The role of subnational governments in adult skills systems: Slovenia

This country note provides an overview of the governance of the adult skills system in Slovenia. It is part of an extensive review of all 38 OECD countries. The main findings across all countries are summarised in the OECD policy paper The Role of Subnational Governments in Adult Skills Systems. Representatives from the government of Slovenia reviewed the country note in May and it was published in June 2025.

Table 1. Overall governance and expenditure structure

Governance structure	Levels of governance	% of general government expenditure at the sub-national level
Unitary	National: State (država), Local: Municipalities (občine)	17.5
How is the adult skills system governed?
Centralised ✓	Combined system	Decentralised

Note: For more information on the definitions of the governance models, please see (OECD, 2025[1]).

Source: https://www.sng-wofi.org/country-profiles/

How is the adult skills system governed?

Slovenia has a centralsed governance model where most parts of the adult skills system is designed and managed at the national level and implemented by national agencies at the local level.

• Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Higher VET (HVET) policies are designed and funded at the national level by the Ministry of Education (Ministrstvo za vzgojo in izobraževanje), while implementation and delivery is overseen by national agencies. VET schools (poklicne in strokovne šole) are the main providers of VET programmes while higher vocational colleges (višje strokovne šole) deliver HVET.

• Continuous Education and Training (CET) and Adult Education (AE) is also designed by the Ministry of Education. Meanwhile, municipalities oversee the implementation of AE through a network of various AE providers. Both national and local levels contribute to the funding.

• Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) are primarily managed at the national level. The Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (Ministrstvo za delo, družino, socialne zadeve in enake možnosti) is in charge of strategy, design, funding and implementing of ALMPs, which are delivered by the Employment Service of Slovenia (Zavod Republike Slovenije za zaposlovanje) through its local branches.

Table 2. Allocation of responsibilities across policy areas and levels of government

		Strategy	Intelligence	Implementation	Funding	Delivery
Policy area	National level
	VET, HVET	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
	CET	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
	AE	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
	ALMP	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
	Local level
	VET, HVET	-	-	-	✓	-
	CET	-	-	✓	✓	✓
	AE	-	-	✓	✓	✓
	ALMP	-	-	-	-	-

Legend: ✓ = Yes; - = No

Note: For more information on exact definitions of policy areas and responsibilities, please see (OECD, 2025[1]).

Infographic 1. Overview of the adult skills system

Note: Colour code: Dark blue → government/national/subnational agencies, Green → social partners, Lighter blue → private actors and education providers, Yellow → Expert councils/foundations/associations/research institutions. For more information, please see (OECD, 2025[1])

Source: OECD compilation based on available information.

Stakeholders and responsibilities at the national level

At the national level, the following stakeholders have a central role in the adult skills system:

• The Ministry of Education (Ministrstvo za vzgojo in izobraževanje) is in charge of policies and legislation covering the entire education system, including VET, HVET, CET, and AE. It is also responsible for funding VET schools.

• The Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities designs, funds and supervises the implementation of ALMPs and monitors and evaluates their effectiveness. The Ministry also manages the National Vocational Qualification system and supervises the Employment Service of Slovenia, which is the Slovenian Public Employment Service. The service is a centrally organised institution with 12 Regional and 59 Local Offices across Slovenia.

• At the national level, various agencies support the activities of ministries, including the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training (Center Republike Slovenije za poklicno izobraževanje) which acts as the link between the ministry and social partners in the VET system; the National Education Institute Slovenia (Zavod Republike Slovenije za šolstvo) which is in charge of the quality of education in VET schools; the Slovenian Institute for Adult Education (Andragoški center Republike Slovenije) which is responsible for evaluating the adult education system; and National Examinations Centre (Državni izpitni center) which prepares vocational examination as well as sets and awards qualifications in VET and AE.

• VET programmes are offered at upper secondary and tertiary levels. The upper secondary level VET is provided mostly through public VET schools (police in stroke šole). Tertiary education includes short-cycle higher vocational education and higher education. Short-cycle higher vocational education is provided by the higher vocational colleges (višje strokovne šole), which can be public or private. Intercompany Training Centers (medpodjetniški izobraževalni center) provide VET, CET, and AE through cooperation between VET providers and local businesses.

• Social partners support the activities of the Ministry of Education, including through the Expert Council for VET (Strokovni svet RS za poklicno in strokovno izobraževanje) and the Expert Council for Adult Education (Strokovni svet RS za izobraževanje odraslih).

