OECD Skills Strategy Slovak Republic

Foreword
Acknowledgements
	Note
Abbreviations and acronyms
Executive summary
	OECD-Slovak Republic collaboration on the OECD National Skills Strategy project
	Key findings and opportunities for improving the Slovak Republic’s skills performance
		Priority 1: Strengthening the skills of youth (Chapter 2)
		Priority 2: Reducing skills imbalances (Chapter 3)
		Priority 3: Fostering greater participation in adult learning (Chapter 4)
		Priority 4: Strengthening the use of skills in the workplace (Chapter 5)
1 Key insights and recommendations
	Skills are key to responding to the challenges and opportunities associated with demographic change, digitalisation, and globalisation
		The possible automation of jobs is a serious challenge for the Slovak Republic
		Demographic change and globalisation deepen the challenges
		Skills are key to building an adaptable and resilient economy and society
	The OECD Skills Strategy project in the Slovak Republic
	Key themes for the Slovak Republic’s skills system
	Performance of the Slovak skills system
		Developing relevant skills
			The performance of young people and the inclusiveness of the education system could be improved
			Tertiary education has expanded rapidly, but challenges remain
			The comparatively strong foundational skills of adults could be supported by a stronger culture of adult learning
			Many adults are not motivated to learn, and barriers to participation are high
		Using skills effectively
			Labour market performance has improved, but there are significant imbalances
			Skills could be used more effectively in workplaces, especially to raise productivity
			Innovations in workplaces and the broader economy could support effective skills use
		Strengthening the governance of skills systems
			The effectiveness of strategies, policies and reforms is often compromised by weak implementation
			The whole-of-government approach to skills policies could be strengthened
	Policy context in the Slovak Republic
	Priority areas and recommendations
		Priority 1: Strengthening the skills of youth
			Opportunity 1: Increasing enrolment in pre-primary education, especially among vulnerable groups
			Opportunity 2: Supporting schools and teachers in their work with vulnerable students
			Opportunity 3: Building a strong teaching workforce
			Overview of recommendations
		Priority 2: Reducing skills imbalances
			Opportunity 1: Improving the dissemination of information on labour market and skills needs
			Opportunity 2: Strengthening the responsiveness of students and their families to labour market needs
			Opportunity 3: Strengthening the responsiveness of secondary VET and tertiary education institutions to labour market needs
			Opportunity 4: Moving from “brain drain” to “brain gain”
			Overview of recommendations
		Priority 3: Fostering greater participation in adult learning
			Opportunity 1: Improving the governance of adult learning
			Opportunity 2: Increasing the participation among adults out of work
			Opportunity 3: Supporting the capacity of employees and firms to engage in adult learning
			Overview of recommendations
		Priority 4: Strengthening the use of skills in workplaces
			Opportunity 1: Creating the conditions to facilitate the adoption of HPWP in Slovak firms
			Opportunity 2: Providing incentives and support to Slovak firms for the adoption of HPWP
			Opportunity 3: Enhancing the governance of policies and strategies that affect skills use
			Overview of recommendations
	References
		Annex 1.A. OECD Skills Strategy Dashboard: Slovak Republic
		Characteristics
		Indicator selection
		Method for the calculation of aggregate indicators
			Annex 1.B. Strategies and recent reforms in the Slovak Republic related to skills and education
	Notes
2 Strengthening the skills of youth
	Introduction: The importance of strengthening the skills of young people in the Slovak Republic
	Overview and performance of the education system in the Slovak Republic
		Overview of the Slovak education system
		The performance of the Slovak Republic
	Opportunities to strengthen the skills of youth in the Slovak Republic
		Opportunity 1: Increasing enrolment in pre-primary education, especially among vulnerable groups
			Improving the availability of pre-primary schools in disadvantaged regions
				Recommendations for improving availability of pre-primary schools in disadvantaged regions
			Lowering the perceptional and financial barriers that prevent disadvantaged groups from enrolling in pre-primary education
				Recommendations for lowering the perceptional and financial barriers that prevent disadvantaged groups from enrolling in pre-primary education
		Opportunity 2: Supporting schools and teachers in their work with vulnerable students
			Providing targeted support to vulnerable students
				Recommendations for providing targeted support to vulnerable students
			Identifying schools and students at risk
				Recommendations for identifying schools and students at risk
		Opportunity 3: Building a strong teaching workforce
			Enhancing the practical aspects of curricula in initial teacher training
				Recommendations for enhancing the practical aspects of curricula in initial teacher training
			Improving the professional development of teachers
				Recommendations for improving the professional development of teachers
			Supporting teacher career advancement
				Recommendations for supporting teacher career advancement
			Overview of recommendations
	References
3 Reducing skills imbalances
	The importance of reducing skills imbalances
	Overview and performance for reducing skills imbalances in the Slovak Republic
		Overview of the current arrangements for reducing skills imbalances
			Generating and disseminating information on labour market and skills needs
			Building a responsive education system
			Attracting workers from abroad
		Performance of the Slovak Republic
