- 2018Approved/Agreed
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
Background
The strategy paper Learning Slovakia was published by the education ministry in September 2017, following consultation with all relevant stakeholders. Proposals included in the strategy were considered in the preparation of the 2018 amendment of the Act on VET (209/2018). Some were included in the national programme, adopted by the government, that also identified priorities of VET-related measures and estimation of financial means envisaged for implementation.
Objectives
The objective of the national programme was to identify priorities for reforming the education system, including VET, and to quantify expenditures for respective measures.
Description
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:
- increasing the quality of dual VET through the funding of professional and employer organisations involved; they will receive approximately EUR 1 million annually during 2018-27;
- raising dual VET attractiveness by reducing the administrative burden for participating SMEs, and by earmarking EUR 20 million and EUR 32.5 million respectively, for direct payments from the State budget to SMEs and larger enterprises involved in dual VET during 2019-27;
- abolishing the demotivating measure of cutting the funding of schools involved in dual VET; it is estimated that during 2018-27 schools funding will increase by a total of EUR 77 million;
- carrying out a demand-driven ESIF-funded project (EUR 30 million) aiming to align secondary education with labour market needs;
- improving career guidance and counselling, by introducing counsellors at district and regional levels; a total of EUR 18 million is earmarked for 2019-27;
- expanding the provision of post-secondary VET, including alternative ways to achieve a bachelor title;
- promoting in-company internships for VET teachers and trainers as a form of initial...
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:
- increasing the quality of dual VET through the funding of professional and employer organisations involved; they will receive approximately EUR 1 million annually during 2018-27;
- raising dual VET attractiveness by reducing the administrative burden for participating SMEs, and by earmarking EUR 20 million and EUR 32.5 million respectively, for direct payments from the State budget to SMEs and larger enterprises involved in dual VET during 2019-27;
- abolishing the demotivating measure of cutting the funding of schools involved in dual VET; it is estimated that during 2018-27 schools funding will increase by a total of EUR 77 million;
- carrying out a demand-driven ESIF-funded project (EUR 30 million) aiming to align secondary education with labour market needs;
- improving career guidance and counselling, by introducing counsellors at district and regional levels; a total of EUR 18 million is earmarked for 2019-27;
- expanding the provision of post-secondary VET, including alternative ways to achieve a bachelor title;
- promoting in-company internships for VET teachers and trainers as a form of initial and in-service training;
- carrying out a higher education graduate tracking survey, based on the experience from the Cedefop project on skills governance;
- developing and carrying out professionally oriented bachelor programmes; these will be supported by demand-driven ESF projects (total cost of EUR 15 million in 2018);
- introducing new legislation to promote dual VET in tertiary education and financial incentives for employers; this should be in place in 2022.
In 2019, most VET-related activities of the NPDE were implemented.
Funding of professional and employer organisations involved in dual VET was in progress; however, there was not yet a reliable quality assurance mechanism in place for both performance of the organisations involved and provision of in-company training per se.
In 2019, companies involved in dual education received EUR 1 139 983.12 based on a State aid scheme aiming to support dual education. A total of 60 large companies received 60% coverage of their eligible real costs and 155 SMEs received 70% coverage. The total estimated amount of this State aid for the years 2019-22 is EUR 20 million, of which EUR 11.5 million will go to large companies and EUR 8.5 million to SMEs.
The amendment of the Act on VET (209/18) abolished cutting of per capita funding of schools offering dual programmes, introduced in 2015 by the finance ministry. Now, schools receive the same per capita contribution from the State budget for dual and non-dual learners.
A call Linking secondary education and practice, was launched in August 2019 for demand-driven ESF projects allowing VET schools to fund additional activities, such as afternoon clubs, to improve performance of students in PISA domains, ICT, financial literacy and foreign languages. There was an allocation of EUR 28.5 million for less developed regions and EUR 1.5 million for the Bratislava region. Four rounds of project evaluation were envisaged, with the final deadline on 17 March 2020.
On 27 December 2018, a call to support the development of professional bachelor programmes was launched with an allocation of EUR 13.5 million for less developed regions and EUR 1.5 million for the Bratislava region. Progress is slow, with no projects in implementation by February 2020. Only EUR 4.1 million were requested by applicants after the second round of submission closed on 31 October 2019.
In two cases there was only limited progress.
