Recommended curricula

Within vocational education and training (VET), the curriculum (UP) plays a key role. It is a document that determines the distribution of general and vocational subjects throughout the entire study, including the scope and organisation of vocational practice and vocational training. It helps schools create and adjust their own educational programmes so that they are in compliance with national standards and at the same time respond to the real needs of the work environment.For groups of fields 23, 24 and 26, the selection of a suitable curriculum is extremely important in terms of the quality of preparation of future graduates.

In cooperation with the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SOPK), secondary vocational schools involved in the National Project Centres of Excellence of VET, employers and experts from practice, we revised and published a set of recommended curricula that better reflect the real needs of companies, as well as the possibilities of schools.

What does a recommended curriculum bring?

• A clear setting of the scope of practical teaching, including vocational training and practice.
• A balanced ratio between theory and practice, which prepares the student for application in a real work environment.
• Flexibility in the form of several variants, from which schools and employers can choose the one that best suits their conditions.

Why is it important for the school and the employer to discuss together?

The school cannot decide unilaterally on the scope of practical preparation – according to legislation it is obliged to discuss the School Educational Programme (ŠkVP) with the employer or with the relevant professional organisation (SaPO), if the practical preparation takes place at the employer. In the case of the dual education system, it is even necessary that the ŠkVP be co-created directly with the contractual employer.

By jointly selecting a suitable curriculum, both partners gain:

• the school better materials for organising teaching,
• the employer a more realistically prepared graduate.

Non-recommended curricula

As a SaPO, we also share, for some groups of fields, curricula that we do not recommend – especially due to the low share of practical preparation, which ultimately weakens the readiness of students for the labour market. We consider these versions a weak basis for quality vocational preparation and recommend that schools and companies focus on alternatives with a higher representation of vocational training.

Where can you find more?

The recommended as well as non-recommended versions of the curricula are available on the RZ OVP website:
www.rzovp.sk/odporucane-ucebne-plany-2025

We believe that timely and constructive discussion between the school and the employer is the key to better education and higher-quality preparation of students.

Source: APZD