Table 3. Stakeholders and responsibilities at the national level

Name of institution	Responsibilities					Organisation type	Areas	Description
	Strategy	Intelligence	Implementation	Funding	Delivery
Ministry of Education (Ministrstvo za vzgojo in izobraževanje)	✓	-	-	✓	-	Ministry	VET HVET AE	The Ministry is in charge of managing and funding VET, AE and some parts of HVET policies. It adopts legislation on VET, short-cycle HVET and AE. It funds accredited VET schools. It reviews and develops the education system including curricula.
Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (Ministrstvo za delo, družino, socialne zadeve in enake možnosti)	✓	✓	-	✓	-	Ministry	VET ALMP	The Ministry designs and manages funding of ALMPs. It decides on the norms and standards for the provision of labour market services. It supervises and funds the operations of the PES and monitors the effectiveness and efficiency of ALMPs. For VET, the Ministry holds the responsibility for adoption of occupational standards and National Vocational Qualification system.
Employment Service of Slovenia (Zavod Republike Slovenije za zaposlovanje)	-	✓	✓	-	✓	National Agency	ALMP	It is an independent legal entity that has operates across the entire country under the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities from which it also receives funding. It has 12 Regional Offices and 59 Local Offices. The Regional Offices support the Local Offices to implement ALMPs and co-operate with employers and service providers. Meanwhile local offices deliver ALMPs. PES provides lifelong career guidance and job brokerage and nformation on the labour market situation and trends
Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training (Center Republike Slovenije za poklicno izobraževanje)	-	✓	✓	-	-	National Agency	VET	It monitors and guides the development of VET, recognition of non-formal competences and provides in-service teacher training and VET curricula. It also acts as a link between ministries, schools and social partners. It operates under the Ministry of Education
National Education Institute Slovenia (Zavod Republike Slovenije za šolstvo)	-	✓	✓	-	-	National Agency	VET	It is in charge of the quality and development of the general education subjects in the upper secondary VET programmes. It prepares expert documents for and operates under the Ministry of Education.
Slovenian Institute for Adult Education (Andragoški center Republike Slovenije)	-	✓	✓	-	-	National Agency	VET CET AE	It is responsible for development and quality of adult education system, including VET, and training of trainers in AE. The Institute develops various non-formal and formal forms of learning. It operates under the Ministry of Education.
National Examinations Centre (Državni izpitni center)	-	✓	✓	-	-	National Agency	VET AE	It implements vocational examination that relates to general-education subjects. It is responsible for setting and awarding qualifications. It plays a part in the validation of non-formal and informal knowledge, such as development of assessment and certification of National Vocation Qualificcation. It operates under the Ministry of Education.
Educational Research Institute (Pedagoški Inštitut)	-	✓	-	-	-	National Agency	VET HVET CET AE	It focuses on research in education, including areas such as educational policies, curriculum development, and pedagogical methodologies. This includes for VET, HVET, CET, AE.
National School of Leadership in Education (Šola za ravnatelje)	-	-	✓	-	-	National Agency	VET	It is responsible for training of head teachers, including head teachers in VET schools. It operates under the Ministry of Education
Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (Nacionalna agencija Republike Slovenije za kakovost v visokem šolstvu)	-	-	✓	-	-	National Agency	HVET	It is responsible for the external evaluation processes of higher vocational colleges to assess whether they meet accreditation standards.
Vocational and technical schools (poklicne in strokovne šole)	-	-	-	-	✓	Education provider	VET	There are multiple types of vocational and technical schools in Slovenia, including secondary vocational schools (offering three-year programmes leading to vocational qualifications) and technical secondary schools (offering four-year programmes providing a combination of general education and specialized training). Decisions on school establishment, funding, and education programs are made nationally, but schools have autonomy to define their own learning content, teaching methods, recruitment, and student enrollment. Upper secondary VET schools are managed by a school council appointed by the Ministry of Education, which centrally adopted education programs. Local needs are addressed through the open curriculum, which makes up 20% of VET programs, designed in cooperation with businesses and social partners. Public VET schools are autonomous and funded by the Ministry of Education and municipalities. Private VET schools are limited.
Higher vocational colleges (višje strokovne šole)	-	-	-	-	✓	Education provider	HVET	The higher vocational colleges provide HVET. Public colleges are founded by the state, while private colleges are founded by domestic or non-domestic legal entities or natural persons. They operate under the Ministry of Education. They are accredited by the Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.
Intercompany Training Centres (medpodjetniški izobraževalni center)	-	-	-	-	✓	Education provider	VET CET AE	Schools or school centres can establish Intercompany Training Centers, which support cooperation between the school and employers. These centres provide practical training for VET learners, VET teachers, the unemployed, and employees, as well as CET and AE programmes and career orientation activities.
Expert Council for VET (Strokovni svet RS za poklicno in strokovno izobraževanje)	-	✓	-	-	-	Expert Council	VET	Provides advice to the Ministry of Education on VET system. It determines professional affairs in VET. It confirms the draft on Occupational Standards, the National Vocational Qualification system and VET programme.
Expert Council for AE (Strokovni svet RS za izobraževanje odraslih)	-	✓	-	-	-	Expert Council	AE	It provides advice to the Ministry of Education on AE. It reviews and evaluates the development of AE.

