The new rules allow highly skilled information and communications technology (ICT) professionals who do not hold a formal higher education qualification, but possess a high level of knowledge, skills and competencies, to obtain an EU Blue Card, it was announced at a press conference on Wednesday.
Ivan Vidiš, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, said employers would be required to pay such workers a gross monthly salary of at least €3,024.
"That amount serves as a guarantee from the employer that the worker genuinely has the expertise the company needs," Vidiš said, adding that the measure had been developed in cooperation with Croatian employers and representatives of the IT sector.
A three-member Commission comprising representatives of the academic community, the Croatian Employers’ Association and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce will decide whether applicants meet the criteria. Its opinion will confirm that a candidate’s knowledge and skills are equivalent to the competencies normally acquired through higher education.
Vidiš stressed that the new rules and assessment procedure apply exclusively to IT professionals, while the EU Blue Card is also generally issued to doctors, other healthcare professionals, and electrical and civil engineers.
New provisions have also been introduced for recently graduated professionals seeking employment in Croatia. According to Vidiš, there are currently 1,116 such Blue Card holders, not only in the IT sector but also in healthcare. Most come from the Russian Federation, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
Amending Act on Regulated Professions and Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications
The Ministry of Labour also presented amendments to the Act on Regulated Professions and Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications, which align Croatian legislation with EU rules governing the education of general care nurses, pharmacists, veterinary surgeons and dentists.
"The current legislation already sets out the required content of their university and secondary education programmes. These amendments update the curricula with content that reflects advances in science and the introduction of new technologies into the system," said Zrinka Špoljarić, Acting Director of the Directorate for the Labour Market and Employment.
The proposed amendments entered public consultation today.