Reference year 2026
Version 2026
Drafted based on Cedefop source and input from 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
1Scheme history
‘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).
In addition to work-based learning backed by school-company contracts, ‘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).
Dual VET was originally offered in sectors such as mechanical and electrical engineering where most learners were pronominally male. With the retail sector joining the dual system, more females entered dual VET.
2Beneficiaries
Age limits vary according to the VET programme under which Dual VET is offered
• ISCED 253: entry age 15+,completion 17+ or 18+
• ISCED 353: entry age 15-16, completion 18-19
• ISCED 354: entry age 15-16, completion 19-20
• ISCED 454: entry age 18-19, completion 20
Higher professional programmes do not set age limits.
Most Dual VET learners are enrolled in ISCED 354 programmes, that have entry age 15-16, and completion age 19-20 years.
As of 15 September 2025, there were 135 658 VET programme full-time learners, of which 12 382 learners in dual VET (9.1%).
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/sea…
Of those, 28% entered programmes offering a maturita school-leaving certificate only (ISCED 353), and 53% programmes offering both a maturita school-leaving certificate and a certificate of apprenticeship (ISCED 354). Only 17% are ISCED 353 learners in programmes offering a certificate of apprenticeship. The remaining 2% are learners in programmes of lower and higher qualification levels.
As a comparison, in 15 September of 2024, there were 11,327 learners in dual VET, and in 15 September 2021, according to the information system of the education ministry (RIS), there were 8 580 students in dual VET (7.06% of 121 470 VET school students).
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/sea…
3Qualifications
Apprenticeships can be organised in programmes at NQF/EQF levels 2, 3, 4, or 5. Since their introduction, the majority of apprenticeships are offered at EQF levels 3 and 4.
Cedefop’s NQF online tool presents information on the state of play of the NQF: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/nqfs-online-tool
• ISCED 354: 4-year (occasionally 5-year) programmes (58 in total) with extended practical training, leading to a maturita school leaving certificate, and a certificate of apprenticeship;
• ISCED 353: 3-year (occasionally 4-year) programmes (106 in total) leading to a certificate of apprenticeship;
• ISCED 253: 2- or 3-year programmes (16 in total) for low achievers without completed lower secondary education, potentially leading to a certificate of apprenticeship and the attainment of lower secondary education (ISCED 244);
• ISCED 454: 2-year qualifying programmes leading to a second VET qualification certified by a maturita and sometimes, a certificate of apprenticeship (16 including refresher programmes);
• ISCED 554: 3-year higher professional programmes
‘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.
The type of qualification depends on the programme for which the apprenticeship is organised. In the most frequently chosen apprenticeship pathways (ISCED 353, ISCED 354), a combination of qualifications is possible: maturita certificate and certificate of apprenticeship.
For ISCED 353/EQF3: The certificate of apprenticeship (výučný list) attests that graduates are qualified to work in the respective occupation, while the school-leaving certificate (vysvedčenie o záverečnej skúške) is considered as attesting the level of education entitling graduates to progress to subsequent formal education programmes.
For ISCED 354/EQF4: These programmes lead to a VET qualification, certified by a maturita school leaving certificate (vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške), and to a certificate of apprenticeship (výučný list).
ISCED 354 programmes lead to a VET qualification, certified by a maturita school leaving certificate (vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške), and to a certificate of apprenticeship (výučný list), provided that they include extended practice-oriented training (odborný výcvik).
ISCED 454 follow-up programmes are designed for graduates of ISCED 353 upper secondary VET programmes (učebný odbor) who originally received a certificate of apprenticeship and wanted to deepen their theoretical studies in order to increase their employability and/or to open the option to apply for higher education.
Alternative to higher education, Dual VET graduates can enter the labour market or continue their studies in specialising programmes or higher professional programmes.
Duration of apprenticeships depend on the duration of the corresponding VET programme, which can vary between 2 and 4 years (occasionally 5), depending on the education level:
• 4-year (occasionally 5-year) programmes (58 in total) 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) leading to a certificate of apprenticeship;
• 2- or 3-year programmes (16 in total) for low achievers without completed lower secondary education, potentially leading to a certificate of apprenticeship and the attainment of lower secondary education (ISCED 244);
• 2-year qualifying programmes leading to a second VET qualification certified by a maturita and sometimes, a certificate of apprenticeship (16 including refresher programmes);
For the fields of study foreseeing/requiring apprenticeships, official basic guidelines on apprenticeships for schools are provided within the Framework Educational Programmes (FEP) - national curricular documents.
An FEP includes definitions of the educational programmes and specific conditions/requirements for every single educational programme.
Such specific conditions also include the number of hours needed to be spent in apprenticeships as well which activities qualify for apprenticeships and which do not.
4Governance
The National VET Council is a coordinating body with advisory role, affiliated to the government that discusses VET policy, such as regional and sectoral strategies. 19 working groups covering selected study fields support adjustments in VET programmes, better matching them to labour market needs.
The Employer Council for Vocational Education and Training (as of 2021 VET Act, formerly Employer Council for Dual VET) includes sectoral assignees involved in dual VET, coordinating their activities, and having a strong role in labour market relevance and quality of apprenticeships.
The State Institute of Vocational Education (ŠIOV) and the Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information (CVTI SR) monitor apprenticeship programmes to ensure adherence to national standards.
Since 2015, chambers and employer representatives have contributed to developing curricula for dual VET. From 2019, the same curriculum documents apply for school-based and dual VET.
Sectoral assignees are institutions of the world of work selected from chambers and employers’ associations that represent employers’ interests in each VET study field as professional counterparts to education authorities and experts. Sectoral assignees play a prominent role in adjusting VET to labour market needs and in assuring its quality. The Employer Council for Dual VET encompasses sectoral assignees involved in dual VET, coordinating their activities. It was renamed Employer Council for Vocational Education and Training, based on the amendment of the Act on VET adopted by the parliament in October 2021.
VET schools must submit their educational programmes (autonomously elaborated school curricula reflecting and adjusting national curricula to local/regional needs) to sectoral assignees, unless they were devised in cooperation with companies participating in dual VET or discussed with companies offering practical training within the mixed scheme.
Moreover, the Sector Councils Alliance (SCA) ensures and coordinates the creation and updating of the National System of Occupations and the National Qualifications System. It establishes sectoral (skills) councils for various sectors of the economy, ensures their activity, and evaluates their functionality and efficiency. The sectoral councils update the requirements for knowledge, skills and competences necessary for work activities in jobs on the labour market and create prerequisites for their transfer to the lifelong learning system, predominantly via a revision of qualification cards of professional qualifications.
Trade unions are members of the Sector Council Alliance.
Stronger engagement of employer representatives is supported by strengthened responsibilities of SCA and its sectoral councils towards adult education and initial VET introduced by the Act on adult education and the 2025 amendment of the Act on VET.
Employer and employee representatives are members of the county authorisation committees that also have the responsibility in relation to accrediting companies that participate in Dual VET.
There is also strong engagement of sectoral assignees in dual VET in assessment and certification of companies offering practical training and in training of in-company trainers (instructors). The 2021 amendment to the Act on VET allows for the annual financing of the activities of respective sectoral assignees.
Currently, sectoral assignees focus primarily on input and process, such as on certifying company premises established for provision of practical training within dual VET, certifying instructors and head instructors responsible for practical training within dual VET, and awarding/withdrawing a title VET centre to outstanding VET schools according to their criteria.
They assist the State School Inspectorate, in quality checking of practice-oriented training provided by companies within dual VET, and schools in quality checking within final examinations. They are, however, not assigned the ultimate responsibility for quality assurance in practical training and achieving qualification standards by individual learners.
Sectoral assignees also offer ‘instructor training’ to in-company trainers, within 1 year of their first appointment.
Regional VET councils are composed of representatives of State, self-government, employers and employees. They are advisory bodies to the heads of the eight self-governing regions; they prepare regional VET policy documents, discuss number of places to be offered in respective schools and programmes, etc.
The school board (rada školy) is usually composed of 11 members representing school staff, parents, school establisher, students, and, if requested, also sectoral assignees.
A new VET governance architecture was created in 2009 and revised in 2015, 2018 and 2022. It consists of the following coordinating and advisory bodies:
• the National VET Council as the coordinating body affiliated to the government that discusses VET policy, such as regional and sectoral strategies (See above)
• the Sector Councils Alliance (SCA) (See above);
• sectoral assignees (see above);
• expert groups and ad hoc working groups affiliated to the State Institute of Vocational Education covering respective fields of study focus on diverse curriculum issues and conditions of provision of VET (material, spatial and equipment-related requirements).
The education ministry shifted the responsibility towards the creation of qualification standards, accreditation of educational programmes for adults, and validation of non-formal and informal learning to the Sector Councils Alliance. The influence of employer representatives on shaping VET has increased substantially.
