- 2021Design
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
The lack of basic skills is one of the main obstacles to the successful completion of labour market training programmes for the low-skilled. There is also insufficient financial and institutional support for basic skills-related training. Furthermore, the term 'basic skills' is not yet embedded in legislation, and is used in a too general way without the operationalisation needed to guide developers of adult learning course curricula.
Objectives
The objective of the related part of the Lifelong learning and counselling strategy for 2021-30 is strengthening legislative, financial and institutional support for improving the basic skills of adults.
Description
The following five measures are set by the Lifelong learning and counselling strategy for 2021-30:
- embedding the term 'basic skills' in the Lifelong Learning Act;
- piloting tools for mapping, assessing and testing basic skill levels of low-skilled adults;
- improving the digital skills of citizens in line with Reform 6 of Component 17 'Digital Slovakia' of the National recovery and resilience plan;
- piloting a financing scheme for supporting non-formal learning for low-skilled adults in cooperation with NGOs;
- establishing a national basic skills support network, co-funded by the State budget, including relevant national authorities, regional authorities, and complemented by local self-governments and NGOs, if needed.
Under Reform 6 'A strategic approach to education in digital skills in cooperation with representatives of key stakeholders', the implementation is in progress based on the national strategy for the development of digital skills through lifelong learning. Retraining of at least 172 800 seniors and disadvantaged people is envisaged, following a pilot project. The pilot project will involve 1 000 participants, assessing their retraining needs and physiological characteristics for selecting the appropriate digital equipment suitable for their personal use.
The lifelong learning and counselling strategy for 2021-30, approved by the government on 24 November 2021, created a framework for detailed elaboration of the aforementioned five measures in a subsequent action plan.
The pilot training phase for seniors began on 23 June 2022 and was running continuously in 62 training locations nationwide. Universities of the third age, schools, libraries, municipal and city authorities, day centres and leisure centres offered their premises for the training. The training consisted of seven modules delivered over five weeks. Each module included three 45-minute teaching sessions. The training materials were prepared in cooperation with Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice. During the pilot phase of the project, 1 423 seniors and disabled persons were successfully retrained receiving a certificate, a personal tablet and a voucher for a 40 GB data package.
In addition, the Lifelong learning and counselling strategy action plan 2022-24 allocated a total of EUR 21 million up to 2024 for the thematic area 1.3 'National basic skills initiative and pilot intervention programmes'. Basic skills were also identified in the National implementation plan (NIP) among priority areas.
From June to October 2022, nine round tables were organised by the State Institute of Vocational Education (ŠIOV) in its capacity as the National Coordinator for the European Agenda for Adult Learning to map regional stakeholders opinions on skills development, barriers, groups at risk, the potential for cooperation and relevant national measures in support of skills development. A mapping report and a communication campaign 'It is never late!' were under development capitalising on round table results. Preliminary findings were discussed during the Lifelong learning week 2022, which opened on 17 October 2022 with the conference Quality assurance in education of adults.
In November 2022, a new Erasmus+ project, Digital individual learning accounts (ILA) in V4, run by ŠIOV in cooperation with Visegrad partner countries (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) started. The project aims to develop a validated data model and a methodological guide for its practical application as a vehicle for improving adult learners' skills.
The State Institute of Vocational Education published a comparative study, New elements of qualification systems for skills development, envisaged by the Lifelong learning and counselling strategy for 2021-30 to inform about the international experience with the introduction of individual learning accounts (ILAs) and microcredentials. This study recommended implementing ILAs as targeted voucher schemes rather than 'virtual accounts - wallets' originally suggested by the Learning Slovakia paper. This resulted from the resistance of the finance ministry to accept the accumulation of means in the wallet (EUR 200) and doubts concerning the sustainability of funding ILAs from the State budget.
The study also suggested a double approach to microcredentials making a difference between microcredentials issued under light and strict regulation by the State. In the first case, it is obligatory to inform on voluntarily set quality assurance measures applied by individual providers. In the second case, the regulation is linked to strict requirements for registration with the National Qualifications Register. Both these new instruments were conceptualised as primarily focusing on increasing the accessibility of adults to lifelong learning and skills improvement.
