in-cyprus 16 January 2026 - by Evangelia Sizopoulou
The Ministry of Education will launch a new lyceum stream designed to equip students with practical skills for immediate entry into the labour market, particularly in sectors without existing study programmes.
The 5b stream, “Applied Learning in Commerce and Services”, is being developed by the Directorate of General Secondary Education and will integrate into the existing 5th stream (Commerce and Services) in lyceums.
The programme aims to provide experiential learning skills, reduce early school leaving and student stagnation at lyceum level, and align educational programmes with labour market needs, according to the ministry.
The initiative forms part of the Ministry of Education’s actions under Milestone 239α of Reform C5.1R1 of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, with a budget of €189,400.
Design work is expected to finish by the end of March, with a pilot launch in four lyceums from September 2026.
Giorgos Koutsidis, Deputy Director of General Secondary Education at the Ministry of Education, said the new stream targets students who may not continue to academic studies after lyceum and wish to enter the labour market immediately, as well as those seeking work-based learning in their area of interest and students with migration backgrounds. The programme maintains access to tertiary education for those who wish to pursue it.
The initiative includes writing 12 syllabi in total—six for B’ Lyceum and six for C’ Lyceum—and developing educational material for six new subjects.
The subjects cover Office Organisation and Management, IT Applications, Marketing–Sales Techniques–Entrepreneurship, Health Education, Green Transition, and Design and Technology.
Biology teachers will teach the Green Transition unit, whilst economics teachers will teach Office Organisation and Management and Marketing. Students can select the 5b stream in B’ Lyceum.
Koutsidis said the subjects were chosen because they offer practical knowledge and skills leading to high-demand jobs, including office administration and organisation staff, assistant warehouse workers, salespeople, social media assistants, staff in biological treatment plants, wastewater treatment facilities and waste management units, health and safety assistants, tourism unit administration assistants, food production laboratory assistants, aesthetics and care centre assistants, design and production assistants in craft units, energy saving advisers, renewable energy technicians, and automation advisers and technicians.
The programme includes targeted two-week activities per year for B’ and C’ Lyceum students, connecting education with labour market needs in the new subjects.
The ministry will also train over 1,000 teachers who will deliver the new subjects and activities, specifically those specialising in Economics/Business, IT, Health Education, Biology, and Design and Technology.