The 2021 amendment to the Act on VET allows for the annual financing of the activities of respective sectoral assignees. Their involvement was expanded to cover all secondary VET, following the renaming of the Employer Council for Dual VET to Employer Council for VET. This enabled replacement of activities initially conducted by expert groups of the State Institute of Vocational Education by expert groups under the control of employers.
The State School Inspectorate is a main stakeholder that checks VET quality.
The National Institute of Education and Youth is responsible for developing national testing instruments and implementing national and international testing
As part of its regular forecasts of labour market developments, the Ministry of Labour publishes on website once a year, information on the employment of secondary school graduates in labour market by individual regions, secondary schools, fields of study and apprenticeships trade unions and the employment performed.
The Ministry of Education, prepares at least once every three years:
a) a list of fields of study and apprenticeships with an insufficient number of graduates for labour market needs;
b) a list of fields of study and apprenticeships that are beyond the scope of labour market needs.
VET at lower, upper and post-secondary levels is delivered by secondary VET schools (SOŠ, stredná odborná škola). VET schools, similarly to general education schools, are highly regulated through legislation and detailed curricula, although they are legal entities and are also obliged to adjust their curricula within the limits set by the national curricula. Most VET schools are public.
In 2022, there were 427 VET schools, out of which 81 private and 20 church-affiliated. The remaining schools are established by self-governing regions, with a few exemptions established by the State.
In VET, there are:
• general subject teachers;
• vocational subject teachers;
• trainers in school (nationally referred to as ‘masters of practical training’);
• in-company trainers (nationally referred to as ‘instructors’); from 2018, head instructors can also be employed by companies);
•
General and vocational subject teachers are university graduates. Graduates from non-pedagogical programmes also need to complete pedagogical studies to obtain a full VET teacher qualification.
General subject teachers are trained and fully qualified for the general education stream. They are adjusted to VET learner needs within their continuing professional development and in-service training.
The Act on Pedagogical and Professional Staff (138/2019) tries to ease access to the teaching professions, to attract more people from business and industry to teaching, and to make it easier to change subject areas/positions of teachers in service. Specialists in occupation-oriented areas are not required to comply with qualification requirements in pedagogy, provided they
• teach, at most, 10 hours per week or a maximum of 90 days during the school year; ensuring/assessing their teaching competences is the school director’s task;
• teach vocational subjects during the maximum of 6 months within one school year;
Responsibility for teachers’ continuing professional development (CPD) is with school directors and is based on annual plans. Provision of in-service training is very sensitive to European sources. Traditionally, most of the training was provided by the Methodological-Pedagogical Centre, now the National Institute of Education and Youth after merging several organisations; much of it focuses on pedagogy and general issues. There is a lack of training aimed at innovations and changes in the business world. Although it is not their responsibility, professional and employer organisations also provide CPD for teachers. Some offer places in courses for business and industry professionals for reduced fees or for free.
The Act on Pedagogical and Professional Staff (317/2009) specified four career levels of teachers/trainers: beginner, independent teacher and attested teacher (first and second (advanced) level attestation); it also defined the professional standards of each level and introduced credits in continuing training.
For more detailed information, you can also see Cedefop’s activities on VET teachers and trainers: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/themes/vet-youth-teachers-trainers
The State School Inspectorate is a main stakeholder that checks VET quality. It is an independent State administration body. Its evaluation work is based on annual plans and results in yearly reports presented to the Parliament.
According to the Act on school administration (321/2025), directors are responsible for assuring the quality of education in their schools.
The National Institute of Education and Youth is responsible for developing national testing instruments and implementing national and international testing. It details results and suggests improvements. It is responsible for monitoring and assessing education quality, as stipulated by the Education Act (245/2008). The institute develops, on an annual basis, tests in mathematics and languages that are used in maturita school leaving exams in grammar schools and ISCED 354 programmes of VET schools.
Final responsibility for assessment and certification lies with schools concerning both theory and practice (ISCED 353 programme).
Sectoral assignees only assist the State School Inspectorate, in quality checking of practice-oriented training provided by companies within dual VET, and schools in quality checking within final examinations.
The State Institute of Vocational Education (ŠIOV) and the Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information (CVTI SR) monitor apprenticeship programmes to ensure adherence to national standards.