			Overview of skills imbalances in the Slovak Republic
			Explaining the underlying dynamics in skills shortages and skills mismatches
	Opportunities to reduce skills imbalances
		Opportunity 1: Improving the dissemination of information on labour market and skills needs
			Strengthening the dissemination of information from SAA tools to all users
				Recommendation for strengthening the dissemination of information from SAA tools
		Opportunity 2: Strengthening the responsiveness of students and their families to labour market needs
			Improving the direct dissemination of information to students and their families
				Recommendations for improving the direct dissemination of information to students and their families
			Expanding career guidance in schools and universities
				Recommendations for strengthening career guidance in schools and universities
		Opportunity 3: Strengthening the responsiveness of secondary VET and tertiary education institutions to labour market needs
			Supporting recent reforms in secondary VET institutions
				Recommendations for supporting the recent reforms in secondary VET institutions
			Strengthening incentives to align tertiary education with labour market needs
				Recommendations for strengthening incentives to align tertiary education with labour market needs
		Opportunity 4: Moving from “brain drain” to “brain gain”
			Attracting Slovak workers from abroad
				Recommendations for attracting Slovak workers from abroad
			Attracting foreign workers from abroad
				Recommendations for attracting workers from abroad
			Overview of recommendations
	References
4 Fostering greater participation in adult learning
	Introduction: The importance of fostering greater participation in adult learning in the Slovak Republic
	Overview and performance of the adult education system in the Slovak Republic
		Overview of the Slovak adult education system
		Performance of the Slovak Republic
	Opportunities to foster greater participation in adult learning in the Slovak Republic
		Opportunity 1: Improving the governance of adult learning
			Further improving the Slovak Republic’s long-term adult learning strategy
				Recommendations for further improving the Slovak Republic’s long-term adult-learning strategy
			Improving co-ordination across ministries, levels of government and stakeholders
				Recommendations for improving co-ordination across ministries, levels of government and stakeholders
		Opportunity 2: Increasing the participation among adults out of work
			Providing high-quality and accessible training
				Recommendations for providing high-quality and accessible training
			Strengthening the outreach of labour offices
				Recommendations for strengthening the outreach of labour offices
		Opportunity 3: Supporting the capacity employees and firms to engage in adult learning
			Designing targeted incentives that reflect labour market needs
				Recommendations for designing targeted incentives that reflect labour market needs
			Targeting tax exemptions at SMEs
				Recommendations for targeting tax exemptions at SMEs
			Overview of recommendations
	References
5 Strengthening the use of skills in workplaces
	The importance of the effective use of skills for the Slovak Republic
	Overview and performance of skills use in the Slovak Republic
		Overview of current arrangements for skills use in the Slovak Republic
		Performance of the Slovak Republic
			The use of skills in workplaces
			The adoption of HPWP in the Slovak Republic
				Flexibility and autonomy at work
				Teamwork and information sharing
				Training and development
				Benefits, career progression and performance management
	Opportunities to improve the effective use of skills
		Opportunity 1: Creating the conditions to facilitate the adoption of HPWP in Slovak firms
			Creating a supportive working environment for employees
				Recommendations for creating a supportive working environment for employees:
			Strengthening the skills and motivation of management staff
				Recommendations to strengthen the skills and motivation of management staff:
			Developing entrepreneurial attitudes from early on in the education system
				Recommendation for developing entrepreneurial attitudes from early on in the education system:
		Opportunity 2: Providing incentives and support to Slovak firms for the adoption of HPWP
			Raising awareness of skills use, workplace practices and support programmes
				Recommendations for raising awareness of skills use, workplace practices and support measures:
			Strengthening and expanding support measures to firms
				Recommendations for strengthening and expanding support measures to firms:
			Leveraging employer groups, clusters and sectoral associations for the adoption of HPWP and to facilitate knowledge spillovers
				Recommendations for leveraging employer groups, clusters and sectoral associations for the adoption of HPWP and to facilitate knowledge spillovers:
		Opportunity 3: Enhancing the governance of policies and strategies that affect skills use
			Strengthening visions, strategies and action plans for the growth and innovation of firms and workplaces
				Recommendation for strengthening the visions, strategies and action plans for the growth and innovation of firms and workplaces:
			Applying a whole-of-government approach and engaging stakeholders in policies that affect skills use
				Recommendation for applying a whole-of-government approach and engaging stakeholders in policies that affect skills use:
			Enhancing the adoption of HPWP in the public sector to raise effectiveness and efficiency
				Recommendations for enhancing the adoption of HPWP in the public sector to raise effectiveness and efficiency:
			Overview of recommendations
	References
		Annex A. Engagement
	Workshop moderators and note-takers
	OECD missions to Slovakia
		Mission 1: Skills Strategy Seminar
		Mission 2: Assessment mission
		Mission 3: Recommendations mission
Annex A. Engagement