Reference year 2026
Version 2026
Drafted by Andrej Hutta, Vice president, Association of Employers' Unions and Associations of the Slovak Republic and member of Cedefop's Community of apprenticeship experts for Slovakia
‘Dual’ VET providing work-based learning in companies based on contracts with individual learners was introduced in 2015 by the Act on VET (61/2015).
Amendments of the Act on VET followed in 2018, 2021, 2025.
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/sea…;
Apprenticeship: While the term "apprenticeship" is not explicitly used in Slovak legislation, vocational education and training (VET) programmes include structured, long-term training that combines periods of workplace learning with education in institutions.
The 2015 foresees dual VET as one of the three forms of VET delivery, combining in-company training and school-based learning, where learners (or their parents) have contracts with enterprises for training, while companies and schools have agreements for VET theory provision.
‘Dual VET’ has been offered since 2015. From 2018/19, school-based and dual VET follow the same national curricula, opening the door for all secondary programmes to be offered in either format.
Therefore, ‘Dual VET’ can be offered as part of the following IVET programmes:
• 4-year (occasionally 5-year) school-based programmes (150 in total; ISCED 354), mainly theory-focused leading to a maturita school leaving certificate confirming education level and VET qualifications;
• 4-year (occasionally 5-year) programmes (58 in total; ISCED 354) with extended practical training, leading to a maturita school leaving certificate, and a certificate of apprenticeship;
• 3-year (occasionally 4-year) programmes (106 in total; ISCED 353) leading to a certificate of apprenticeship;
• 2- or 3-year programmes (16 in total; ISCED 253) for low achievers without completed lower secondary education, potentially leading to a certificate of apprenticeship and the attainment of lower secondary education (ISCED 244).
Dual VET is an option in post-secondary non-tertiary VET programmes:
• 2-year qualifying programmes (ISCED 454) leading to a second VET qualification certified by a maturita and sometimes, a certificate of apprenticeship (16 including refresher programmes);
• 3-year higher professional programmes (ISCED 554)
In practice, VET programmes are provided at upper secondary level. Almost 80% of Dual VET learners are enrolled in one of the 4-year-long programmes at this level (ISCED 354, EQF4) (see also enrolment figures in the scheme fiche).
Cedefop’s VET in Europe database provides additional information on the national VET system and the position of apprenticeships within it: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/vet-in-europe/systems/
The Act on VET was amended in March 2015 (61/2015). Its main objectives were to introduce a dual VET scheme and tax incentives for enterprises to provide training. The reform entered into force in September 2015 and made available upper secondary VET delivery in three forms:
1. school-based programmes with practical training (mainly) in school workshops;
2. mixed scheme, with school-based learning along with in-company training within the framework of school-company agreements (contracts) based on previous legislation;
3. dual VET combining in-company training and school-based learning, where learners (or their parents) have contracts with enterprises for training, while companies and schools have agreements for VET theory provision.
As a result, not all VET programmes are offered as dual VET, and many learners benefit from work-based learning outside the dual form.