The dual education has been introduced in the Serbian high school system in 2017. It is a system in which the students spend a part of their time working in order to gain work experience.

The results of the high school dual education enticed the Government to implement the dual education system in the universities too. Ministry for Education has published the draft Act on Dual Education Model in Universities.

The said draft provides that the students should spend their time at work for at least 450 hours per year (around three months). However, since this activity is not considered as employment, the students/employer relationship shall not be governed by Serbian Labor Act. A new type of contract – the work and study agreement will be concluded between the student and the employer.

This agreement will define in detail the rights and obligations of both the student and the employer, including IP provisions, workplace security, remuneration etc.

The students will be entitled to a remuneration in the amount of at least 50% of the wage paid to an employee working on the same or similar job as student. The draft Act also stipulates that the remuneration can be paid by employer to the university as a tuition.

The employer will have to meet certain criteria regarding work space and equipment that are needed to fulfil the curriculum requirements for the student. Student will receive a certain number if credits i.e. ESPB points for his or her work with the employer.  The employer will also have to enter into agreement with the university. The registry of these contracts will be kept by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce.

Once the new legislation is enacted, it will create institutional possibilities for the students to gain real work experience during the studies and make them more competitive on the market after the completion of studies. It is also likely to be expected that the employers in certain industries will use this opportunity to scout for the best students and have them continue to work with them right after the studies.

The new system will also add a new and exciting chapter in the Serbian labor law practice, with the challenges for the law practitioners to combine the higher education and labor legislation when drafting the contracts between employer, universities and students.

This text is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. Should you require any additional information, feel free to contact us.

Contact:

Radovan Grbović , Partner
radovan.grbovic@sog.rs

Dušan Dinčić, Senior Associate
dusan.dincic@sog.rs