On December 1, 2025, NPG „Dimitar Talev“ in Gotse Delchev hosted a focus group meeting as part of the AI4VET project’s needs analysis (WP2). The 2-hour session brought together 12 participants representing the diverse stakeholders involved in vocational education and AI integration.
Participants
- 8 pedagogical specialists from NPG „Dimitar Talev“
- 2 parents of students at NPG „Dimitar Talev“
- 2 business representatives from manufacturing enterprises
Objective
The focus group aimed to identify common needs, differences in attitudes, and priority directions for action related to integrating AI into vocational schools in Bulgaria.
Key Findings
The discussion revealed that AI is perceived simultaneously as an opportunity for modernization and a challenge to traditional teaching models. The general emotional tone can be described as „cautious optimism“.
- Positive expectations: improved quality and practical orientation of training, better preparation for the digital labor market, individualized learning processes
- Main concerns: uncontrolled AI use, slowdown in students’ cognitive skills, and possible deepening of inequalities between schools
- Most sought-after competencies: basic AI and digital literacy, working with intelligent systems, data analysis and technological thinking, adaptability, understanding ethical aspects of technologies
Stakeholder Perspectives
Business representatives noted that AI is already influencing the skills demanded in the labor market and will be a key factor over the next 3-5 years. They emphasized the need for closer connection between curriculum content and real working processes.
Teachers identified the need for practically-oriented training, subject-specific AI modules, methodological support, and sharing best practices. The preferred approach combines basic digital preparation with advanced specializations.
Parents expressed the need for better awareness about AI, clear rules for its use by students, and more active communication with the school.
Conclusions
AI represents a significant opportunity for modernizing vocational education in Bulgaria. For this process to succeed, a balanced approach is needed that places people, the quality of training, and social responsibility at the center of digital transformation. The AI4VET project provides a stable foundation for developing policies, tools, and models that will support the sustainable integration of AI in the vocational education and training system.
Photos from the Focus Group
Report prepared by Svetla Tovirova.
The AI4VET project (2025-1-BG01-KA220-VET-000365938) is co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme.