is to provide them with financial incentives to respond to society’s needs and ensure sufficient capacity to train people for the professions society requires,“ Fojtová added.

Companies say changes to energy education need to get underway as soon as possible, especially in view of the planned construction of nuclear reactors at Dukovany. According to Josef Perlík, executive director of the Czech Energy Alliance, hundreds of new experts will be needed in mechanical engineering, construction, electrical engineering and other fields.

In July, the government decided to build two new nuclear reactors at Dukovany. They are to be built by South Korea’s KHNP, which won the tender, beating France’s EDF after the Czech government chose it over the French company. The first of the new Dukovany reactors is expected to be completed in 2036. At current prices, the cost of the currently preferred option to build two reactors is 400 billion korunas. Over the next three to five years, energy company ČEZ is also expected, under the government’s decision, to negotiate with the Koreans on an option to build two more units at Temelín.

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