Six lyceums across Cyprus will pilot a new educational track this September: Direction 5b, "Applied Learning in Commerce and Services." The programme was developed by the Directorate of Secondary Education at the Ministry of Education, funded through the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP).
Where the pilot will run
The new track launches at:
- Idalio Lyceum
- Lanitio Lyceum
- Livadia Lyceum
- Lefkara Lyceum
- Paralimni Lyceum
- Archbishop Makarios III Lyceum A, Paphos
What the track is designed to do
Direction 5b is a new pathway within the existing fifth track (Commerce and Services), built around practical, work-ready skills rather than purely academic content. It targets professions for which no dedicated study programme currently exists in Cyprus's schools. Three groups of students are expected to benefit most: those planning to enter employment straight after lyceum, those who prefer a more hands-on style of learning in a subject that interests them, and students with a migrant background. Importantly, the track does not close the door to university study, which remains an option for students who choose it.
The programme falls under Milestone 239a of Reform C5.1R1 of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, carrying a budget of €189,400.
Twelve curricula, six new subjects
Preparing the track for classrooms required writing 12 new curricula, covering six subjects taught across both the second and third years of lyceum:
- Office Management and Organisation
- Applied Informatics
- Commerce, Marketing and Sales Techniques
- Life and Health Education
- Green Transition and Applied Biology
- Technology and Applied Skills
Subject selection was not arbitrary: it drew on labour-market research from the Human Resource Development Authority (HRDA), as well as two EU-level forecasting sources, Cedefop's Cyprus Skills Forecast 2025 and the EURES/European Labour Authority's Labour Shortages and Surpluses 2025 report, both of which flag professions facing shortages across the European Union.
The jobs the programme is built around
The new subjects connect directly to fields already showing high demand: commerce, services, transport, warehousing, sales and administrative support. Graduates of the track should leave school equipped for roles such as:
- Office management and administrative support
- Customer service, sales and commercial support
- Warehouse and inventory management
- Food sales and marketing
- Social media, multimedia and advertising assistance
- Automation management in commerce and office services
- Environmental management and compliance
- Technology equipment maintenance monitoring and procurement evaluation
- "Green office" roles focused on energy savings and renewable sources
These are broadly classified as mid-level qualification positions.
How the rollout has been prepared
Groundwork began well before the September launch. Since the 2025-2026 school year, first-year lyceum students have already been briefed on the new track by Counselling and Career Education teachers, and their subject preferences recorded, giving each school a clear picture of expected demand. The Ministry has described the rollout itself as gradual, with ongoing monitoring and room for corrective adjustments as the pilot progresses.
Alongside the six new subjects, the track includes targeted two-week activities each school year for second and third-year students, intended to link classroom learning more directly to the world of work.
Teacher training has also been under way. During 2025-2026, educators from all districts who will teach the new subjects, drawn from Economics/Commerce, Informatics, Health Education, Biology, and Design and Technology, were trained both online and in person in Nicosia and Limassol. Counselling and Career Education teachers received separate training on the programme's philosophy, structure and content, so they can guide students toward the track based on individual interests, skills and career goals.
The Ministry's rationale
Asked to explain the thinking behind the pilot, Giorgos Koutsidis, Deputy Director of Secondary Education at the Ministry of Education, said applied learning is expected to play a decisive role in equipping students with the skills specific careers require.
He said the approach is designed to strengthen students' employment prospects, ease their transition from school into the labour market, and help build a workforce capable of meeting the demands of a constantly changing economy.
