Introduction

The reason for the creation of action plans for the development of less-developed districts in 2016–2019 in Slovakia was the need to address long-term regional disparity, reflected also in different rates of registered unemployment and in the share of adults without education and with primary education among all jobseekers. In lifelong education, enduring factors of regional disparity in Slovakia include interregional differences in the educational level of residents and, in the area of employment, a high share of long-term unemployed people, of whom the majority are unemployed with incomplete primary education and with primary education (Update of the National Regional Development Strategy of the Slovak Republic, 2014).

In 2008 the Slovak Government adopted Act No. 539/2008 Z.z. on the support of regional development, which defined the National Regional Development Strategy of the Slovak Republic, adopted by Government Decree No. 296/2010, as the key document for supporting regional development at national level (Update of the National Regional Development Strategy of the Slovak Republic, 2014, p. 3). It was developed within EU development policy until 2020, which was shaped by the Europe 2020 growth strategy (2010).

Disparities in regional development were also evident within regions, in disparities among districts, especially in the Banskobystrický Self-Governing Region (BSK), Prešovský Self-Governing Region (PSK), and Košický Self-Governing Region (KSK). In response, the Slovak Government adopted Act No. 336/2015 on support for the least developed districts and on amendments and supplements to certain laws, which sets out the conditions, system, and forms of support to the least developed districts. A district was entered into the list of least developed districts if “the registered unemployment rate calculated from the available number of jobseekers reported by the State center, was for at least nine calendar quarters during the previous twelve consecutive calendar quarters higher than 1.6 times the average registered unemployment rate in the Slovak Republic for the same period” (Act No. 336/2015, § 2, (3)(a)1). For least developed districts, action plans were prepared and approved by the Slovak Government as “binding documents focused on removing the lag of the least developed district, based on basic documents for support of regional development, other documents and government recommendations” (Act No. 336/2015, § 4, (1)).

Second-chance education in the system of basic and secondary schools

Secondary education has long been a minimum requirement for entry into the labor market and for sustainable employability (Adults in Formal Education, 2011). In European countries, there are different models of education that allow those who left initial education early to acquire basic education or raise their educational level through so-called second-chance education (second-chance schools). We define second-chance education as “an opportunity for adults to obtain, in continuing and lifelong education cycles, the type and level of education that is normally acquired during childhood or youth in the initial, initial education cycle...” (Švec, 2008, p.225). Obtaining secondary education (vocational secondary, complete vocational secondary, complete general secondary education) is considered necessary for adequate social functioning, fulfillment of social roles culturally and historically attributed to adulthood, regardless of ethnicity or social stratification, particularly for adults with low or no education and low levels of basic skills (Lukáč, Lukáčová, Pirohová, 2019, p. 517). Support for equal opportunities to attain education or to increase educational attainment in adulthood, specifically for adults without education and with primary education, is therefore also considered a factor of development and of reducing regional disparity in Slovakia.

In the Slovak system of basic and secondary schools, the possibility of second-chance education is legislatively anchored in Act No. 539/2008 on education and upbringing (the School Act). However, the term second-chance education does not appear in the text of this act. The possibility to study in basic and secondary schools at adult age is guaranteed by the principles of education and upbringing as c) equal access to education and upbringing, taking into account the educational needs of the individual and his or her co-responsibility for own education, and f) lifelong education (§ 3 Principles of Education and Upbringing, 245/2008 Z.z.). Within lifelong education, this law also anchors for adults the possibility of obtaining basic education and increasing educational level in basic and secondary schools through external forms of study, which take place as evening, distance, and correspondence forms (§ 54 Forms of organization of education and upbringing, 245/2008 Z.z.).

Second-chance education for registered jobseekers at labour offices, ministries of labour, social affairs and family without and with basic education runs within education and preparation for the labor market, through which it is not possible to increase educational level; however, this does not apply to completion of basic or secondary school education for jobseekers in order to obtain a certificate of completion of basic or secondary school in the last year of the respective school through projects and programs under § 46(3) (§ 44(2), Act No. 5/2004 Z.z. on employment services).

Purpose of the secondary analysis of action plans for the development of less-developed districts

We carried out a secondary analysis of action plans for the development of less-developed districts in Slovakia. The purpose of the secondary analysis was to examine and describe whether and in what way, in these documents, second-chance education for adults without primary education (ISCED 100) and with primary education (ISCED 244) appears as a means of development for least developed districts in the following regions: a) Banskobystrický self-governing region, b) Košický self-governing region, c) Prešovský self-governing region.