Quality assurance mechanisms include:
• Regular evaluations of training providers
• Student feedback surveys
• Audits of employer training practices
Assessment Criteria
• Clear contracts between employers and apprentices
• Relevance of training to the apprentice’s field of study
• Evaluation of learning outcomes based on practical and theoretical skills
• Compliance with workplace safety and labor regulations
To complete this programme, learners need to pass a final examination composed of a theoretical and a practical part. The final exam in the fields of education published on the website of the education ministry is carried out according to uniform assignments drawn up and approved by the relevant sectoral assignees.
As part of its regular forecasts of labour market developments, the Ministry of Labour publishes on website once a year, information on the employment of secondary school graduates in labour market by individual regions, secondary schools, fields of study and apprenticeships trade unions and the employment performed.
The Ministry of Education, prepares at least once every three years:
a) a list of fields of study and apprenticeships with an insufficient number of graduates for labour market needs;
b) a list of fields of study and apprenticeships that are beyond the scope of labour market needs.
A spending review published in November 2024, analysing school expenditures, indicates that graduates from dual VET are significantly less vulnerable to early leaving and have higher wages. However, it questioned the financial incentives supporting dual VET, arguing that while they were justified in the early phase of implementation, their continued necessity should be reassessed.
5Training at the workplace
Training in dual VET is offered by company instructors in specific company training premises. It can also be complemented by training in school workshops or other companies’ premises.
The form of alternance is not regulated.
The most preferred option is one week at school followed by one week at the workplace – it is considered as more manageable by companies and schools. But, there are other options in use (e.g. every week in both venues). The alternance can be also adapted to e.g. allow for preparation of matura exams.
Official basic guidelines on traineeships and apprenticeships for schools are contained within the Framework Educational Programme (FEP) - national curricular document. Not every field of study requires traineeships and apprenticeships.
The FEP includes definitions of the educational programmes and specific conditions/requirements for every single educational programme. Specific conditions also include the amount of hours needed to be spent in apprenticeships as well which activities qualify for apprenticeships and which do not.
Based on the state programmes, schools prepare their own school curricula, officially titled School educational programme (školský vzdelávací program) based on the respective State educational programme. School educational programmes must be discussed with sectoral assignees and representatives of companies offering practical training. For dual VET, companies offering practical training directly participate as co-authors of respective school educational programmes.
National authorities consider both State educational programmes (national curricula) and school educational programmes (school curricula) as learning-outcome based. Educational standards (in particular the component ‘performance standards’) in both national and school curricula are seen as prescribing learning outcomes.
General subjects represent 22.22% of study time in 3-year programmes and 18.56% in 4-year programmes: 11.62% and 9.47% of study time, respectively, are left for school decision.
State educational programmes (national curricula) reflect all key competences set by the European reference framework adjusted to this education level. National curricula address key competences, vocational competences and personal competences for the field of study (group of similar programmes) at this level.
Educational standards (composed of performance and content standards), universal for the field of study at this level and specific for each programme, are set in the national curricula and addressed in school curricula. The State School Inspectorate is responsible for assessing compliance of school curricula with national curricula.
To complete this programme, learners need to pass a final examination composed of:
• a theoretical part, within which knowledge of a topic drawn from at least 25 topics is assessed;
• a practical part, where the student's skills and abilities are assessed in a topic drawn from up to 15 topics.
Topics for the theoretical part of the final exam are elaborated by teachers of vocational subjects in cooperation with trainers.
Topics for the practical part of the final exam are elaborated by trainers in cooperation with the teachers of vocational subjects and employers. The final exam in the fields of education published on the website of the education ministry is carried out according to uniform assignments drawn up and approved by the relevant sectoral assignees.
Framework education programmes include specific conditions also include the amount of hours needed to be spent in apprenticeships as well which activities qualify for apprenticeships and which do not.
The contract signed by the company and the apprentice includes references on the organisation of studies, including a timetable for practical training in accordance with the with the established organization of education and training in secondary schools.
Professional or employer organisations are legally responsible for assessing the fulfilment of the conditions for the provision of practical training at the company’s premises.
Currently, sectoral assignees focus primarily on input and process, such as on certifying company premises established for provision of practical training within dual VET, certifying instructors and head instructors responsible for practical training within dual VET, and awarding/withdrawing a title VET centre to outstanding VET schools according to their criteria.
The certification procedure includes an assessment of capacity conditions by setting the maximum number of learners per day.
In-company trainers are not considered pedagogical staff. Since the introduction of dual VET in 2015, in-company trainers (instructors and head instructors) are required to:
•
• have at least a certificate of apprenticeship in the respective study field;
• have 3-year experience (5 years in the case of a head instructor) as a fully qualified worker in the respective occupation;
• have completed an ‘instructor training’ offered by sectoral assignees within 1 year of their first appointment.
From 2021, head instructors with eight years of experience and instructors with 5 years of experience qualify for these positions without the required qualification if they have obtained a certificate of ‘verifying their professional competence’ under the Lifelong Learning Act (568/2009).
The Act on adult education (292/2024), adopted on 30 October 2024, introduced the possibility of acquiring the so-called professional qualification ‘Master’ that can be acquired by assessment of a relevant competence portfolio, thereby easing access to the training position of instructor for experienced practitioners. No similar measure has been introduced for trainers or teachers in VET schools.
The Act on Pedagogical and Professional Staff (317/2009) specified four career levels of teachers/trainers: beginner, independent teacher and attested teacher (first and second (advanced) level attestation); it also defined the professional standards of each level and introduced credits in continuing training.
Employers failing to meet quality benchmarks risk losing public funding, tax benefits, or grants allocated for apprenticeship programs.
Companies with repeated non-compliance may be excluded from participation in future apprenticeship initiatives.
https://national-policies.eacea.ec.europa.eu/youthwiki/chapters/slovaki…
6Contract and compensation
Learners are considered VET students and not employees.
Companies can sign individual training contracts with learners for in-company practical training, complemented by an institutional contract between secondary VET schools and companies.
Apprenticeship contract
The employer, pupil's legal representative and pupil or employer and adult pupil discuss the requisites of the apprenticeship contract and the conditions for the performance of practical teaching in the dual education. If the pupil's employer and legal guardian or employer and the adult pupil agrees, concludes an apprenticeship contract.
The apprenticeship contract contains
a) identification data of the employer,
b) name, surname and date of birth of the pupil's legal guardian if the pupil is a minor,
c) name, surname and date of birth of the pupil,
d) identification data of the pupil's secondary vocational school,
e) the employer's commitment to prepare the pupil for a profession, a group of occupations or for the performance of professional activities in the dual education system,
f) commitment of the pupil to participate in practical training directly with the employer according to their specific needs and requirements;
g) the field of study or apprenticeship in which the pupil will be prepared,
h) a form of practical teaching,
i) the place where practical training is carried out and its scope,
j) organisation of studies, including a timetable for practical training in accordance with the with the established organization of education and training in secondary schools,
k) material security of the pupil,
l) financial security of the pupil,
m) the manner of ensuring the mutual rights and obligations of the contracting parties,
n) the level of assessment of the pupil, if required by the employer,
o) the method of termination of the contractual relationship,
p) date and signatures of the parties.
https://www.slov-lex.sk/ezbierky/pravne-predpisy/SK/ZZ/2015/61/?ucinnos…
Companies can sign individual training contracts with learners for in-company practical training, complemented by an institutional contract between secondary VET schools and companies.
Although this is simply an agreement (learning contract) and not an employment contract, it foresees extensive social protection coverage, including years counting for pension.
Apprentices receive wage (taxable income) for their productive work (not all part of workplace learning is considered productive work).
For the remaining time, they receive a stipend (stypendium), i.e. non-taxable allowance, partly paid by the employer.
The remuneration for learners for productive work is equal to at least 50% of a minimum wage.
The quality of the student’s work and the student’s conduct are also taken into account in determining the amount.
In occupations with a shortage of graduates on the labour market, students receive incentive scholarships of 65 %, 45 % or 25 % of the minimum subsistence amount, depending on their school results.
7Financing and incentives
For their productive work, employers pay apprentices a wage (taxable like the normal employee).
Outside productive work time, a stipend (non-taxable) is paid, partly by the employer (stipendium, tax free).
Employers pay wages to apprentices.
Initial VET is subsidised from the State budget.
Since 2015, the new Act on VET (61/2015) and its 2018 amendment have introduced corporate tax reliefs and additional stimuli for enterprises involved in dual VET:
• a tax exemption for certified companies that train VET learners;
• companies also receive a ‘tax bonus’ of EUR 1 600 or 3 200 for each learner, depending on the hours (200 or 400) of training provided per year;
• the remuneration for learners for productive work is equal to at least 50% of a minimum wage and exempted from levies up to 100% of a minimum wage;
• companies that offer 200 to 400 hours of training per year will receive a direct per capita payment of EUR 300, and those offering more than 400 hours will receive EUR 700. SMEs qualify for EUR 1 000.
