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On 19 December 2018, the Ministry of Finance presented a new policy action targeted at giving young people more room in choosing their education pathway or in changing pathways. Aspects of the initiative include:

1. a new subsidy and taximeter system: the current grant and taximeter system in youth education does not in itself motivate schools to focus on quality and has become too opaque. The government will therefore initiate a review to implement changes and simplify the system;
2. better...

A new version of the RPL tool, the My competence folder (Min kompetencemappe), was launched in 2017.

In 2017, a new initiative was launched by the Ministry of Children and Education: the Portfolio of educational choice. The portfolio aims to strengthen thinking on educational choice at primary school (folkeskole). From the 2017/18 school year, students in the eighth grade of compulsory education must have their training plan attached to a personal portfolio showing how they have taken advantage of the guidance they have received. It must be clear from the portfolio how, following the...

A new training agreement approach was set up in 2018. It foresees that practical training is included in all VET qualifications. Training at workplaces on practical work tasks can be apprenticeship training or training based on a training agreement. When applying for a training agreement, learners are not in an employment relationship (their status is that of a learner). Learners receive no salary and employers receive no training compensation. The details of the training agreement are...

Slovakia participates in Cedefop’s country reviews on Governance of EU skills anticipation and matching systems. The aim of the project is to improve the management and coordination of skills anticipation efforts, making existing skills anticipation initiatives more useful for policy, and better linking skills intelligence to education and training. Within this cooperation, an initial country report was commissioned and offered for comment to the education ministry in February 2018; it was...

The Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (public employment service) coordinates the national project Prognosis of labour market development, which is carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family. The complex electronic system developed by Trexima based on the interlinking of administrative data sources along with surveys tracks graduates from the time they graduate. It is thus possible to identify various aspects for specific groups...

A Regulation establishing a systemic approach to vocational/career guidance in schools was adopted in September 2018. The regulation defines the goals as well as the terms and manner of implementing and organising vocational guidance, including detailed programme content. According to the regulation, the basic goal of vocational/career guidance is to support students in making independent and responsible decisions concerning their educational and professional life, based on learning about...

The new act:

1. makes it mandatory for VET learners to take a State vocational examination or a journeyman's examination as a condition of school graduation; it also changes the form of exams, the process of preparing examination tasks and the requirements set for examiners;
2. introduces, in cooperation with employers, apprenticeship as a new form of vocational learning for learners in upper secondary VET and first stage sectoral programmes, who are not juvenile workers;
3. introduces new options...

Changes to VET examinations were introduced in November 2018 as part of the broader changes to Poland’s VET system. According to the Law of 22 November 2018, all students are required to take a State vocational examination or a journeyman's examination as a condition of school graduation (until now this has been optional). Changes were also introduced to the form of exams (e.g. theoretical part in an online form), the process of preparing examination tasks (e.g. possible participation of...

The Law of 22 November 2018 initiated an annual forecast of the demand for employees in VET occupations as a new tool to help shape the vocational education and training offer at the local and regional levels. Annual forecasts will start in 2019 and be published in an announcement by the education ministry. The forecast indicates which vocational education occupations are in demand in the labour market and national economy.

The forecast affects VET financing. From 2020, local governments will...

In January 2018, the Ministry of National Education established a vocational school heads council and regional coordinators for VET.

42 head teachers from vocational schools from all regions of the country, representing different sectors, were appointed to the council. The council is a consultative body supporting the ministry in the development of new initiatives and policies in VET (initiation of changes, consultations, participation in the development of regulations).

In each region, School...

In 2016, the education ministry commissioned the Educational Research Institute to implement an ESF co-financed project aimed at developing a system to trace the educational and professional trajectories of VET graduates. Three rounds of qualitative and quantitative surveys are planned until 2022, collecting data unavailable in public registers about, for example, learner needs and expectations, as well as information on the determinants of graduates’ decisions.

In 2016/17, interviews were...

The Law of 22 November 2018 further developed the accreditation system for institutions providing continuing education outside of schools aimed at greater quality control.

The key changes include the different scope of accreditation (which will be issued for a given educational activity instead of accreditation for all, or a majority of, activities of a given institution) and time-limited accreditation (five years instead of indefinite). Further, new requirements for institutions applying for...