Table 3. List of least developed districts and the registered unemployment rate - December 2019

We conducted a secondary analysis of action plans for the development of less-developed districts in a total of 20 (see Table 1).

Results of the secondary analysis of action plans for the development of less-developed districts in Slovakia

In the Banskobystrický self-governing region, five of the region’s thirteen districts were entered into the category of less developed district—Lučenec, Poltár, Revúca, Rimavská Sobota, and Veľký Krtíš—for which individual action plans were prepared.

After Lučenec was included in the category of less developed districts on 15 December 2015, the Slovak Government approved its Action Plan for the Development of Lučenec District for 2016–2020 on 23 June 2016. The plan’s state assessment pointed out that “among jobseekers there is a high share of unemployed persons with incomplete or completed primary education, significantly exceeding both the regional and Slovak averages” (Action Plan for the Development of Lučenec District, 2016, p. 5). In that context, within the priority area Entrepreneurship and Better Jobs, the action plan set out to create 5 social economy institutions in localities with the highest unemployment. For their effective operation and within their scope, training centers were to be established, whose “task will be to provide people with basic and incomplete education with practical skills and improved financial literacy aimed at employment in social economy institutions and later on the open labor market” (Action Plan for the Development of Lučenec District, 2016, p. 24). In Amendment No. 3 issued in March 2019, these previously included training centers were moved into the priority dedicated to education (Action Plan for the Development of Lučenec District with the wording of Amendment No. 3, 2019, p. 25). A training center is an institution that provides further education for adults in accordance with Act No. 568/2009 Z.z. on lifelong learning and on amendments and supplements to certain laws. Training centers are linked with social integration enterprises, where preparation for performing basic work tasks is carried out. The target group of these centers is primarily disadvantaged jobseekers. Of the total preparation time, 80% is practical and 20% theoretical (Action Plan for the Development of Lučenec District, 2016). In the area of qualification and retraining provision according to regional needs, three regional education centers with a practical education focus were to be integrated: SOŠ Fiľakovo, SOŠ Technical Lučenec, and SOŠ Hotel Services and Transport Lučenec. With financial support from the Slovak Government in 2017–2018, the Center for Vocational Education and Training was established at SOŠ Technical Lučenec, whose target group also includes jobseekers who did not integrate into the labor market and who do not have the knowledge and skills required for open positions (SOŠ Technical Lučenec).

The action plan for Poltár district was approved by the Slovak Government on 7 September 2016, also because at that time it was the fifth district in Slovakia with the highest registered unemployment rate. “The core of unemployed people consists of jobseekers with secondary education, while the share of jobseekers with primary education is fairly low and the share of jobseekers with incomplete primary education exceeds the Slovak and regional averages” (Action Plan for the Development of Poltár District in the wording of Amendment No. 3, 2019, p. 5). As a tool to address this, the action plan proposed the establishment of a Regional Education Center, or Center for Vocational Education and Preparation, at Spojená School in Poltár. In addition to daytime students, it was intended to serve other persons wishing to supplement, refresh, expand or deepen qualifications, or acquire a new partial or complete qualification, including in cooperation with the relevant labour office, social affairs and family ministry. The planned Regional Center was to provide educational activities not only in Poltár but also in Rimavská Sobota, Lučenec, and Revúca, and was to cooperate with businesses for professional preparation in line with current regional industry needs. Similarly, in this district, the action plan also proposed establishing a training center for further adult education to prepare participants mainly for simple manual work activities.

A few days after Poltár, the Slovak Government approved the Action Plan for the Development of Revúca District on 13 September 2016 (2016). The poor educational structure of the population had already been indicated by the 2011 population census, according to which 17.9% of the district population had incomplete education and 22.9% had only primary education completed (Population, Housing and Dwellings Census, 2011). Among registered jobseekers in the district at the end of 2015, nearly 51% had incomplete or only primary education and belonged to the category of long-term unemployed (Action Plan for the Development of Revúca District, 2016, p. 8). In this context, one of the main measures was aimed at educational intervention, increasing qualification, training, etc., to improve the structure of jobseekers and make the district labor market more attractive to potential investors (Action Plan for the Development of Revúca District, 2016, p. 24). The plan envisaged establishing 2 regional education centers at SOŠ Gen. Viesta in Revúca and SOŠ in Tornala, with the vision of also providing requalification and qualification courses. At these educational institutions, the plan also recommended founding training centers for adult education focused on simple work activities and retraining. These actions are supplemented by efforts to create a preparation and education cluster for the labor market, which “will ensure a coherent system of career counselling and education for the needs of the regional labor market through accredited education programs and a set of diagnostic, motivational, and guidance programs focused on diagnosing work potential and identifying suitable professional orientation in line with the needs of the regional labor market” (Action Plan for the Development of Revúca District, 2016, p. 28).

On 24 June 2016, the Slovak Government included Rimavská Sobota district in the category of less developed district due to high unemployment in the district, which in the first quarter of 2016 was 27.2%, while the Slovak average for that period was 10.1% (Action Plan for the Development of Rimavská Sobota District, 2016, p. 3). The state analysis before drafting the action plan for the development of Rimavská Sobota district (2016) noted that, by 31.12.2015, 12,831 jobseekers were registered at the district labor office, of whom as many as 52.4% had no education or only completed primary education, almost four fifths more than the national average (Action Plan for the Development of Rimavská Sobota District in the wording of Amendment No. 3, 2019, p. 7). This situation was also driven by a high rate of demotivation to complete at least lower secondary school, as pupils leave without completing education after compulsory schooling, which is reflected in low educational attainment and insufficient work habits. The action plan therefore, among other things, focused on building practical education centers at selected secondary schools and 2 training centers in Rimavská Sobota and Hnúšťa. Target groups were unemployed adults with low educational levels, and the purpose of the training centers was their retraining.

The last district in the Banskobystrický self-governing region to be categorized as a less developed district and with an approved action plan (7 September 2016) was Veľký Krtíš. “Among jobseekers as of 30.6.2016, more than 30% have incomplete or only completed primary education” (Action Plan for the Development of Veľký Krtíš District, 2016, p. 5). As in other districts, the action plan for Veľký Krtíš proposed establishing regional education centers at schools—Spojená School Modrý Kameni, SOŠ Želovce, and SOŠ Veľký Krtíš—and at least 3 training centers (Action Plan for the Development of Veľký Krtíš District in the wording of Amendment No.4, 2019).

The actions in action plans for the development of less-developed districts in the Banskobystrický self-governing region, specifically regarding education—establishing training centers and strengthening qualification and requalification education in SOŠ—indicate support for further education of adults without education and with primary education. Measures and tasks aimed at increasing the chance to obtain lower secondary education, or secondary vocational education, in second-chance education do not appear in the action plans.

For the Košický self-governing region, action plans as binding documents approved by the Government of the Slovak Republic were prepared for the following districts: Košice – okolie, Trebišov, Sobrance, Gelnica, Rožňava, and Michalovce.

Trebišov district was entered into the list of least developed districts by the State Labour Office, Social Affairs and Family (ÚPSVaR) on 15 December 2015, and with the cooperation of relevant regional actors a document, the “Action Plan for the Development of Trebišov District,” for 2016–2020 was prepared. The main reason for classifying the district in this category was the high unemployment rate, which in 2015 was 18.4%—the Slovak average was 10.6% (DataCube). Data on registered jobseekers with incomplete primary education and completed only primary education also exceeded the Slovak average: in Trebišov as of 31.5.2016, incomplete primary education made up 6,6%, while in Slovakia it was 5,5%, and 31,2% were jobseekers with only completed primary education, while in Slovakia it was 24,8% (Monthly Statistics on the Number and Structure of Jobseekers, 2016). The action plan tries to bridge this unfavorable situation also through Priority C, Education and Career, which in relation to these jobseekers set a goal to build six training centers in the district. These centers were to have direct linkage to vocational secondary schools and social economy institutions—amended in Addendum No. 1 (2017, p. 4) to municipal enterprises.

For Sobrance district, also entered on 15 December 2015 among the least developed districts, an Action Plan was also prepared, mainly because: “Economic growth and unemployment reduction in Slovakia have not been expressed to a sufficient extent in the Sobrance district, so from an unemployment-rate perspective, the district even slightly diverges from the Slovak average” (Action Plan for the Development of Sobrance District, 2016, p. 3). In March 2016, the rate of registered jobseekers without completed primary education in the district was 3,7% (5,3% in Slovakia), and 29,9% had completed only primary education (24,7% in Slovakia) (Monthly Statistics on the Number and Structure of Jobseekers, 2016). In the education area, the Action Plan for Sobrance district included the development of a Training Center and a Center for Vocational Education at SOŠ of Trade and Services in Sobrance. Its goal was to provide education for pupils and, where needed, unemployed adults, and also to create space for education for ÚPSVaR needs, with an emphasis on introducing a dual education system.

On the same date as Trebišov and Sobrance, Rožňava was also classified as a least developed district. Unemployment in this district “by 31 March in 2013–2016 ranged between 29,58% and 20,36%, while the registered unemployment rate in Slovakia in the same period ranged between 14,68% and 9,89%” (Action Plan for the Development of Rožňava District, 2016, p. 3). According to statistical data for May 2016, in this district 3,7% of registered jobseekers had no primary education, and 7,0% had completed only primary education (both in KSK), while in Slovakia those rates were 5,5% and 24,8% respectively; for completed primary education the percentages were 41,1% in the district, 31,4 in KSK, and 24,8 nationally (ibid., p. 4). Priority D of the Action Plan for the Development of Rožňava District, titled Development of Human Capital through Education for Labor Market Needs, is focused on “establishing a Regional Vocational Center (RVC) with focus on: - training and retraining in CNC technology operation and automation equipment; - welding school; - training and retraining in agriculture.

RVCs are intended to prepare qualified labor force for small and medium-sized enterprises. The target group of RVCs are pupils of SOŠ and other persons interested in supplementing, refreshing, expanding, or deepening qualifications or acquiring new partial or full qualification. RVCs can retrain jobseekers in cooperation with ÚPSVR SR. Education is organized with emphasis on acquiring practical skills” (Action Plan for the Development of Rožňava District, 2016, p. 24). This task was also expected to be carried out by SOŠ that meet all requirements to function as RVCs. Another instrument was training centers. The Action Plan proposes establishing one at the municipal social enterprise in Dobšiná and another focused on traditional regional crafts and support for regional branding.

Gelnica district was entered into the list of least developed districts by the State Labour Office, Social Affairs and Family (ÚPSVaR SR) effective 30 June 2017. This decision was based on high unemployment in the district, especially among jobseekers with incomplete education (21,7%) and with only completed primary education (34,6%) (Action Plan for the Development of Gelnica District, 2018, pp. 12–13). In this context, the action plan included support for centers preparing for future occupations and training centers for unqualified labor according to labor market needs, to be established at vocational secondary schools and their satellite workplaces, such as SOŠ Richnava and SOŠ satellite site Nálepkovo.

Košice-okolie is the largest district in KSK and was entered into the list of least developed districts on 22 January 2018. In its analysis of unfavorable conditions, the Action Plan notes that according to 2017 statistics, approximately “half of jobseekers have only basic education, which is nearly double the Slovak average” (Action Plan for the Development of Košice-okolie District, 2018, p. 16). In the priority area Education, in the section on supporting dual education, it states that one goal is also “the building of training centers for unqualified labor in line with labor market demands in cooperation with vocational secondary schools in the district, employers and ÚPSVaR, support for vocational education based on real needs of existing and new firms established on the market” (Action Plan for the Development of Košice-okolie District, 2018, p. 29).

Within KSK, the district of Michalovce, as a least developed district, was included latest—on 19 October 2018—and the Action Plan for the Development of Michalovce District was approved by Government Decree No. 322/2019 on 26 June 2019. In lifelong education, this action plan proposes centers for lifelong education and professional courses for employees. A measurable output in the plan is the establishment of one center for agricultural employee education.

As in action plans for the development of least developed districts in Banskobystrický self-governing region, action plans for the least developed districts in Košický self-governing region prioritize training centers and qualification or requalification courses for adults, jobseekers without incomplete primary education and with primary education, rather than second-chance education.

For the Prešovský self-governing region, action plans were prepared by the Slovak Government for the following districts: Kežmarok, Sabinov, Svidník, Vranov nad Topľou, Bardejov, Medzilaborce, Snina, Levoča, and Stropkov.

Kežmarok was entered into the category of least developed districts by ÚPSVaR on 15 December 2015, and with cooperation of relevant regional actors the Action Plan for Development of Kežmarok District was prepared for 2016–2020. Kežmarok is one of the districts that has long suffered from high unemployment. Its average unemployment rate during the last twelve quarters (4Q2012–3Q2015) reached 27%, the third highest in Slovakia after Rimavská Sobota and Revúca (Action Plan for the Development of Kežmarok District in the wording of Amendment No. 2, 2018, p. 3). Data on jobseekers with incomplete primary education were also above the Slovak average: in Kežmarok they represented 17,7% by 31.12.2015, while in Slovakia it was 5,1%, and 41,6% had only completed primary education, compared with 24,2% nationally (Monthly Statistics on the Number and Structure of Jobseekers, 2015).

With respect to adults with primary education, a measure was set and planned to create Regional Centers for Education and Preparation as pillars of an efficient and flexible network of institutions for secondary, vocational secondary, and lifelong education and counselling, with emphasis on strengthening practical education and skill development, building on the existing Center for Vocational Education and Preparation at the Hotel Academy O. Brucknera for hospitality, gastronomy and tourism in Kežmarok and two newly created centers at vocational secondary schools for crafts and services at SOŠ, Garbiarska 1, Kežmarok, and for agriculture and food industry at SOŠ, Kušnierska brána 349/2, Kežmarok (Action Plan for the Development of Kežmarok District, 2016, p. 25). These centers, beyond their main focus on the development of dual education tailored to labor market needs, were to support the use and development of vocational, personnel, and technical capacities of SOŠ for implementing qualification and requalification courses. For people with incomplete primary education, the plan called for at least 3 training workplaces at SOŠ to provide qualification courses in municipalities with high unemployment rates, responding to local business needs, including marginalized groups (Action Plan for the Development of Kežmarok District, 2016, p. 15).

Sabinov district was also entered into the category of least developed districts by ÚPSVaR on 15 December 2015. The Action Plan for Development of Sabinov District was approved by the Slovak Government at an on-site meeting on 22 August 2016 (Government Decree No. 350/2016).

In the long term, Sabinov is among the districts with the highest unemployment, ranked on average in seventh position among districts with the highest registered unemployment in the Slovak Republic. In PSK it has long been in third position in unemployment rate (Action Plan for the Development of Sabinov District, 2016, p. 3).

In relation to measures focused on adults with incomplete primary education, mostly from marginalized Roma communities, the priority area B—Human Resource Development and Support planned to build two training centers in Sabinov and Lipany with at least 11 workplace incubators (Action Plan for the Development of Sabinov District, 2016, p. 20). Conditions for further qualification and requalification education, especially for jobseekers, were to be created by building two regional education centers at Spojená School, SNP 16, Sabinov, and Stredná Odborná Škola, Lipany (Action Plan for the Development of Sabinov District, 2016, p. 20). In these measures and activities, therefore, for jobseekers without and with primary education, emphasis is placed on further education and links to the business environment, not on second-chance education.

In addition to Kežmarok and Sabinov, Svidník and Vranov nad Topľou were entered as least developed districts by ÚPSVaR on 15 December 2015. Action plans for these districts were prepared and approved by the Slovak Government at an on-site meeting on 22 August 2016 (Government Decree No. 350/2016).

For Svidník, high migration balance and negative population growth are long-term characteristics, connected to movement of population to larger cities in the west and abroad. Unlike Kežmarok, Sabinov, and Vranov nad Topľou, the educational structure of the unemployed is relatively good (Action Plan for the Development of Svidník District, 2016). In Priority C, Education, Flexibility and Career, the action plan highlights developing qualifications responsive to labor market needs, and in relation to our target groups emphasizes the importance of further qualification and requalification courses provided by regional education centers at SOŠ.

Economic growth and declining unemployment in Slovakia in 2018 did not materialize sufficiently in Vranov nad Topľou (Action Plan for the Development of Vranov nad Topľou in the wording of Amendment No. 3, 2018, p. 3). The action plan for Vranov nad Topľou planned the creation and completion of Regional Development Centers (RVCs) also for people interested in supplementing, refreshing, expanding, or deepening qualifications or obtaining new, partial, or complete qualifications. An RCV can retrain jobseekers in cooperation with ÚPSVR SR. Education is implemented with emphasis on gaining practical skills. The plan included the completion and development of RVCs in cooperation with SOŠ Drevárska, Lúčna, Vranov nad Topľou, Spojená škola Čaklov, Stredná odborná škola, A. Dubčeka, Vranov nad Topľou. Another priority was to create a cluster of counselling and educational institutions ensuring a coherent system of career counseling and education for the needs of the regional labor market, as well as building training centers at local social economy enterprises to provide retraining and occupational preparation for adults with incomplete primary education.

Bardejov was included as a least developed district effective 30 September 2017 by ÚPSVaR SR. The Action Plan for the Development of Bardejov District was approved by the Slovak Government at an on-site meeting on 4 July 2018 (Government Decree No. 307/2018). The population structure by completed education was comparable to that of Prešovský region. The district showed mildly unfavorable data in groups with lower educational attainment or without primary-level education. A significant overrepresentation, compared with the national average, was among jobseekers with incomplete primary education. Long-term unemployment is a major issue in Bardejov (Action Plan for the Development of Bardejov District, 2018). In the priority area Education and Workforce Adaptation for Labor Market Needs, with respect to adults with low qualifications, again the link between social enterprises and training centers was prioritized, and educational support was also to be promoted for obtaining lower secondary education (basic education). In this case, this is an action focused on second-chance education.

Medzilaborce was included as a least developed district effective 30 September 2017 by ÚPSVaR SR. The Action Plan for the Development of Medzilaborce District was approved by the Slovak Government on 3 July 2018 (Government Decree No. 305/2018). In 2017, the largest proportion of jobseekers was the group with completed primary education, accounting for up to 32,54% of all jobseekers. The proportion of jobseekers with incomplete and completed primary education reached up to 41,81% (Action Plan of the least developed district Medzilaborce, 2018). The measure in the priority area of the action plan concerns building a training center. No other measures focused on lifelong education appear elsewhere in the whole text of the action plan.

Snina was included as a least developed district effective 25 April 2018 by ÚPSVaR SR. The Action Plan for the Development of Snina District was approved by the Slovak Government on 16 January 2019 (Government Decree No. 22/2019). The unemployment rate in the district gradually declined from 22,31% in 2009 to 9,28% in 2017. The unemployment rate in Snina, calculated from the total number of registered jobseekers, was 9,65% as of 31.08.2018, compared with the end of August 2017 a registered decrease of 1,56 percentage points (Action Plan for the Development of Snina District, 2019). Current unemployment is not critical compared with the rate in Prešovský region. The reality is that the district has a high share of economically active residents leaving to work abroad, who are not registered at labor offices, which affects the objectivity of the data. Other plan activities also included supporting vocational preparation centers, building regional education centers, building training centers for unqualified labor according to labor market demands in cooperation with vocational secondary schools in the district, employers, and ÚPSVaR. Activities of this measure focus, among other things, on supporting educational programs for obtaining lower secondary education, qualification courses, and retraining courses.

Levoča was included as a least developed district effective 25 April 2018 by ÚPSVaR SR. The Action Plan for the Development of Levoča District was approved by the Slovak Government on 17 January 2019 (Government Decree No. 24/2019). More than a third of the unemployed in the district have only primary education. “Increasing employment of these persons on the labor market can be achieved by introducing alternative forms of upgrading qualifications, such as through practical learning in so-called training centers and subsequent integration into the labor market. The purpose of this measure is to support the establishment of social enterprises focused on creating new jobs with emphasis on employing disadvantaged and vulnerable people and increasing their employability on the labor market” (Action Plan for the Development of Levoča District, 2019, p. 39). As an example of social economy functioning in the action plan, the social integration enterprise in Spišský Hrhov is cited.

Stropkov was included as a least developed district effective 19 October 2018 by ÚPSVaR SR. The Action Plan for the Development of Stropkov District was approved by the Slovak Government on 25 June 2019 (Government Decree No. 312/2019). A significant problem is pronounced population aging, despite its rural character and a 10% share of Roma communities, and the further fact that almost 40% of unemployed people in 2018 had primary education (Action Plan for the Development of Stropkov District, 2019). In support of social policy, a measure was adopted to establish a training center also aimed at preparing adults with basic education for labor activities in social enterprises, mainly in agriculture.