New legislation supports hiring career guidance counsellors in schools and respective supporting institutions by explicitly including this profession in the officially recognised positions. However, improving career guidance and counselling might be hampered by a lack of experienced professionals.
A specialised working group has prepared a draft paper analysing local experiments and interesting practice abroad, to expand the provision of post-secondary education. Currently, the provision of post-secondary EQF 5 programmes by VET schools seems to be more promising (good practice example being a chemical industry). Interlinking of this programme with achieving a bachelor's degree is addressed, but still open.
No significant progress is visible in three items:
- there was no scheme or systemic support yet for in-company internships for VET teachers and trainers as a form of initial and in-service training;
- there was no progress in creating building blocks for 'larger' qualifications;
- there was no progress in promoting dual VET in tertiary education through legislation. Nevertheless, current legislation allows for long-term periods, e.g. one year of practice in the case of a four-year bachelor programme specialising in the automotive industry.
The new government, appointed in March 2020, presented their reforms in two documents:
- the 2020 Government Manifesto;
- the 2020 National integrated reform plan (NIRP) published by the finance ministry.
The latter offers detailed measures with specified goals, timelines and costs. It was presented as a menu of ideas for priorities to be covered from the Recovery and resilience fund and a new programming period of European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). There are no contradictions between the National programme for the development of education (NPDE) and these two documents, though there are differences between priorities that translate into changes in timelines and allocations of means as set by the NPDE.
The NIRP declared a commitment to better linking education and the labour market by making the qualifications system more flexible by the provision of ‘smaller’ qualifications. It also mentions the support of modularisation of programmes of secondary VET schools. Both ‘smaller’ qualifications and training modules have the potential to be used as building blocks for ‘larger’ qualifications. A substantial reform of higher education has been announced, within which professional bachelor programmes and better alignment to labour market needs should be emphasised. However, legislation supporting the creation of universities of applied science is still missing.
The new government, appointed in March 2020, immediately faced the challenges caused by the pandemic. Although the new policy priorities partly referred to the strategic documents Learning Slovakia and the National programme for the development of education (NPDE), the National recovery and resilience plan can be currently seen as replacing both earlier strategies in terms of the priorities of reforms and funding. Elaboration of a new comprehensive education strategy to replace the NPDE has been initiated.
The government elected in 2020 originally intended to develop a new comprehensive education strategy but decided to update the previous National programme for the development of education (NPDE). The current revision of NPDE effective from November 2022 reflects all relevant strategy papers and international commitments following the adoption of the NPDE in 2018. Relevant parts of the EU and national documents are summarised before defining a vision, strategic objectives, and intervention logic. Following the Council Resolution on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030) and its 5 general strategic priorities and 7 strategic objectives, the NPDE sets five additional objectives. Thus, the NPDE aims to achieve the first five benchmarks by 2030 and the last two by 2025:
- Less than 15% of low-achieving 15-year-olds in reading, mathematics and science;
- Less than 15% of low-achieving eight-graders in computer and information literacy;
- At least 96% of children between the age of three and the age of entry into compulsory primary education participating in early childhood education and care;
- Less than 9% of early leavers from education and training;
- At least 45% of 25-34-year-olds with tertiary educational attainment;
- At least 60% of recent graduates from VET benefiting from exposure to work-based learning during their vocational education and training;
- At least 47% of adults aged 25-64 participating in learning in the past 12 months.
NPDE sets the following five additional objectives:
- Increasing the attractiveness of the teaching profession;
- Increasing support for the development of quality youth work at local, regional, national and European levels, including policy development in this area, training of youth workers, creation of legal frameworks and sufficient allocation of resources;
- Reducing the share of higher education students studying abroad;
- Achieving, within desegregation, a target of less than one in five Roma learners attending a school where the majority of children and pupils are Roma;
- Increasing the share of learners engaged in physical exercise and sports at schools by 10% compared to 2022.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
- Young people (15-29 years old)
- Young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs)
- Learners at risk of early leaving or/and early leavers
- Learners with disabilities
- Adult learners
- Low-skilled/qualified persons
- Learners from other groups at risk of exclusion (minorities, people with fewer opportunities due to geographical location or social-economic disadvantaged position)
Education professionals
- Teachers
- Trainers
- School leaders
- Adult educators
- Guidance practitioners
Entities providing VET
- VET providers (all kinds)
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers to the integration of VET into economic, industrial, innovation, social and employment strategies, including those linked to recovery, green and digital transitions, and where VET is seen as a driver for innovation and growth. It includes national, regional, sectoral strategic documents or initiatives that make VET an integral part of broader policies, or applying a mix of policies to address an issue VET is part of, e.g. in addressing youth unemployment measures through VET, social and active labour market policies that are implemented in combination. National skill strategies aiming at quality and inclusive lifelong learning also fall into this sub-category.
