A new track for students focused on entering the workforce immediately after graduation will be introduced in Cypriot schools.

The Ministry of Education of Cyprus is launching a new educational track for high schools — 5β “Applied Training in Trade and Services.” The program is designed for students who plan to enter the labor market immediately after finishing school, rather than continuing academic studies.

The new track is being developed by the Department of Secondary General Education and will become part of the existing fifth profile (“Trade and Services”). The main goal of the initiative is to provide students with practical skills in demand in the modern economy, reduce early school leaving, and align education with real labor market needs.

According to the Deputy Director of the Department of Secondary Education at the Ministry of Education, Georgios Kutsidis, the 5β profile is aimed at:

• students not planning to enter university immediately after high school;
• students who want to acquire a practical profession;
• students with a migration background;
• while still allowing a pathway to higher education if graduates later decide to continue their studies.

The new track includes the development of 12 curricula — six each for the 2nd and 3rd years of high school — as well as teaching materials for six new subjects, including:

• office organization and management;
• applied informatics;
• marketing, sales, and entrepreneurship;
• basics of health protection;
• green transition and ecology;
• design and technology.

Classes will be taught by teachers of the relevant specialties — economists, biologists, IT and technology specialists.

The program includes two-week practical modules each academic year, directly linked to the labor market. The skills acquired will enable graduates to work, for example, as:

• assistants in logistics and warehouse management;
• sales and SMM assistants;
• assistants in tourism and ecological organizations;
• assistants in food production, beauty salons, and care centers;
• energy efficiency and renewable energy specialists.

The program development is expected to be completed by the end of March, and from September 2026 it will be launched in pilot mode in four high schools. Training for over 1,000 teachers involved in implementing the new track is also planned.