Baranya County: A Knowledge-Based Talent Pool for Investors

Baranya County offers favorable conditions for investment not only from a geographical and logistical standpoint, but also increasingly as a source of skilled labor. In the county, every level of education—from preschool through dual vocational training and university degrees all the way to adult education—is available locally and builds upon one another. This structure directly reduces labor-related risks and provides a predictable environment for any new investment.

A steady supply of new talent: the entire spectrum of the education system

According to the latest data, in the 2023–2024 school year, 11,040 preschoolers are enrolled in preschool programs in Baranya County, while 24,360 students are enrolled in full-time elementary school programs. This scale ensures a steady supply of young people for secondary and higher education, and ultimately for the labor market, even in the long term.

Secondary education is based on three pillars:

• High Schools: In the 2023–2024 school year, 6,846 students are enrolled in high schools in the county; they typically go on to higher education, providing a solid foundation for studies in engineering, computer science, economics, and healthcare.
• Technical schools / vocational high schools: 5,120 students are enrolled in technical colleges or vocational high schools in fields directly related to investor needs (mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, information technology, construction, trade and logistics, and tourism).
• Vocational schools and technical schools: 357 students are enrolled in full-time programs at vocational schools and skills development schools, while 2,129 students are enrolled in full-time programs at technical schools.

This segment provides a workforce with basic training or specialized professional skills and a practical focus—the group that a manufacturing or service company can rely on immediately.

Vocational training and the dual system: 6,500 students, 12 institutions, 7 municipalities

The Baranya County Vocational Training Center (BMSZC) forms the backbone of vocational training in the county, with nearly 6,500 students and 12 vocational training institutions across 7 towns in Baranya County. The center offers training in more than twenty occupational fields—including mechanical engineering, electronics, information technology, creative industries, healthcare, commerce, construction, woodworking and furniture making, law enforcement, sports, and more—for both students and adults.

An important factor for investors is that BMSZC schools accept students not only from Baranya County, but also from Tolna and Somogy counties, as well as from other parts of the country and from across the border. Thus, the potential employee base is defined not by narrow county borders, but by a regional catchment area.

Dual training is growing significantly in Baranya. The number of students with vocational training contracts at BMSZC institutions rose from 690 in the 2021/2022 academic year to 1,158 in the 2022/2023 academic year, while in adult education, it rose from 140 to 366. This clearly indicates that companies are increasingly viewing schools as a source of new talent and are willing to participate directly in training.

Certified Technician Training: Shorter Training Period, Higher Entry Level

The partnership between the University of Pécs (PTE) and the BMSZC has taken technician training to a new level. At the BM SZC Károly Zipernowsky Technical College, advanced, so-called certified technician training is offered in the fields of mechanical engineering, information technology and telecommunications, electronics and electrical engineering, as well as specialized machine and vehicle manufacturing.

For an investor, this offers three direct benefits:

1. Advanced practical skills already at the intermediate level—students work with state-of-the-art technologies.
2. Shorter training period – newly graduated technicians can be integrated into production or service operations more quickly.
3. An easy step up to the next level—if the company wants to build up its own pool of engineers and developers.

The county’s regional development program sets as a goal the creation of “a training structure that adapts flexibly to market needs.” This includes further expanding dual training, modernizing training workshops, strengthening IT training, and supporting flexible training formats tailored to corporate needs.

University of Pécs: Regional Center for Knowledge and Innovation

The University of Pécs, one of Hungary’s oldest and largest universities, is the most important institution of higher education in Baranya County. According to data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) for 2023/2024, 21,349 students are enrolled in higher education institutions affiliated with Baranya County, 16,970 of whom are full-time students.

The University of Pécs offers a wide range of programs:

• medical and health sciences (doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, physical therapists, diagnostic specialists),
• engineering and IT fields (mechanical and electrical engineers, civil engineers, computer scientists, industrial product and design engineers),
• business and management programs (economics, finance and accounting, logistics, tourism and hospitality),
• programs in law, the humanities, and the social sciences, teacher education,
• training programs in the arts and creative industries.

The university has a strong international presence: thousands of international students study in Pécs, a significant number of whom are enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine and in English- and German-language programs. This multicultural, multilingual environment is a particular advantage for multinational companies, as it provides access to a workforce that is comfortable working in international teams and speaking multiple languages.

Investments made in recent years—such as the new medical school building at the University of Pécs, the János Szentágothai Research Center, and laboratory upgrades at the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology—are specifically geared toward high-tech, R&D-intensive projects.

Sector-specific training: agriculture, healthcare, creative industries

Baranya County’s vocational and higher education offerings are well aligned with the county’s key economic sectors:

• Agriculture and Food
  Industry The schools of the Transdanubian Agricultural Training Center in Sellye, Villány, and Szentlőrinc train modern agricultural, food industry, viticulture and winemaking, and agricultural logistics professionals—providing a direct supply of talent for agricultural and winemaking investments in Baranya County.
• Healthcare and the Healthcare Industry
  The PTE Technical School of Health and Social Care, vocational schools, and the university’s Faculty of Health Sciences train nurses, medical assistants, physical therapists, and diagnostic and rehabilitation specialists—providing an ideal foundation for investments in the healthcare industry, medical tourism, and medical technology.
• Creative Industries and Tourism
  : Art, Design, and Creative Industry Programs in Pécs and the County (art high school, PTE Faculty of Arts, creative technical college programs) provide a strong pipeline of talent for the cultural and creative sectors, tourism, the events industry, and marketing and communications.

Adult education and retraining: a flexible response to investment

Following the 2019 vocational training reform, flexible, short-term training programs have become available to adults as well. Occupations listed in the National Classification of Occupations can be studied at vocational training institutions on a full-time basis up to the age of 25, thereafter through adult education, with prior learning credited, a reduced number of class hours, and—upon request—in a dual format, meaning that a significant portion of the training takes place at a business organization.

The county’s regional development program devotes a separate set of measures to the continuing education of workers who have left the school system, the skills development of those facing disadvantages in the labor market, and the development of non-formal learning spaces.

From an investor's perspective, this means that:

• In the case of a major investment, retraining for the necessary professional qualifications can be organized within a short period of time,
• The county—through its local governments, professional associations, and educational institutions—can respond in a targeted manner to specific, large-scale labor needs on a project-by-project basis.

Strategic Partnership: Local Government – University – Chamber of Commerce – Vocational Training

Baranya’s employment and economic development strategy is based on a deliberate “four-way partnership”:

• Baranya County Council,
• University of Pécs,
• Pécs-Baranya Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
• The Local Government of the City of Pécs and the county vocational training centers.

In practice, this network provides an investor-friendly service system:

• The Chamber and local governments assist with relocation through their investment promotion and economic development offices,
• The university supports knowledge-intensive projects through its R&D, innovation, and higher education capabilities,
• Vocational training centers and sector-specific vocational schools serve as a source of skilled workers for new plants, service centers, or development centers.

What does all this mean for a potential investor?

Baranya’s education and training ecosystem offers concrete, tangible benefits:

1. A broad and stable talent pool
• More than 11,000 preschoolers and 24,000 elementary school students provide the long-term demographic foundation.
• Thousands of high school students in academic high schools, technical high schools, and vocational schools—many of whom are enrolled in dual training programs.
2. A leading center for higher education
• There are more than 21,000 higher education students in the county, nearly 17,000 of whom are full-time students, with thousands of new graduates each year.
3. International, multilingual workforce
• Thousands of international students, medical and engineering programs taught in English and German, and a multicultural environment—the ideal setting for multinational companies.
4. A flexible training structure that can be tailored to corporate needs
• Dual vocational training and certified technician programs, corporate training workshops, and joint curriculum development with schools and universities.
5. Quick response to high staffing needs
• Retraining and adult education programs specifically designed for the economically inactive and those seeking a career change, with a short lead time.
6. Partnership in Strategic Planning
• The county’s development documents, local governments, the chamber of commerce, the university, and vocational training stakeholders are all working toward the same goal: aligning the training structure with the needs of economic stakeholders.

All of this means: