ONE of the most pressing problems with respect to unemployment in Slovakia is the mismatch between the education system and the actual needs of employers, Prime Minister Robert Fico said during the press conference dedicated to the National Employment Strategy on November 25.
“It’s not always the case that those who have an education also have a job automatically,” said Fico, as quoted by the TASR newswire, adding that during one of the recent away-from-home sessions of the government in Žilina the cabinet found out that 10,000 out of 11,500 jobless people registered at a nearby job centre were high school or university graduates.
Fico went on to observe that every year Slovak universities generate an enormous number of political scientists, lawyers and social workers who have no chance of finding jobs in their field.
“Slovakia is the most industrial country in the European Union,” Fico said, as quoted by TASR, “we need people with technical skills.”
New Education Minister Juraj Draxler said in interview with the Sme daily that it is critical to continue what the previous minister started including the linking of education and practice. He pointed out that the interdepartmental review of the law on vocational training ended and there are running projects at universities testing how firms are able to cooperate with them.
“This is the issue which is very close to me and I will continue in it,” Draxler told the Sme.
Compiled by Roman Cuprik from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
