High school enrollment for 2025 is over, and the results are shocking! Gymnasiums, medical schools, and electrical engineering tracks are the hottest picks this year, while trades and vocational schools are fading into oblivion. Yes, you read that right – trades that once supported the economy are now on the brink of collapse, and this year it took 2 to 3 points more to get into these programs than last year!
Deputy Minister of Education Anđelka Mirković explained that students performed better on the final exams this year, raising the admission threshold. Still, 12 students failed to enroll in the first round because they either didn’t take the final exam or didn’t fill out their preference lists. They will have a chance in the August enrollment period.
Milorad Antić, president of the forum of vocational secondary schools, warns that interest in trades is declining, which is catastrophic for the future economy. “If we want a strong economy, we need strong vocational schools!” he says. He points out that trades are now better paid and society is finally starting to respect craftsmen, but systemic promotion of these professions, especially in agriculture, is needed.
Interestingly, the aviation academy is hugely popular – seven students compete for one spot! Gymnasiums remain popular in big cities like Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, and Kragujevac, while medical schools, hospitality-tourism, and electrical engineering tracks are also top choices.
On the flip side, trades like bricklayers, carpenters, steel fixers, shoemakers, and butchers are dying out. “We won’t have shoemakers for several years!” warns Antić. Mechanical and agricultural professions are also losing students, which is bad news for the economy and rural areas.
This chaos in high school enrollment clearly shows that society and the system fail to motivate youth to choose trades that are vital for the economy. Instead, everyone chases gymnasiums and medicine, while trades slowly die. Will we soon be left without the masters who fix our homes, make our shoes, and feed us?
Got thoughts on this madness? Know someone who picked a trade and made it big? Drop a comment below. Let’s see who else thinks trades aren’t the past, but the future!
