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State Secretary M.Sc. Marko Koprivc, Minister of Education Dr. Vinko Logaj and Deputy Director General of DG EMPL Andriana Sukova confirmed the importance of investing European funds in people. Slovenia is approaching the preparation of a strategic Action Plan for skills.Deputy Director of DS EMPL at the European Commission Andriana Sukova | Author: Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development
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Today, the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development (MKRR) hosted the High Representative of the European Commission, the Deputy Director General of the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), Andriana Sukova. The central topic of the talks with the State Secretary, mag. Marko Koprivce was responsible for optimizing the implementation of the European cohesion policy, with a special emphasis on the European Social Fund plus (ESS+) and the preparation of the new Skills Action Plan.
Within the framework of the fourth amendment of the European Cohesion Policy Program 2021-2027, Slovenia undertook to prepare an Action Plan (AN). The preparation of this key document will be based on the principle of partnership and cooperation of all relevant departments. MKRR will coordinate the process in close cooperation with the Ministries of Education, Labour, Health, Digital Transformation, Higher Education and the Economy, and social partners and professional institutions will also be involved.
The aim of the action plan is to improve measures in the field of adult education, in accordance with the Resolution on the National Program of Adult Education (ReNPIO 2022-2030). With this, Slovenia strives to achieve the European Unions goal that at least 60% of adults will be included in education by 2030.
The Deputy Director General of DG EMPL, Andriana Sukova, was initially received by the Minister of Education, dr. Vinko Logaj. The Minister presented activities and measures that address the inclusion of adults in lifelong learning and the reduction of the gap between the competences of adults and the needs of the labor market, such as training to strengthen basic competencies, the acquisition of secondary and higher education and professional qualifications and the promotion of lifelong learning.
Minister of Education Dr. Vinko Logaj emphasized after the meeting: At the Ministry of Education, we are aware of the importance of adult education, which is why we pay a lot of attention to this area, also as coordinators of activities within the resolution. In the future, too, we will advocate for raising the educational level of adults, strengthening basic abilities, greater employability and wider opportunities for learning and participation in education.
This was followed by a working meeting with the State Secretary at the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development, mag. Marko Koprivec and representatives of the competent ministries. At the same time, M.Sc. Koprivc donated: Todays visit confirms that we share a vision with the European Commission on the necessity of adapting programs to the real needs of people. The program must not be static. We are committed to preparing a plan that will not only be an administrative document, but a basis for concrete improvements. We want to ensure that no one is left behind during the transition to a green and digital society, so based on an independent evaluation and the adopted plan, we will also examine the need to re-transfer funds to the ESS+ for the effective implementation of measures by the end of 2026.
During the visit, Deputy Director General of DG EMPL Andriana Sukova pointed out critical challenges at the level of the entire Union: At the EU level, as many as 77% of companies report a lack of qualified workforce. Due to the aging of the population, the European labor market will lose a million people every year by 2050, which we will not be able to replace with technology alone. That is why I welcome Slovenias determined approach to the preparation of the Skills Action Plan. It is imperative that we motivate adults for lifelong learning and encourage employers to support training, as skills are a key driver of European competitiveness.
The delegation of the European Commission and representatives of the Ministry started the working day with a coordination breakfast, which was also attended by the State Secretaries of the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health, which confirms the interdepartmental commitment to the project. In the afternoon, there was a round table with the social partners, who presented the current state of training and retraining programs and the possibilities for their improvement. In order to prepare a high-quality plan, an external evaluation of adult education measures will also be carried out, whose independent findings will be key to formulating credible improvement proposals.
Photos of the meetings can be found on the flickr account of the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development.