In 2016, the education ministry started an ESF co-funded project to develop new vocational test items with employers’ support. The objective of the project was not just to develop the items but to strengthen the participation of employers in the examination process. In 2017, a call was published for employers/professionals to become developers of the examination tasks. Another call was aimed at the methodical training for the future developers of the examination tasks. The project finished...

The number of hours of initial training courses can range from 1 200 to 2 900 hours (corresponding to a period from one to two and a half years). The certification depends on the training course attended. Continuing training courses have a maximum duration of 400 hours, leading to a training certificate.

In 2015 and 2016, IEFP, in cooperation with the National Agency for Qualification and Vocational Education and Training (ANQEP) and rehabilitation organisations, consolidated the available...

The Youth pass was piloted from 2017 to November 2018. Its full-scale implementation started in 2019. An individual’s competences, skills and experiences may be accumulated, leading to a certificate as soon as a minimum of 25 hours of activities per year is reached. The Youth pass can also be used when applying for a job. More broadly, it is intended to promote learning in a diversity of contexts.

The Youth pass is a free of charge tool. Users can upgrade their profile. The competence...

Ordinance No 232/2016 consolidated the rules of RVCC, introduced Qualifica centres, described a simple process of creating and authorising them, strengthened the teams of professionals in these centres and expanded the network.

The RVCC process comprises two paths, education and professional, each based on a different set of standards:

1. the key competence standards (for education validation);
2. the professional competence standards (for professional validation).

The RVCC process also utilises a...

In 2017, Portuguese legislation introduced a National credit system for VET in line with ECVET principles, which was intended to support permeability between VET pathways and higher education, as well as mobility within Europe. A major priority is that the system supports adult qualifications. It applies to level 2, 4 and 5 qualifications of the national qualifications framework, QNQ (Quadro Nacional de Qualificações). It also applies to certified training programmes/courses, which are...

The legislation introduced in 2018 and amended in 2019, aims to promote inclusive education and enable schools to recognise and respond to learners' diversity, individual needs and capabilities. It established a flexible learning model, which addresses the unique needs of learners and targets the acquisition of common knowledge throughout their school paths, regardless of the specific education or training programme in which they are enrolled. This legislation offers learners opportunities...

In 2015, SANQ was set up under a coordination council that includes ANQEP, the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP), the Cohesion and Development Agency (AD&C) and social partners. It assesses the dynamics of the economy and the labour market, which influence the demand for skills in the short and medium term. It also gathers key information for lifelong guidance. The use of SANQ has been strengthened through the diversity of data analysed and the involvement of a...

In 2015, the National Agency for Qualification and VET (ANQEP) introduced a new methodology for designing qualifications based on learning outcomes. It applies to VET qualifications at levels 2, 4 and 5 of the NQF.

Since 2016, ANQEP has been organising and monitoring several training courses for coordinators and trainers from professional schools where qualifications will be developed according to this new methodology. It has also been carrying out training sessions for the different VET...

Since 2016, a national approach to improving quality assurance in VET and related work-based learning has been developed, using the EQAVET framework. VET providers have been aligning their quality assurance approaches to the EQAVET framework. Evaluation guidelines have been piloted in professional and public secondary schools offering VET programmes.

In December 2018, two guides were published by ANQEP: one for aligning quality assurance with the EQAVET framework and one for validation. The...

The National Office of Vocational Education and Training and Adult Learning (NOVETAL), which is also the quality assurance national reference point (QANRP), used Erasmus+ funding to set up a national EQAVET expert network to strengthen the culture of quality assurance in VET and to cooperate with QANRPs from other countries to share experiences in workshops and peer learning activities. The national EQAVET expert network consists of four to six members, including representatives of the...

On 11 December 2018, the Research and Higher Education Monitoring and Analysis Centre (MOSTA) published the second edition of the VET system review. The first edition, published in 2017, presented national and regional trends, as well as performance analyses of VET institutions. The 2018 edition takes stock of current policies, needs and present-day challenges in this area, analysing the demographic, social and economic context of VET, and issues with regard to financing, teacher training,...

In education authority VET, the education community can find and create structured teaching material ready to be downloaded and used by teachers and learners in Procomún, the Repository of open educational resources (OER) of the ministry, operated by the National Institute for Education Technologies and Teacher Training (INTEF). Another initiative is the Educational Technology Observatory, which provides a virtual library with articles for teachers written by teachers about how to use...

