Upskilling in Macedonia

Adult education, called образование на возрасните, and lifelong learning, called доживотно учење, cover competence development after or alongside initial education and work. Formal education adapts primary or secondary programmes for adults and can lead to a partial or full qualification. Non-formal education uses modular special programmes that can lead to a vocational qualification, a module or partial qualification, or documented knowledge, skills and competences. Informal learning develops through work, daily life and social environments; it does not automatically produce a state-recognised document. The framework is based on the Law on Adult Education, Official Gazette 3/2025. COV notices from 2026 cite amendments in Official Gazette 111/2026, so the current legal text should be checked before relying on a detailed requirement. The Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Economy and Labour, the Adult Education Centre (COV), the Adult Education Council, AVRM, municipalities, chambers, social partners, the Center for Vocational Education and Training and the State Education Inspectorate have different responsibilities. COV develops and monitors adult education, verifies special programmes, accredits non-formal providers and validation providers, publishes catalogues and registers, and supports the training of validation counsellors and assessors. A verified programme normally states its qualification sector, occupation standard and code, Macedonian Qualifications Framework level, entry conditions, modules, learning outcomes, assessment method, duration, hours, credits, staff, premises, equipment and certificate type. Providers may use regular, consultative-instructional, correspondence, open, tele, distance or multimedia delivery. COV programme verification takes up to 30 days and is valid for five years. Accreditation of a non-formal provider also takes up to 30 days and follows the validity of the relevant programme verification. Formal provider accreditation is handled by the Ministry of Education and Science and also has a stated maximum decision period of 30 days; appeals generally have a 15-day period. Validation of non-formal and informal learning, abbreviated VNFIL, assesses skills gained outside a formal school programme. It can lead to a vocational qualification up to MQF Level Vb or MQF Level I, or, for some applicants, a school certificate at the basic-education level. General adult-education access begins at age 16, with an exception at age 15 for a person who is not attending primary education. VNFIL generally applies from age 18, while validation connected with MQF Level I or basic education can apply from age 16. Only accredited public primary or secondary institutions may provide validation. The 2026 operational rollout uses seven Regional VET Centres in Bitola, Tetovo, Kumanovo, Veles, Ohrid, Strumica and Shtip; COV and the Ministry of Education and Science have trained 19 validation counsellors and 20 assessors. A learner must sign a contract before a programme starts. It should state the place, duration, programme, duties, fee and legal notice. Employed participants have examination-day rights under the law and applicable collective agreement. A provider-fault refund and contract termination follow the applicable contract rules. Participants must attend regularly, give the contract to their employer when required and follow safety and other contractual duties. A private or self-directed course certificate may help with an employer or provider but does not have the same statutory effect as a verified programme, accredited provider or completed validation. Funding comes from the state budget, municipal budgets, participant fees, donations, loans and projects. The state covers adult primary education, secondary education for people who have only completed primary education, and maintenance or development at public providers. Municipalities may fund local public programmes. Registered unemployed people with at least primary education may receive a state-funded vocational qualification through a COV public call based on AVRM labour-market needs, but no universal individual continuing-education grant was identified. Eligibility depends on the annual Operational Plan, the public call, unemployment or target-group status and the programme criteria. A 2026 public-funded example includes adult secondary programmes in Prilep for agro-technician and food-technician training, and in Kumanovo for economic technician, legal technician, textile design, electrotechnician and machine-energy technician training. The example plans four-year programmes delivered in Macedonian and Albanian. The COV catalogue snapshot contains 245 verified and two unverified special programmes across areas such as qualifications, skills, electrical work, health, personal services, machinery, hospitality and tourism, construction, textiles, transport and agriculture. The 2026 VNFIL accreditation call includes occupations such as dairy producer, baker, pizza maker, website administrator, electrician, auto-electrician, tractor operator, beekeeper, pastry chef, barista, cook, hairdresser, hand- and foot-care beautician, heating and climate installer, pipe installer, mechanical mechanic, auto mechanic, floor and tile setter, mason and facade worker, and dry-construction installer. The 2026 call lists a provider accreditation cost of MKD 7,500 and assessor training at MKD 4,000; these are not learner fees. A learner validation fee depends on the qualification and is set and published through the responsible bodies, while the exact current tariff was not located in the available research. The latest detailed national participation data located are from 2022: 346,155 people aged 18 to 69 participated in education or lifelong-learning activities, a rate of 27.7%. The reported formal figure was 124,001 people or 35.8%, and the reported non-formal figure was 248,582 or 71.8%; these categories overlap and are not additive. Informal learning was reported for 626,169 people, with guided on-the-job training at 48.7%, courses at 37.8% and workshops at 29.1% among non-formal modes. Current policy evidence points to coordination gaps, slow verification and accreditation, weak outcome data and limited funding and access.