OECD Skills Strategy Slovak Republic

210 Pages·2020·4.488 MB·English

by  Oecd

O
E
C
D
S
k
ills OECD Skills Studies
S
t
u
d
ie OECD Skills Strategy
s
Slovak Republic
ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
O
E
C
D
S
k
ills
S
t
r
a
t
e
g
y
S
lo
v
a
k
R
e
p
u
b
lic
A
S
S
E
S
S
M
E
N
T
A
N
D
R
E
C
O
M
M
E
N
D
A
T
IO
N
S

OECD Skills Studies
OECD Skills Strategy
Slovak Republic
ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and
arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD member countries.
This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over
any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.
The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of
such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in
the West Bank under the terms of international law.
Note by Turkey
The information in this document with reference to “Cyprus” relates to the southern part of the Island. There is no single
authority representing both Turkish and Greek Cypriot people on the Island. Turkey recognises the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Until a lasting and equitable solution is found within the context of the United Nations, Turkey
shall preserve its position concerning the “Cyprus issue”.
Note by all the European Union Member States of the OECD and the European Union
The Republic of Cyprus is recognised by all members of the United Nations with the exception of Turkey. The
information in this document relates to the area under the effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.
Please cite this publication as:
OECD (2020), OECD Skills Strategy Slovak Republic: Assessment and Recommendations, OECD Skills Studies, OECD
Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/bb688e68-en.
ISBN 978-92-64-71683-4 (print)
ISBN 978-92-64-36420-2 (pdf)
OECD Skills Studies
ISSN 2307-8723 (print)
ISSN 2307-8731 (online)
Photo credits: Cover © Studio Foltzer - Augustin Lazaroiu/Shutterstock.com.
Corrigenda to publications may be found on line at: www.oecd.org/about/publishing/corrigenda.htm.
© OECD 2020
The use of this work, whether digital or print, is governed by the Terms and Conditions to be found at http://www.oecd.org/termsandconditions.
 3
Foreword
Developing and using people’s skills effectively is crucial for Slovakia’s ability to thrive in an increasingly
interconnected and rapidly changing world.
Slovakia is particularly exposed to the effects of globalisation, digitalisation and demographic change, and
should build on its current strengths and use them as a foundation to introduce new policies that better
equip society to respond to a constantly changing environment. All members of society will need a stronger
and more well-rounded set of skills, including cognitive, social and emotional, and job-specific skills that
are aligned with labour market needs and effectively used in individual workplaces.
Slovakia has already achieved relatively strong skills performance in various areas. In terms of developing
people’s skills, the tertiary attainment rate has improved substantially and the foundational skills of adults
are comparatively strong. With respect to using people’s skills, the unemployment rate in Slovakia is at
record low levels and wages are on the rise.
However, Slovakia still faces a number of complex skills challenges. The skills of youth are lagging behind
the OECD average in reading and science, and declining. Skills imbalances are high, with skills shortages
particularly prevalent in knowledge and technology-intensive sectors. Adult learning culture is
underdeveloped, participation in adult learning is low, and those most in need of continuous education
participate the least. In the workplace, skills are not currently used to their full potential.
In recent years, Slovakia has enacted wide-ranging skills policy reforms spanning all levels of education
and training, as well as many areas of labour market policy. In this respect, continued stakeholder
engagement and impact monitoring will remain essential for implementing Slovakia’s skills reforms.
Slovakia has developed the National Programme for the Development of Education (NPRVaV 2018-2027)
to set the country’s priorities for skills development and activation. To provide input on the implementation
of this programme, and to further support Slovakia in its reform agenda, the OECD has conducted a
collaborative and tailored National Skills Strategy project. This has involved detailed analysis and
widespread engagement with stakeholders, leading to several tailored recommendations outlined in this
report.
The OECD stands ready to support the Slovak Republic as it seeks to implement effective skills policies
and continue its transition to a knowledge-based economy and society.
OECD SKILLS STRATEGY SLOVAK REPUBLIC © OECD 2020
4 
Acknowledgements
This report is part of a series of country projects within the OECD programme of work on Building Effective
National Skills Strategies.
The OECD team wishes to thank Minister of Education, Science, Research and Sport, Martina Lubyová;
State Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport, Oľga Nachtmannová; State
Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, Branislav Ondruš; and State Secretary of
the Ministry of Economy, Rastislav Chovanec, for their commitment to this project.
The OECD is grateful to the Slovak National Project Team for its invaluable guidance and input throughout
the project, and its help convening and organising the stakeholder workshops. We are particularly grateful
to the National Project Leader, Head of the Education Policy Institute at the Ministry of Education, Science,
Research and Sport, Michal Rehúš for his strong leadership and co-ordination of the National Project
Team, which included, in alphabetical order: Anna Čaplovičová (Ministry of Economy), Michal Deneš
(Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport), Pavol Galáš (Ministry of Education, Science,
Research and Sport; Education Policy Institute), Luba Habodaszová (Ministry of Finance, Institute for
Financial Policy), Karol Jakubík (Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport), Jozef Jurkovič
(Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport), Monika Pacoláková (Ministry of Labour, Social
Affairs and Family) and Ján Toman (Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport, Education Policy
Institute). We are also grateful to Vladislav Ujházi (Permanent Delegation of the Slovak Republic to the
OECD) and to supporting experts from the Education Policy Institute: Michaela Bednárik, Dávid Martinák,
Mária Perignáthová and Samo Varsik and Ivana Studená from the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
We also wish to thank the Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Slovakia,
Ladislav Miko; and Deputy Head, Radim Dvořák.
Our warm thanks go to the many government and non-government representatives who generously shared
their insights during workshops, focus groups and bilateral interviews with the OECD team in Bratislava,
and via written input. Over 100 stakeholders participated in the various meetings that took place during
OECD missions. These stakeholders represented ministries, government agencies, subnational
authorities, education and training institutions, businesses and business associations, unions and
community associations, academia, civil society and other organisations.1 The OECD would also like to
thank the staff of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport and the Education Policy Institute
for their excellent organisation of the stakeholder workshops and for their hospitality in hosting these
events. We also thank the many experts who volunteered as moderators and note-takers during the
workshops.
The OECD team is grateful to the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, and
the Directorate-General for Education and Culture of the European Commission for contributing throughout
the project. We are especially grateful to Alison Crabb (Head of Unit, Skills and Qualifications,
Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion), Michael Morass (Deputy Head of Unit
Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion),
Michael Horgan (Policy Officer, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion), and
Jitka Verdickt (Programme Manager, EU Policies, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and
Inclusion).
OECD SKILLS STRATEGY SLOVAK REPUBLIC © OECD 2020
 5
We are also grateful to the following experts who provided comments at different stages of the project, in
alphabetical order: Lucia Mýtna Kureková (Slovak Governance Institute), Vladimir Kvetan (Cedefop), Peter
Obdržálek (Centre of Educational Management at the Faculty of Management of Comenius University in
Bratislava), and Jasper Van Loo (Cedefop).
While the report draws on data and analysis from the OECD, Slovak authorities and other published
sources, any errors or misinterpretations remain the responsibility of the OECD team.
Ricardo Espinoza (OECD Centre for Skills) was the project leader responsible for co-ordinating the
National Skills Strategy project in Slovakia. The authors of this report from the OECD Centre for Skills
were: Chapter 1. Key insights and recommendations (Bart Staats); Chapter 2. Strengthening the skills of
youth (Ricardo Espinoza, Laura Reznikova); Chapter 3. Reducing skills imbalances (Stefano Piano);
Chapter 4. Fostering greater participation in adult learning (Ricardo Espinoza, Laura Reznikova); and
Chapter 5. Strengthening the use of skills in the workplace (Bart Staats). Cuauhtémoc Rebolledo-Gómez
and Serli Abrahamoglu (OECD Centre for Skills) provided statistical support.
As Head of the OECD National Skills Strategy projects, Andrew Bell (OECD Centre for Skills) provided
analytical guidance, comments on chapters and supervision. Montserrat Gomendio, Head of
the OECD Centre for Skills provided guidance, oversight and comments, while Stefano Scarpetta, Director
of the OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, provided strategic oversight for the
project, as well as comments.
Véronique Quénehen, Lauren Thwaites and Jennifer Cannon (OECD Centre for Skills) and Lucy Hulett
(Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs) provided invaluable support for mission
organisation, report layout and design, and publication planning. Elizabeth Zachary provided proofreading
and editorial support.
Note