In December 2018, the Council of ministers approved EUR 8.6 million (three times the previous budget), jointly financed by the European Social Fund, for VET teacher training, upskilling and mobility. The distribution criteria, agreed by the Autonomous Communities, take into account the number of teachers and the number of secondary schools and / or baccalaureate centres and / or VET centres. CPD training provision for teachers also encompasses guidance practitioners.

The framework for VET...

During 2017, discussions in relation to access to the teaching professions took place at a sectoral conference on education and a revision of legislation was agreed. The Educate for the 21st century forum was held on 6 November in which challenges and proposals on the teaching profession developed by experts over the last few years were presented. Agreement was reached on the need to moderate the recruitment of temporary staff (a consequence of the economic crisis). Greater stability in...

The State Foundation for Training in Employment (Fundación Estatal para la Formación en el Empleo, Fundae) is testing big data techniques to improve skills anticipation and use them to design public training programmes in the short, medium and long term for the entire labour force.

A software tool is being developed to classify automatically the training actions (TTAA) that companies offer to their employees. To do this, automatic classification algorithms based on text mining are used to...

Reference guides developing the common employment services portfolio were approved and published in 2018. These reference guides, developed jointly with the regions, comprise protocols for:

1. career guidance;
2. qualification and training for employment;
3. self-employment and entrepreneurship;
4. guidance and labour intermediation.

The qualification and training for employment protocol aims to promote training for up-skilling and reskilling and to facilitate transition to employment, in coordination...

Vocational training for employment in the labour scope was last reformed in 2015. The reform aimed at an efficient system for monitoring and prospecting the labour market, based on coordination of all actors (administrations, social agents, experts). It also aimed at:

1. promoting the assessment of the impact of training (on accessing and maintaining employment);
2. enhancing enterprise competitiveness;
3. improving workers' skills;
4. meeting labour market needs;
5. ensuring efficient use of resources.

A...

Since September 2017, several collaboration agreements between the State Public Employment Service (Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal, SEPE), the education ministry, and 11 Autonomous Regions have been approved. The agreements allow for implementing work plans of 25 national reference centres (Centros de Referencia Nacional, CRNs), of the 52 planned. CRNs are public institutions specialised in the different professional branches, in charge of carrying out innovation and experimentation...

During the fourth quarter of 2018, the National Institute of Qualifications (INCUAL) carried out a review of the entire national catalogue of occupational standards. It aimed to set up a 2019 work plan that would accommodate the need for updating occupational standards and (where appropriate) designing new ones which could have greater significance or impact on employment.

The INCUAL is responsible for defining, updating and adapting the Spanish national catalogue of occupational standards...

In 2016, SOLAS and ETBI published a Strategy for technology-enhanced learning in further education and training 2016-19. The strategy examines ways of bringing technology into the further education and training sector to facilitate innovative teaching and learning practices. In 2017, the SOLAS corporate plan for 2017-19 outlined its goals, one of which is to support the Education and Training Boards in expanding delivery options, including the use of ICT and technology-enhanced learning to...

eCollege provides online courses, including computer programming, data science, office productivity and web and graphic design. In 2015, eCollege awarded two major four-year contracts worth EUR 7.5 million to Cenit college and Enovation solutions. Cenit college is responsible for the management of e-tutoring and related support services, while Enovation solutions handles monitoring and reporting services. This eCollege partnership is to ensure that online education and training is...

In line with the national skills strategy, SOLAS prepared a further education and training (FET) policy framework for the skills development of employed people. It addresses provision for the skills development of the employed at levels 1-6 on the national framework of qualifications (NFQ) (levels 1-5 on the EQF). This policy framework outlines how the FET sector can ensure that employees’ skills are current and relevant and thus contribute to Ireland’s future growth. Drawing up the...

The 2016-19 action plan for education includes the aim to develop a national policy on the recognition of prior learning (RPL) (objective 2.1, action No 44) by 2018. The 2025 National skills strategy that was published in 2016 has, among its objectives, the development of a system for RPL and better recognition of workplace learning in support of lifelong learning. In 2017, QQI published policies and criteria for validation in FET. RPL is also a part of the review of the national framework...

Established in 2003, the Irish national framework of qualifications (NFQ) is a 10-level, single national entity through which all learning achievements may be measured and related to each other. Underpinned by quality assurance principles, the Irish NFQ describes qualifications in the Irish education and training system and sets out what each qualification says about what learners know, understand and are able to do. It also sets out qualifications pathways from one NFQ level to the next.

In...

In early 2018, the education minister launched a review of the career guidance services available to learners across three of the four sectors of the Irish education and training system (second level schools, FET providers and tertiary level institutions). The review was carried out by independent consultants.

The Italian context has been characterised in recent years by reform processes aimed at building an Italian lifelong learning system and a national system of skills certification. The several acts adopted, including the inter-ministerial Decree of 30 June 2015 regarding the QNQR (National framework of regional qualifications) and the inter-ministerial Decree of 8 January 2018, defining the QNQ (the Italian national qualifications framework), in line with the European principles for the...

The Law 92/2012 on the reform of the labour market defines for the first time in Italy the validation of non-formal and informal learning, as one of the key elements to ensure and implement lifelong learning in a comprehensive and systematic manner, establishing rules and regulatory requirements (standards) concerning the characteristics of the system and the stakeholders involved, ensuring transparency, usability and broad accessibility of validation/certification services (IVC).

In recent...

In June 2015, an inter-ministerial Decree (signed by the education and labour ministries) introduced an operational framework for the recognition of regional qualifications and related skills competences at a national level (National framework of regional qualifications, QNQR). The agreement was endorsed by an inter-ministerial decree signed in June by the education and labour ministries. Mutual recognition of regional qualifications and standard procedures (including the issuing of final...

In 2013, the Legislative Decree No 13 article 8 sets up the National repertory of education and training and professional qualifications.

In 2014, the National Technical Committee was established and works for the development of the National repertory that is a comprehensive collection of national, regional and sectorial repertories existing and encoded by the entitling bodies. The entitling bodies are the qualification authorities: education ministry (for school and university...

A national strategy on lifelong learning has been defined, together with the implementation of legislative norms on the identification and validation of competences acquired in different contexts, through which the National system for the certification of competences has been launched. Since 2012, as a consequence of the Recommendation for validation of non-formal and informal learning (2012), a national legal framework on validation of competences has been progressively developed in...

In 2019, Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) introduced the Community social responsibility (CSR) programme. CSR is a programme aiming at providing all learners with the opportunity to enrich their studies with experiences that add value to their knowledge base. Learners participating in the MCAST CSR have the opportunity to enhance their educational experience, profile and CV during their study period at MCAST. A diverse range of opportunities is provided by MCAST, in...

A 2016 ESF co-funded project entitled Training for employment covers several initiatives (the work placement scheme, the work exposure scheme, the traineeship scheme, the training pay scheme, and the development of an occupational handbook) to facilitate access to employment through the development of skills and competences of the working-age population.

Through the work placement, work exposure and the traineeship schemes, employers, in partnership with Jobsplus, are provided with an...

In 2017, the Directorate for Research, Lifelong Learning and Employability (DRLLE) within the education ministry secured funding to coordinate the implementation of the Council Recommendation on Upskilling pathways. DRLLE is the focal point for the implementation of the Council Recommendation on Upskilling pathways in Malta.

Aspects covered include:

1. coordination of the lifelong learning steering committee and stakeholder working groups comprising representatives of MEDE directorates and...

In the school year 2015/16, the Prince’s Trust XL programme – from a UK-based charity founded in 1976 by the Prince of Wales – was introduced in lower and upper secondary schools in Malta. It aims to re-engage 13- to 16-year-olds at risk of exclusion or underachievement through informal learning to foster self-confidence.

The programme covers:

1. personal and social development;
2. life skills;
3. active citizenship;
4. preparation for work.

The programme leads to an award, certificate or diploma in...

The Malta National Lifelong learning strategy 2020 consolidated ideas and processes that were already taking shape in different organisations and institutions in Malta, such as to ensure a single, coherent location to guide actions in lifelong learning. This strategy is not a stand-alone document but interrelates with other important national documents published in the same period whose recommendations dovetail with those in this strategy. It also builds on the recommendations of...

In 2015, the National vocational education and training policy highlighted the need for training programmes for staff involved in validation, and for validation for learners with disability or learning difficulties. The Malta national lifelong learning strategy 2020, also adopted in 2015, set a target for having in place a transparent and sustainable system of validation. Reflection on a national plan for recognition of the skills and competences of the whole labour force by 2024 has been...

The 2015 National vocational education and training policy proposed measures to:

1. mainstream modular structures (as they allow for unit transfer) by 2017;
2. use ECVET for MQF/EQF levels 1 to 4 and ECTS for VET and academic qualifications at levels 5 to 8;
3. base validation processes and assessment on ECVET.

All courses at EQF/MQF levels 1 to 4, including part-time ones, are modular-based on units and follow ECVET recommendations. Similarly, courses at EQF/MQF levels 5 to 8 are modular-based and...

The National vocational and training policy mapped the VET sector in Malta and identified areas for future actions.

In 2016, the National Commission for Further and Higher Education (NCFHE) published the fourth revised edition of the referencing report that sets the parameters for all qualifications and awards that can be conferred in Malta. It reflects on the range of current reforms representing a move towards a more modular based concept as building blocks for qualifications. Such an approach is intended to allow for and promote lifelong learning for non-traditional learners. It calls for better...

The compulsory education system has reviewed all its curricula in terms of learning outcomes and will be introducing them as from the academic year 2019-20.

To enable learners to explore different vocational areas, MCAST launched in October 2016 the Skills kits programme, an introductory level programme at MQF/EQF level 1. The kits cover various vocational areas (such as art, hairdressing, beauty, basic web design, caring for others, animal care, sport, installation of low voltage devices, and cultures) as well as personal and employability skills. Each kit comprises 20 hours of instruction. Learners can choose the number of kits to study (up to...

In 2015/16, VET subjects at Malta qualifications framework (MQF) level 3 (EQF level 3) were introduced in compulsory education in all lower secondary schools: the compulsory secondary education system in Malta comprises students from age 11 to age 16 (lower secondary) and two years of upper secondary education. The introduction of vocational subjects in secondary schools opens up opportunities for more learners to progress to further and higher education. This is a result of the MyJourney:...

The board of directors restructured the executive management team of the PES under the direction of the chief executive officer. Six divisions replaced the existing three, so that Jobsplus operations and support services would be better managed.

The corporate planning division was re-dimensioned and became responsible for business planning and development, performance management, involvement of Jobsplus in activities of the European network of public employment services, people management and...

Since 2016 the National Centre for Education (VISC) has been developing sectoral qualifications frameworks as part of vocational education reform supported by a 2016-21 ESF project. The frameworks have been developed in cooperation with sectoral experts and correspond to national qualifications framework levels 2 to 7. The project includes the development of:

1. occupational standards;
2. vocational education content;
3. modular vocational education programmes;
4. teaching/learning aids;
5. assessment...

The national strategy to reduce early school leaving in Romania was adopted in June 2015. It is based on prevention, intervention and compensation in thematic/policy areas and addresses the following directions of action/pillars:

1. ensuring access to quality education for all children;
2. ensuring the completion of compulsory education by all children;
3. reintegration into the education system of people who left school early;
4. developing adequate institutional support.

The strategy targets children...

In-company trainer training may be offered by various parties, provided that it is recognised by the professional or employer organisations in charge (nationally referred to as sectoral assignees). In 2015, the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (the key player in this field) adopted its own regulation. In 2016, the Employer Council for Dual VET approved guidelines on training for trainers working with young people within the dual VET scheme. Guidelines for the training of those working...

According to the 2015 Act on VET, in-company trainers should have certificates that are equivalent to, or of a higher level than, certificates offered to learners by programmes they are involved in. These certificates must be in the same or similar field of study. In-company trainers must also have at least three-year experience as fully qualified workers in the respective occupation, and they need to complete a specific initial training programme. This training addresses: learners’ rights...

For a long time ESF projects have been crucial in promoting teachers’ in-service training regarding assisting disadvantaged learners, including Roma. In 2017, the implementation of the ESF ‘Open school for all’ project gave a new impulse to this effort. The project aims to further strengthen professional competences of teachers and teacher assistants in the provision of inclusive education to Roma within mainstream general education, an important prerequisite for provision of subsequent VET.

To familiarise VET teachers and trainers with dual VET, short credit-awarding courses were designed within the 2013-15 ESF project Development of secondary VET. The subsequent 2016-20 ESF project Dual education and increasing attractiveness and quality of VET also focuses on in-service training via three accredited programmes. The project aimed to train 600 members of pedagogical staff in curriculum issues, 200 directors of schools and other leading staff concerning the new role of schools...

The 2016 government manifesto also aimed at further changing the system of career development. It envisaged certification in line with professional standards for pedagogical staff and experts employed by regional schools. Implementation of the standards was a long-lasting and controversial process. The education ministry even hesitated to publish these standards. After some revisions these standards were finally published in 2017 despite doubts about their applicability. EUR 20 000 were...

The steps taken until 2018 focused on amending legislation and policy commitments for further continuing professional development (CPD) improvements. The newest and the most visible of such improvements is the abolition of the limited validity (seven years) of credits received within CPD. Staff can move from beginner to independent teacher status and then to attestation at first and second (advanced) level. Since the 2009 Pedagogical Staff Act, a wide range of in-service programmes/courses...

Pay rises were awarded in 2016 and 2017 (4% plus a further 6%). As the government claimed that highly qualified teachers were key to the delivery of its education and training agenda, it announced further increases – in its 2016 manifesto – averaging 6% per year from 2018 Yet, such a move was still considered insufficient by staff representatives as teacher salaries would remain lower than 70% of the average salary of professionals with higher education qualifications. The increase in...

The 2015 legislation amending the 2009 Pedagogical Staff Act made qualification requirements more flexible to attract (more) business and industry professionals to teaching and to facilitate changes of position or subject areas. Professionals teaching in occupation-oriented areas are not required to comply with qualification requirements in pedagogy provided they teach up to 10 hours per week (the responsibility for ensuring/assessing their teaching competences lies with school principals)....

Don’t BE disQUALIFIED (NedisKVALIFIKUJ SA!) is the motto of a 2016 call for projects launched by the education ministry, focusing on key competence development and enhancing/upgrading skills. Project topics include continuing VET. Applications exceeded by two times the available ESF co-funded budget of EUR 15 million. 144 projects have been in progress since 2018, but have been delayed due to administrative complications. In 2017, EUR 7 million were allocated to ESF projects focusing on the...

In 2017, the government updated and complemented the action plan of its strategy for integration of the Roma population. Financial inclusion was introduced as a priority. Financial literacy measures are supported by ESF-projects to prevent socially disadvantaged families from falling into excessive debts or becoming victims of usury. Putting stress on non-formal training is visible within social enterprises activities and training centres affiliated to social enterprises.

Since October 2017, the Green education fund (GEF), managed by the Slovak Environment Agency and financed from the State budget and private companies, has been active in supporting environmental education. EUR 155 000 were earmarked for 28 NGO-projects at national (11) and regional (17) level. Grants of EUR 10 000 and EUR 5 000, respectively, with 5% joint financing by beneficiaries, supports the provision of class-ready materials and supporting actions (competitions, games, outdoor...

In 2016/17, in response to signs of increasing intolerance in the European Union, secondary education national curricula were supplemented by a document for teachers and counselling staff on how to prevent racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and extremism.

A review of national curricula and textbooks concerning human rights and democratic citizenship education was initiated by the Government Council of the Slovak Republic for human rights, national minorities and gender equity as of 2016. The...

A new national standard for financial literacy was approved in 2017. It replaces the 2014 standard and includes entrepreneurship competence. It also addresses areas like planning, income and labour; consumer protection; counteracting corruption and fraud through consumer financial responsibility; consumer decisions and financial management; loans and debts; savings and investment; risk management and insurance. The revision was based on the 2016 thematic assessment of learner performance in...

In 2019, ESF-funded projects were launched aiming to improve learners’ literacy, mathematics and science competences. They were also carried out in VET schools. The projects enrich school curricula, improve learning environments and offer afternoon activities aiming to improve performance in respective competences via non-formal and informal learning. Although still at their initial stage, the initiatives are already very positively assessed by practitioners including the Slovak Chamber of...

In 2016, the education ministry submitted to the government a Strategy for enhancing the level and continuous development of reading literacy. The 2016/17 school year was declared ‘year of reading literacy’, accompanied by diverse activities, including competitions. The State School Inspectorate published a report on monitoring reading literacy in basic and secondary schools. A survey on a sample of 3 863 secondary learners was conducted in February 2017. Grammar school learners achieved...

Five-year action plans were launched in 2016 to address unemployment in the most vulnerable districts. Training centres and regional education centres, i.e. secondary VET schools, in originally 12 and gradually 20 districts (out of 79), identified as underdeveloped, were partially funded by ESIF.

The training centres are meant to provide practice-oriented training for the disadvantaged unemployed or low-qualified. The regional education centres are expected to address the specific needs of...