In action plans for the development of less-developed districts in the Prešovský self-governing region, the prevailing measures regarding education for adults with low educational attainment are aimed at setting up training centers that prepare adults for basic manual skills for social enterprises, mainly in agriculture or construction industries. Exceptions are measures in the action plans of Bardejov and Snina districts, which focus on supporting educational programs to obtain lower secondary education (ISCED 244).

Conclusion

Tasks and measures in district development action plans related to lifelong education are characterized by the terms qualification, retraining, and training center, which indicate support for further education. For jobseekers with low educational and qualification levels, prioritized measures in the texts are those aimed at establishing training centers for acquiring simple work skills for manual labor in social economy enterprises. In action plans for Bardejov and Snina districts, there are measures also aimed at supporting educational programs to obtain lower secondary education (ISCED 244), i.e., programs of second-chance education. Nevertheless, overall in the action plans, measures focused on further education predominate, not second-chance education.

For adults without education and with primary education, particularly the unemployed, these action plans support “requalification of unqualified people.” Equal opportunity to attain education or raise educational attainment in adulthood is not supported, or is negligible. Prioritized are short trainings and rapid integration of long-term unemployed people into work processes. This supports the expansion of the social class known as the “precariat,” which is unemployed or ends up in unstable and low-paid positions without adequate working conditions (Standing, 2011). A significant presence of this social class in regions is also a threat to their sustainable development and a factor in regional disparity.

Authors: PhDr. Ivana Pirohová, doc., PhD. Katedra andragogiky, Ústav pedagogiky, andragogiky a psychológie, Fakulta humanitných a prírodných vied, Prešovská univerzita v Prešove

PhDr. Eduard Lukáč, doc., PhD. Katedra pedagogiky, Ústav pedagogiky, andragogiky a psychológie, Fakulta humanitných a prírodných vied, Prešovská univerzita v Prešove

The contribution is an output of APVV-18-0018 project “Vyučovanie v školách druhej šance z perspektívy učiteľa a dospelého učiaceho sa.”

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Action Plan for the Development of Lučenec District [online]. 26 September 2017 [cited 2020-06-10]. Available on the internet : https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/b34bd4e37864e3d2e8c7b99d17eaff48

Action Plan for the Development of Lučenec District in the wording of Addendum No. 3 [online]. 23 March 2019 [cited 2020-06-10]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/9fed1b6c527657cea0e38a290985fb9d

Action Plan for the Development of Michalovce District [online]. 4 January 2019 [cited 2020-03-27]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/ab4353c534f36c64ccbf97ddbf82c0b2

Action Plan of the least developed district of Medzilaborce [online]. 3 July 2018 [cited 2020-03-27]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/291757b282e3cc86af1536b0c0307019

Action Plan for the Development of Poltár District [online]. 7 September 2016 [cited 2020-06-10]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/10360648e82f5a998e43bc1e2ef5e7d4

Action Plan for the Development of Poltár District in the wording of Addendum No. 3 [online]. 25 September 2019 [cited 2020-06-10]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/efde8ac4baef84d7df4c6d5fcd754657

Action Plan for the Development of Revúca District [online]. 13 September 2016 [cited 2020-06-10]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/56d4658444c70a9832a411992cd7d9bc

Action Plan for the Development of Rimavská Sobota District [online]. 24 June 2016 [cited 2020-06-12]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/0bb4464b5b76bc2d93d0598928d4b31e

Action Plan for the Development of Rimavská Sobota District in the wording of Addendum No. 3 [online]. 15 October 2019 [cited 2020-06-12] Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/788e819b1dfe71972c07a8f683a952b9 pdf

Action Plan for the Development of Rožňava District [online]. 14 September 2016 [cited 2020-03-26]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/c4daca397ba1f8cf15333c98ca228768

Action Plan for the Development of Rožňava District in the wording of Addendum No. 3 [online]. 16 March 2020 [cited 2020-03-26] Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/e294f1768c650239a18b83f2d7d344f4

Action Plan for the Development of Sabinov District [online]. 22 August 2016 [cited 2020-03-26]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/c761aed78e544c8f18b8b41a5c66c7ef

Action Plan for the Development of Sabinov District in the wording of Addendum No. 3 [online]. 23 March 2019 [cited 2020-03-26]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/d48e8717d68cdd00cd6c9a5abee9e1b9

Action Plan for the Development of Sobrance District [online]. 23 August 2016 [cited 2020-03-26]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/najmenej-rozvinute-oresy/sobrance/index.html

