With the support of the Government and the business sector, several legislators reached an agreement to present a substitute text for the dual education project, which merges the proposal presented by the Executive Power and the one already processed in the legislative current.
According to Wagner Jiménez, from the National Liberation Party (PLN), the “merger” has the backing of legislators of the Citizen Action Party (PAC), Zoila Rosa Volio of the National Integration Party (PIN), and Erwen Masis, head of the fraction of the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC).
Some of the changes of this new text include hybrid scholarships because in article 27 a special scholarship fund is created by the National Apprenticeship Institute (INA), for which 1% should be allocated from the regular budget of this institution.
Others, would be financed with the contribution of medium and large companies. Jiménez informed that these amounts would be in accordance with the index established in the Ministry of Economy regarding the qualification of companies.
According to Jiménez, this agreement was reached with the business sector. The Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of the Private Business Sector (Uccaep) indicated on Thursday the importance of this bill, since it will help in the economic reactivation and youth employment.
With Dual Education we will allow companies and educational institutions in the country to have an agile regulatory framework to train students simultaneously in schools and in companies,”
said the sector.
Another change has to do with the creation of an Advisory and Promoter Commission for Dual Technical Education, which will now be ascribed to the Ministry of Public Education (MEP) and will not have a budget.
As for the members, the government proposal of a representative of the union sector was eliminated and a student representative was added.
Within two weeks, the commission would meet to evaluate at least 46 motions submitted to the bill.