This thematic sub-category refers both to formal mechanisms of stakeholder engagement in VET governance and to informal cooperation among stakeholders, which motivate shared responsibility for quality VET. Formal engagement is usually based on legally established institutional procedures that clearly define the role and responsibilities for relevant stakeholders in designing, implementing and improving VET. It also refers to establishing and increasing the degree of autonomy of VET providers for agile and flexible VET provision.
In terms of informal cooperation, the sub-category covers targeted actions by different stakeholders to promote or implement VET. This cooperation often leads to creating sustainable partnerships and making commitments for targeted actions, in line with the national context and regulation, e.g. national alliances for apprenticeships, pacts for youth or partnerships between schools and employers. It can also include initiatives and projects run by the social partners or sectoral organisations or networks of voluntary experts and executives, retired or on sabbatical, to support their peers in the fields of VET and apprenticeships, as part of the EAfA.
This thematic sub-category refers to further development of national quality assurance (QA) systems for IVET and CVET, for all learning environments (school-based provision and work-based learning, including apprenticeships) and all learning types (digital, face-to-face or blended), delivered by both public and private providers. These systems are underpinned by the EQAVET quality criteria and by indicative descriptors applied both at system and provider levels, as defined in Annex II of the VET Recommendation. The sub-category concerns creating and improving external and self-evaluation of VET providers, and establishing criteria of QA, accreditation of providers and programmes. It also covers the activities of Quality assurance national reference points for VET on implementing and further developing the EQAVET framework, including the implementation of peer reviews at VET system level.
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
This thematic sub-category covers all developments related to work-based learning (WBL) elements in VET programmes and apprenticeships which continue to be important in the policy agenda. It includes measures to stabilise the offer of apprenticeships, the implementation of the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships, and using the EU on-demand support services and policy learning initiatives among the Member States. It also covers further expansion of apprenticeships and WBL to continuing VET (CVET), for transition to work and inclusion of vulnerable groups, and for improving citizens’ qualification levels.
Teachers, trainers and school leaders competences
Competent and motivated VET teachers in schools and trainers in companies are crucial to VET becoming innovative and relevant, agile, resilient, flexible, inclusive and lifelong.
This thematic category comprises policies and practices of initial training and continuing professional development approaches in a systemic and systematic manner. It also looks at measures aiming to update (entry) requirements and make teaching and training careers attractive and bring more young and talented individuals and business professionals into teaching and training. Supporting VET educators by equipping them with adequate competences, skills and tools for the green transition and digital teaching and learning are addressed in separate thematic sub-categories.
The measures in this category target teachers and school leaders, company trainers and mentors, adult educators and guidance practitioners.
This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of initial and continuing professional development (CPD) for VET educators who work in vocational schools and in companies providing VET. VET educators include teachers and school leaders, trainers and company managers involved in VET, as well as adult educators and guidance practitioners – those who work in school- and work-based settings. The thematic sub-category includes national strategies, training programmes or individual courses to address the learning needs of VET educators and to develop their vocational (technical) skills, and pedagogical (teaching) skills and competences. Such programmes concern state-of-the-art vocational pedagogy, innovative teaching methods, and competences needed to address evolving teaching environments, e.g. teaching in multicultural settings, working with learners at risk of early leaving, etc.
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to ensuring smooth transitions (permeability) of learners within the entire education and training system, horizontally and vertically. It includes measures and policies allowing learners easily or by meeting certain conditions to move from general education programmes to VET and vice versa; to increase qualification levels in their vocation through the possibility of attending vocational programmes at higher levels, including professional degrees in higher education. It also covers opening up learning progression by introducing flexible pathways that are based on the validation and recognition of the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing high-quality lifelong learning and career guidance services, including making full use of Europass and other digital services and resources.