1 A full list of participating organisations and stakeholders is included in Annex A.
OECD SKILLS STRATEGY SLOVAK REPUBLIC © OECD 2020
6 
Table of contents
Foreword 3
Acknowledgements 4
Abbreviations and acronyms 9
Executive summary 12
1 Key insights and recommendations 15
Skills are key to responding to the challenges and opportunities associated with demographic
change, digitalisation, and globalisation 16
The OECD Skills Strategy project in the Slovak Republic 17
Key themes for the Slovak Republic’s skills system 18
Performance of the Slovak skills system 19
Policy context in the Slovak Republic 24
Priority areas and recommendations 25
References 34
Annex 1.A. OECD Skills Strategy Dashboard: Slovak Republic 36
Annex 1.B. Strategies and recent reforms in the Slovak Republic related to skills and education 39
Notes 40
2 Strengthening the skills of youth 41
Introduction: The importance of strengthening the skills of young people in the Slovak Republic 42
Overview and performance of the education system in the Slovak Republic 42
Opportunities to strengthen the skills of youth in the Slovak Republic 47
References 75
3 Reducing skills imbalances 83
The importance of reducing skills imbalances 84
Overview and performance for reducing skills imbalances in the Slovak Republic 85
Opportunities to reduce skills imbalances 94
References 122
4 Fostering greater participation in adult learning 128
Introduction: The importance of fostering greater participation in adult learning
in the Slovak Republic 129
Overview and performance of the adult education system in the Slovak Republic 130
Opportunities to foster greater participation in adult learning in the Slovak Republic 137
OECD SKILLS STRATEGY SLOVAK REPUBLIC © OECD 2020
 7
References 156
5 Strengthening the use of skills in workplaces 159
The importance of the effective use of skills for the Slovak Republic 160
Overview and performance of skills use in the Slovak Republic 163
Opportunities to improve the effective use of skills 169
References 197
Annex A. Engagement 202

FIGURES
Figure 1.1. Cross-country variation in job automatability and percentage of jobs at risk of significant change 16
Figure 1.2. The OECD Skills Strategy Framework 18
Figure 1.3. Skills Strategy Dashboard, the Slovak Republic and selected European countries 19
Figure 1.4. Key indicators for developing relevant skills 20
Figure 1.5. Key indicators for using skills effectively 23
Figure 2.1. Slovak performance in PISA is decreasing, and the gap with the OECD average is widening 45
Figure 2.2. The share of low achievers in the Slovak Republic is on the rise 46
Figure 2.3. Enrolment rate is lower in districts facing higher unemployment rates 49
Figure 2.4. Slovak teachers devote less time to teaching in classes with vulnerable students 56
Figure 2.5. Early school leaving rate is significantly higher among the Roma population 60
Figure 2.6. Young Slovak teachers lack preparedness in key areas of teaching 65
Figure 2.7. Professional development of teachers should be more aligned with teacher needs 68
Figure 2.8. Slovak teachers need a greater diversity of professional development opportunities 70
Figure 3.1. Recent evolution in vacancies and unemployment in the Slovak Republic 89
Figure 3.2. Shortages across skills and abilities from the OECD Skills for Jobs database 90
Figure 3.3. Skills mismatches in the Slovak Republic, from the OECD Skills for Jobs database 92
Figure 3.4. Migration balance in the Slovak Republic 94
Figure 3.5. Characteristics of incoming skilled workers in the Slovak Republic 117
Figure 4.1. Slovak adults participate less in adult learning than the OECD average 134
Figure 4.2. Hours in non-formal education per participant/per adult, and participation rate in non-formal
education (2012 or 2015) 134
Figure 4.3. Less-skilled Slovak adults participate less in adult learning than higher-skilled adults 135
Figure 4.4. Slovak workers in SMEs participate less in adult learning than workers in large firms 136
Figure 4.5. Unemployed Slovak adults participate in adult learning significantly less than those employed 136
Figure 4.6. Expenditure on ALMP is low in Slovakia, and investment in training is limited 144
Figure 5.1. Reading at work and productivity in terms of GDP per hour worked 160
Figure 5.2. Relationship between using reading skills at work and HPWP adoption 162
Figure 5.3. Literacy proficiency and reading at work indicators, The Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC), 2012, 2015 165
Figure 5.4. Adoption of practices that enhance the work flexibility and autonomy of employees 166
Figure 5.5. Co-operation between colleagues and teamwork in firms 167
Figure 5.6. Participation in continuing vocational and on-the-job training 168
Figure 5.7. Career advancement prospects and performance appraisal systems 169
Figure 5.8. Involvement of employees in the improvement of work, 2015 171
Figure 5.9. Reliance on professional management 174
Figure 5.10. Productivity growth by firm size and sector 179
Figure 5.11. Sustainable Governance Indicators, executive capacity, 2018 188
Figure 5.12. The skills gap between public and private sectors, by gender, 2012/2015 194