In April 2024, an intensive campaign was launched to promote the Pact for Skills, and its four principles, including commitments and activities to support basic skills development within the Pact for Basic Skills. The goals of the Pact for Basic Skills in Slovakia are presented on the website of the National Coordinator for the European Agenda for Adult Learning embedded in the State Institute of Vocational Education such as:
- strengthening the concept of basic skills and raising awareness;
- creation of a national platform of organisations supporting the development of basic skills;
- exchange and transfer of knowledge on best practices in the field of skills;
- support for the development of basic skills.
From September 2024, workshops were organised to finalise activity plans, establish regional coordination points in western, central and eastern Slovakia, and finalise commitments for the Pact for Basic Skills for submission to the European Commission.
The National RRP's Investment 7, Improving digital skills for seniors and distribution of Senior-tablets, retraining and equipment of 172 800 seniors and disabled persons was envisaged by mid-2026. In October 2024, this project, commonly known as Digital seniors, was relaunched after piloting and delays caused by the evaluation of the results of the pilot and political turbulences. The revised aim of the project, with a budget of EUR 41 million by the National RRP, is to train 105 440 seniors over 65 and disabled persons over 18 in basic digital skills and provide them with quality tablets and a one-year 65 GB data package.
Free training focusing on the basics of using digital devices, information searching, online communication and information security is currently being launched in all regional capitals. In the coming months, these sessions will also expand to smaller cities nationwide, in cooperation with the Association of Towns and Municipalities of Slovakia and Trade Unions of Workers in Education and Science.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth
- Government Office of the Slovak Republic
- Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatisation
- State Institute of Vocational Education (ŠIOV)
- Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport (until 2024)
Target groups
Learners
- Young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs)
- Learners with migrant background, including refugees
- Learners at risk of early leaving or/and early leavers
- Learners with disabilities
- Adult learners
- Older workers and employees (55 - 64 years old)
- Unemployed and jobseekers
- 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)
Entities providing VET
- VET providers (all kinds)
Other stakeholders
- Social partners (employer organisations and trade unions)
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 to the ways VET is funded at the system level. Policies include optimisation of VET provider funding that allows them to adapt their offer to changing skill needs, green and digital transitions, the social agenda and economic cycles, e.g. increasing the funding for VET or for specific programmes. They can also concern changing the mechanism of how the funding is allocated to VET schools (per capita vs based on achievement or other criteria). Using EU funds and financial instruments for development of VET and skills also falls 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.
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 all kinds of incentives that encourage learners to take part in VET and lifelong learning; VET providers to improve, broaden and update their offer; companies to provide places for apprenticeship and work-based learning, and to stimulate and support learning of their employees. It also includes measures addressing specific challenges of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) willing to create work-based learning opportunities in different sectors. Incentives can be financial (e.g. grants, allowances, tax incentives, levy/grant mechanisms, vouchers, training credits, individual learning accounts) and non-financial (e.g. information/advice on funding opportunities, technical support, mentoring).
This thematic sub-category refers to making VET pathways and programmes inclusive and accessible for all. It concerns measures and targeted actions to increase access and participation in VET and lifelong learning for learners from all vulnerable groups, and to support their school/training-to-work transitions. It includes measures to prevent early leaving from education and training. The thematic sub-category covers measures promoting gender balance in traditionally ‘male’ and ‘female’ professions and addressing gender-related and other stereotypes. The vulnerable groups are, but not limited to: persons with disabilities; the low-qualified/-skilled; minorities; persons of migrant background, including refugees; people with fewer opportunities due to their geographical location and/or their socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- VET agile in adapting to labour market challenges
- Flexibility and progression opportunities at the core of VET
- VET as an attractive choice based on modern and digitalised provision of training and skills
- VET promoting equality of opportunities
Osnabrück Declaration
- Resilience and excellence through quality, inclusive and flexible VET
- Establishing a new lifelong learning culture - relevance of continuing VET and digitalisation
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). National basic skills improvement initiative: Slovakia. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/41653