Action Plan for the Development of Sobrance District in the wording of Addendum No. 4 [online]. 4 January 2019 [cited 2020-03-26]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/2259265003bcee36399690b7a112defd

Action Plan for the Development of Snina District [online]. 16 January 2019 [cited 2020-04-29]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/8a313b084646ee83002198b5ae77e075

Action Plan for the Development of Snina District in the wording of Addendum No. 1 [online]. 15 October 2019 [cited 2020-04-29]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/79afe6711c1af24e5823674f1103987b

Action Plan for the Development of Stropkov District [online]. 25 June 2019 [cited 2020-04-30]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/3a6f1168028ad99c9556552a5ab7075b

Action Plan for the Development of Svidník District [online]. 31 August 2016 [cited 2020-04-30]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/najmenej-rozvinute-oresy/svidnik/index.html

Action Plan for the Development of Trebišov District [online]. 24 August 2016 [cited 2020-03-20] Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/7fd316c97c83f57346475dcf9c62eb13

Action Plan for the Development of Veľký Krtíš District [online]. 7 September 2016 [cited 2020-06-12]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/10d07b0dd6044d1c35498aa8348e3cb5

Action Plan for the Development of Veľký Krtíš District in the wording of Addendum No.4 [online]. 21 March 2019 [cited 2020-06-10]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/de81c6eeef4e09c8cb67e06388b32a49

Action Plan for the Development of Vranov nad Topľou in the wording of Addendum No. 3 [online]. 13 September 2018 [cited 2020-06-10]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/2d482ba9bf57c41beaa6a33f73217d05

Update of the National Regional Development Strategy of the Slovak Republic (original update of the strategic document for 2014 to 2020) [online]. Bratislava: ÚV SR, 2014 [cited 2020-04-03]. Available on the internet: https://www.vlada.gov.sk/data/files/d4981eaaf9ebea139d6df3b6d60a32c9

DataCube [online]. Bratislava: Štatistický úrad Slovenskej republiky [cited 2020-03-20]. Available on the internet: http://datacube.statistics.sk/#!/view/sk/VBD_ SK_ WIN/ pr5001rr/v_pr5001rr_00_00_00_sk

Addendum No. 1 to the Action Plan for the Development of Trebišov District [online]. 25 October 2017 [cited 2020-03-20]. Available on the internet: https://www.nro.vicepremier.gov.sk/site/assets/files/18d8ad6963fd8b8431cc9823d6fd1e40

Adults in Formal Education. Policy and Practice in Europe [online]. Brussels: Eurydice, 2011 [cited 2020-11-05]. 88 p. ISBN 978-92-9201-174-1. Available on the internet: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/thematic_reports/128SK.pdf

LUKÁČ, Marek – LUKÁČOVÁ, Silvia – PIROHOVÁ, Ivana. 2019. Second-Chance Education for Adults with Low Educational Attainment and with No Education: Questions of Awareness and Accessibility. In MMK 2019: peer-reviewed proceedings of contributions to the international scientific conference: Masaryk University Conference for Doctoral Students and Young Scientists 2019 [online]. Hradec Králové: Magnanimitas Academic Association, 2019 [cited 2020-11-05], pp. 517–527. ISBN 978-80-87952-31-3. Available on the internet: http://www.vedeckekonference.cz/library/proceedings/mmk_2019.pdf

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Population, Housing and Dwellings Census 2011. Results in multidimensional tables. [cited 2020-06-11] Available at: https://census2011.statistics.sk/tabulky.html

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STANDING, Guy. 2011. The precariat: The new dangerous class. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2011. 208 p. ISBN 978-18-49664-56-1.

ŠVEC, Štefan. 2008. The English-Slovak Lexicon of Pedagogy and Andragogy. Bratislava: Iris, 2008. 323 p. ISBN 978-80-89256-21-1.

Act No. 268/2009 Z.z. on lifelong education

Act No. 539/2008 Z.z. on support of regional development

Act No. 245/2008 Z.z. on education and upbringing (School Act)

Act No. 336/2015 Z.z. on support of the least developed districts

Act No. 5/2004 Z.z. on employment services

List of least developed districts [online]. Bratislava: ÚPSVaR [cited 2020-03-12]. Available on the internet: https://www.upsvr.gov.sk/statistiky/zoznam-najmenej-rozvinutych-okresov.html?page_id=561733