In 2025, 1 346 companies, of which 1 171 were SMEs, received a total EUR 9.6 million to cover part of costs of dual VET for 11 360 learners. In total, 6 197 learners were contracted by SMEs and 5 163 by large companies.
The 2025 amendment of the Act on VET changed the way of per capita payment to make it less sensitive to inflation:
• SMEs – 1.2 times the minimum monthly wage, which in 2026 represented EUR 1 098;
• Companies offering over 395 hours of training per school year – 1.0 times the minimum monthly wage, which in 2026 represented EUR 915;
• Companies offering 198 to 395 hours of training per school year – 0.5 times the minimum monthly wage, which in 2026 represented EUR 457.50.
There are campaigns frequently run by sectors and employer associations.
Platforms like Praxuj.sk and Growni, serve as information hubs, sharing details about traineeships and apprenticeships both in Slovakia and abroad.
Other non-financial incentives are also in place, simplifying administrative procedures or expanding the period for entering dual VET. Amendment of the VET Act (2025) intends to reduce administrative burden for small companies to increase their participation in Dual VET.
Sectoral assignees offer introductory training to in-company trainers, up to one year after their initial appointment.
The wage is paid only for productive work.
The following incentives for learners are in place:
• performance-based state-funded motivation scholarships for learners in programmes related to occupations that are in high demand on the labour market. These equal 25%, 45% and 65% of the national subsistence minimum, depending on their school performance;
• company scholarships amounting up to four times the national subsistence minimum;
• State scholarships for socially disadvantaged learners to support completion of secondary VET in a volume sensitive to the average learner grades;
• pregnancy scholarship: this came into force from 1 April 2021 for learners aged 18 and more from the 13th week of pregnancy to cover additional costs of living and to prevent dropping out from education. Currently, it is EUR 200 monthly and is subject to change.
Company stipendum can cover to cover costs like equipment, clothes, other expenses etc 700-1000 EUROS ).
According to the Education Act (245/2008), guidance and counselling in the education sector is provided by:
• centres of counselling and prevention;
• specialised centres of counselling and prevention;
• individuals directly employed in schools.
The services are provided by pedagogical or professional staff in respective working categories or working positions specified by the Act on Pedagogical and Professional Staff (138/2019), such as school psychologists, school special pedagogues, therapeutic pedagogues, social pedagogues, educational counsellors, career counsellors or coordinators of school support teams. They address learners at primary and secondary schools. Educational counsellors are as a rule regular teachers with specialisation gained through continuing training. They can offer information and some guidance, but not genuine counselling as they are not professional psychologists.
Career guidance for VET participants - School Act on education and training: It is provided mainly by educational counsellors (mandatory position for each VET school) and other (optional) professional staff (i.e. career counsellors, school psychologists, special and social pedagogues). They provide vocational guidance and career information to VET students in the form of individual and group sessions, arrangement of apprenticeships and visits to local employers, participation in study/job fairs. VET guidance professionals are supported in their work by the local centres of pedagogical and psychological counselling and prevention (diagnostics, career interventions) and local public employment offices (preventive guidance, vocational orientation, provision of labour market information).
The Act on adult education (292/2024) introduced the possibility to cover the costs of career guidance and counselling of persons aged 16+ by individual learning accounts.
The State Institute of Vocational Education coordinates projects related to guidance for young people in dual vocational system; In 2022, the State Vocational Education Institute (ŠIOV) created a network of contact centres in each of the 8 autonomous regions to promote learning opportunities within the dual education and two regional talent centres that provide pupils with more specialised career services (e.g. mapping of competencies and skills, career exploration activities, presentation on labour market trends and employment outlook).
A Market Guide portal provides information on vacancies, training courses, further education opportunities, occupational cards from the National Occupation Framework as well as videos and news from different professional sectors. A specific section of the portal is dedicated to pupils and students with the possibility to search for secondary and tertiary initial education opportunities. Study programmes are linked to the occupational cards presenting employment prospects at graduation.
Validation of non-formal and informal learning does not allow for receiving a certificate of apprenticeship. However, it allows for receiving a qualification certificate that is not equivalent to a certificate of apprenticeship, but it is an equivalent substitute for a specific reason: entitling to run a business requiring a certificate of apprenticeship.
For more information on guidance and validation arrangements in the country, you may visit Cedefop’ inventory of lifelong guidance systems and practices and Cedefop’s information hub on validation of non-formal and informal learning.