TABLES
Table 2.1. Main actors in the education system and their responsibilities (ISCED 1 to 3) 43
Table 2.2. Kindergartens and enrolment in pre-primary education by type of provider (2018) 48
Table 2.3. Mandatory pre-primary education will put pressure on current capacity 51
OECD SKILLS STRATEGY SLOVAK REPUBLIC © OECD 2020
8 
Table 3.1. Main skills assessment and anticipation tools available in the Slovak Republic 86
Table 3.2. Overview of the secondary education system in the Slovak Republic 87
Table 3.3. Overview of the tertiary education system in the Slovak Republic 88
Table 3.4. Overview of current shortages in the Slovak Republic 90
Table 3.5. Overview of future labour market demand 91
Table 3.6. Funding formula in tertiary education 109
Table 3.7. Decision-making bodies in universities 110
Table 4.1. Main adult learning actors in the Slovak Republic 133
Table 4.2. Strategies and initiatives covering lifelong learning in the Slovak Republic 138

Annex Table 1.A.1. Pillars, aggregates and underlying indicators 37
Annex Table 1.B.1. Long-term skills and education policy goals 39
Annex Table 1.B.2. Recent reforms related to skills and education 40

Table A.1. National Project Team 202
Table A.2. Supporting experts 202
Table A.3. Organisation and stakeholders participating in the Skills Strategy Seminar, Bratislava,
29 January 2019 203
Table A.4. Organisation and stakeholders participating in the Assessment Workshop, Bratislava, 9 April 2019 204
Table A.5. Organisation and stakeholders participating in focus group discussions, Bratislava,
10 to 11 April 2019 205
Table A.6. Organisation and stakeholders participating in the Recommendations Workshop, Bratislava,
18 June 2019 205
Table A.7. Bilateral meetings, Bratislava, 17, 19 to 20 June 2019 206

Follow OECD Publications on:
http://twitter.com/OECD_Pubs
http://www.facebook.com/OECDPublications
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/OECD-Publications-4645871
http://www.youtube.com/oecdilibrary
OECD http://www.oecd.org/oecddirect/
Alerts
This book has... StatLinks2
A service that delivers Excel® files from the printed page!
LookfortheStatLinks2at thebottomofthetablesorgraphsinthisbook.
To download the matching Excel® spreadsheet, just type the link into your
Internetbrowser,startingwiththehttp://dx.doi.orgprefix,orclickonthelinkfrom
thee-bookedition.

OECD SKILLS STRATEGY SLOVAK REPUBLIC © OECD 2020