The development of the SKKR has been a lengthy process. It progressed in parallel to the wider reform of VET and involved various stakeholders. Work on the SKKR and the national qualifications register (NQR) has been closely related: the description of qualifications, in terms of standards, forms the content of the register; their levelling is the content of the SKKR. Together with representatives of the sectoral council and other stakeholders, 1 000 qualifications, including standards, had...

The so-called ‘shortened studies’ (ISCED 353) were put in place in 2015/16 in line with the Act on VET (61/2015). They target young people and adults who want to broaden or deepen their qualification or acquire another one to improve their employability. Based on the mainstream three-year programme, they focus on occupation-related areas and last either one or two years, depending on learners’ previous field of study. Two-year studies lead to a certificate of apprenticeship;...

The ESF project Dual education and increasing attractiveness and quality of VET launched in 2016 and run by the State Institute of Vocational Education (ŠIOV) aims at improving career guidance and counselling services for learners in VET and those who consider entering this field. As part of this project an orientation centre was piloted in Nitra, targeting lower secondary pupils, teachers and educational counsellors.

VET teachers and trainers were targeted by in-service training offered by...

The education ministry has started an international project (with a budget of EUR 350 000) aimed at elaborating a National skills strategy for the Slovak Republic, in cooperation with the OECD. A launch conference was held on 29 January 2019 and a final OECD report is expected by the end of March 2020.

An umbrella body, the Employer Council for dual VET, was set up in 2016 aiming to strengthen cooperation between respective sectoral assignees involved in dual VET. The Council is partially financed from the State budget. The most important responsibility of the Council is to coordinate processes related to the accreditation of training companies based on their compliance with the requirements set by the State concerning space, training equipment and materials. Involving employers allows...

On 27 June 2018, the government approved the National programme for the development of education (NPDE). The NPDE was adopted, with 106 measures to be fulfilled until 2027. Some measures related to regional schooling and higher education are relevant also to VET. Measures directly aiming to align VET to labour market are as follows:

1. increasing the quality of dual VET through the funding of professional and employer organisations involved; they will receive approximately EUR 1 million annually...

In September 2017, the education ministry published the Learning Slovakia strategy paper, following a public discussion on a draft version from March 2017. The VET-related chapter of this strategy paper for the first time in the official documents clearly defines and distinguishes between the diverse forms of work-based learning: dual VET, as set in the 2015 Act on VET; work-based learning within VET school-enterprise agreements but without individual learning contracts; short-term...

The 2016-20 ESF project Dual education and increasing attractiveness and quality of VET provides support through its web portals. Eight contact points (officially called Dual points) have also been set up within this project. Their role is to support the implementation of the dual system and make the matching of supply and demand easier. The employer council maintains its own portal. The 2013-15 ESF project Development of secondary VET-related portal focused on matching supply and demand,...

Stimuli based on the 2015 VET Act are more comprehensive and generous than in the past, including:

1. performance-based State-funded motivation scholarships for learners trained for shortage occupations. These can equal to 25%, 45% and 65% of the national subsistence minimum;
2. company scholarships amounting up to four times the national subsistence minimum;
3. remuneration for productive work during training, between 50% and 100% of a minimum wage;
4. State scholarships for socially disadvantaged...

To encourage enterprise involvement in dual VET, the VET Act (61/2015) had introduced corporate tax reliefs for training companies:

1. tax exemption reducing training costs by 21%;
2. tax bonuses of EUR 1 600 for 200 hours of practical training and EUR 3 200 for 400 hours of practical training within a tax period;
3. remuneration for learners’ productive work is exempted from levies.

These incentives did not apply to any other form of work-based learning (e.g. diverse school-company contracts on short...

In December 2016, a call was launched to invite proposals for the modernisation of the equipment and premises of school-based practical training (VET schools’ workshops and specialised facilities, e.g. libraries). Additional components could relate to equipment for dormitories in support of inclusive education, reconstruction of school premises, or improving the energy performance of buildings. The call was launched within the framework of the ERDF part-funded Integrated regional...

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...

According to the new rules on the selection and joint funding of further education and training programmes for education professionals (2017), there are two types of CPD programmes for teachers: additional training required for the teaching profession for those not having followed specific training during their initial studies or special tasks (e.g. for teachers that need to work with SEN students); and shorter (8-24 hours) courses on various topics that teachers can choose from a catalogue...