Legend: ✓ = Yes; - = No

Source: OECD compilation based on (OECD, 2018[2]) (Cedefop, 2021[3]) (OECD, 2021[4]) (European Commission, Eurydice, 2023[5]) (OECD, 2023[6]) (Centre of the Republic of Slovenia for Mobility and European Education, 2024[7]) (European Commission, 2024[8]) (Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training, 2024[9]) (Ministry of Education, 2024[10]) (Centre of the Republic of Slovenia for Mobility and European Education, 2024[7])

Stakeholders and responsibilities at the local level

Slovenia has a single tier of local government consisting of 212 municipalities (Občine). Among municipalities, 12 municipalities have the special status of urban municipality (Mestne občine).

• Municipalities are responsible for founding and funding public adult education institutions which provide AE and CET. Adult education provision is not evenly spread across Slovene regions and municipalities, but all regions are covered. The greatest number of public providers is located in the Savinjska region.

• Local branches of the Employment Service of Slovenia (Območne službe Zavoda Republike Slovenije za zaposlovanje) deliver ALMPs in local areas.

• A broad network of AE and CET providers (mreža ponudnikov izobraževanja odraslih) operate at local level. These include AE units in VET schools, folk high schools (ljudske univerze), Third Age Universities, and other local or community-based organisations.

Table 4. Stakeholders and responsibilities at the local level

Name of institution	Responsibilities					Organisation type	Areas	Description
	Strategy	Intelligence	Implementation	Funding	Delivery
Municipalities (občine)	-	-	✓	✓	-	Sub-national government	VET AE	Municipalities oversee the implementation of AE policies and establish and fund local AE providers. Municipalities are responsible for approving the annual AE programme at local level.
Local branches of the Employment Service of Slovenia (Območne službe Zavoda Republike Slovenije za zaposlovanje)	-	-	-	-	✓	National agency	ALMP	They serve as a direct link to clients, implementing ALMPs and other services such as employment counseling, unemployment insurance. They also provide career guidance, vacancy mediation, and frontline support for job seekers.
AE providers (Mreža ponudnikov izobraževanja odraslih)	-	-	-	-	✓	Education provider	CET AE	AE providers include specialised institutions and organisations offering AE as a supplementary activity. Some are fully publicly funded, while others rely on participant fees, municipal support, and state funding. Key providers include AE units in VET schools, which offer vocational qualifications; folk high schools (ljudske universe), which provide upskilling and non-formal education; and Third-Age Universities, which serve retirees and older workers through lifelong learning programs.

Legend: ✓ = Yes; - = No

Source: OECD compilation based on (Cedefop, 2021[3]) (OECD, 2021[4]) (European Commission, Eurydice, 2023[5]) (OECD, 2023[6])

References

[3] Cedefop (2021), Vocational education and training in Slovenia: short description, Luxembourg: Publications Office, http://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2801/195991.

[7] Centre of the Republic of Slovenia for Mobility and European Education (2024), Webpage, https://www.cmepius.si/english/.

[8] European Commission (2024), Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe, Slovenian Institute for Adult Education (SIAE), https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en/organisations/slovenian-institute-adult-education-siae.

[5] European Commission, Eurydice (2023), National Education Systems, https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-education-systems/slovenia/overview.

[9] Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training (2024), Webpage, https://cpi.si/en/about/mission-visiona-and-goals/.

[10] Ministry of Education (2024), Webpage, https://www.gov.si/en/state-authorities/ministries/ministry-of-education/.

[1] OECD (2025), “From national to local: Exploring the role of subnational governments in adult skills systems across OECD countries”, OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Papers, No. 2025/XX, OECD Publishing, Paris.

[6] OECD (2023), ““Who does what” for active labour market policies: A zoom on the role of subnational governments”, OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Papers, No. 2023/09, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/d8d6868d-en.

[4] OECD (2021), Institutional and regulatory set-up of active labour market policy provision in Slovenia, https://www.oecd.org/els/emp/Slovenia_ALMP_Institutional_set-up.pdf.

[2] OECD (2018), Skills Strategy Implementation Guidance for Slovenia: Improving the Governance of Adult Learning, OECD Skills Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264308459-en.

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