The 2016-18 ESF project 'Strengthening the competences of professionals' in the field of managing an innovative educational institute, targeted teachers and other professionals in upper-secondary vocational schools and higher vocational schools. The project strengthened their competences in promoting entrepreneurship, introducing innovative methods of teaching, working with special needs learners, acquiring pedagogical/andragogical skills of higher-education lecturers and supporting quality...

A programme improving the professional competences of teachers (2016-22) was launched in 2016, as part of an initiative of the Ministry of Education, jointly funded by ESF. It aims to improve teaching/learning quality by giving teachers and trainers in companies the opportunity to update and complement their knowledge, skills and competences through a form of job rotation: teachers of vocational modules and organisers of work-based learning spend two to four months in a company. During this...

A 24-hour initial training programme for trainers in companies was revised in 2016 to update the knowledge and competences required to plan, provide and assess workplace learning. This includes understanding the characteristics of adolescence, pedagogy and psychological aspects of learning and teaching, organisational issues/methods to include learners in team and project work, communication and conflict-resolution skills, education and occupational safety legislation, preparing learning and...

The 2016-22 ESF project Professional support for development of key competences of adults focuses on encouraging participation in lifelong learning and raising the level of key competences for vulnerable groups through effective outreach, innovative instructional approaches and learning materials (including videos and other multimedia).

Learner performance in foreign languages at the upper secondary level, including VET, as assessed through the matura examinations, is aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The procedure for aligning the examinations consisted of four stages: familiarisation, specification, standard setting and validation. Since 2016, candidates who achieve the required number of points in English examinations at the General and Vocational Matura have received language...

In 2018, the public employment service of Slovenia completed a pilot project, Occupational barometer, to predict future changes in the labour market and determine training of the unemployed according to labour-market needs. The qualitative research was conducted for seven (out of 12) regional offices, classifying occupations in three groups: shortage, balance, and surplus. For the shortage occupations, several main reasons were identified: lack of candidates for the occupation; lack of...

Slovenia was running a national project on introducing and piloting model of quality in education (Vzpostavitev, dopolnitev in pilotni preizkus modela ugotavljanja in zagotavljanja kakovosti na področju vzgoje in izobraževanja). The goal was to develop, by August 2019, a common model of quality assessment and quality assurance at all levels of formal education, from kindergarten to high school. This includes recommended standards and indicators in five areas:

1. learning achievements and...

The 2016-20 ESF-funded project VET promotion, coordinated by the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for VET (CPI), promoted VET as an attractive education option and supported the young and talented in moving forward in their career. The project promoted vocational and technical education through the active participation of young people between the ages of 18 and 25, teachers, employers and other social partners.

The promotion is done mainly through the national and European skills...

A 5-year project Reform of upper-secondary vocational education, funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), started in November 2016.

The project includes the following activities:

1. test and identify the tools and methods to create a sustainable system to match the needs of the labour market;
2. develop flexible and individualised teaching methods and learning pathways;
3. support companies to engage in work-based learning;
4. test and evaluate the apprenticeship system;
5. define learning outcomes for...

The new Act on Apprenticeship, adopted and published in 2017, is the result of joint work and consultation with all main VET stakeholders: the ministries of education, labour and economy, the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for VET (CPI), schools and social partners (chambers and trade unions). It defines apprenticeship as a means to accomplish three-year upper secondary VET programmes, equal to school-based programmes. The act strengthens the role of chambers in monitoring the scheme,...

A thematic country review (TCR) on apprenticeship was conducted in close cooperation with Cedefop in 2015-17. The aim was to carry out an in-depth analysis of the situation to support Slovenia on reintroducing apprenticeship. The review involved a broad range of VET stakeholders: directors of VET schools, students, recent graduates who are in employment, providers of in-company training, directors of intercompany training centres, company directors and in-company mentors. Several sectors...

The 2015-16 social pact was adopted by the Economic Social Committee (Ekonomsko socialni svet) where representatives of the government, trade unions and employers take part. This acknowledges the need for apprenticeships and considers their reintroduction, especially in sectors where skills shortages are observed.

In 2015, the government started consultations with social partners, the Public Employment Service (PES) and other government agencies to create fast tracks for newly arrived migrants and to reduce the time from arrival to entry in occupations that face skills shortages. An agreement involving employer and employee organisations assigned the PES responsibility for creating fast track paths for labour market integration. Employment services at local and regional level managed the programme for...