Existence of a National Youth Strategy

The Resolution on the National Programme for Youth 2013–2022 (Resolucija o Nacionalnem programu za mladino 2013–2022) was adopted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia on 24 October 2013 for the period 2013–2022. It serves as an overarching strategic public document or action plan that integrates the major directions to be followed in policy making on youth matters at the national level. In essence, it is the thematic guide to youth policies and programmes; it defines the priorities and measures of public interest in the youth sector, and is not a part of any general overarching developmental strategy. The Resolution is a horizontal programming document that combines measures in areas under the jurisdiction of different ministries, with the aims of creating new quality standards and ensuring their consistency and visibility.

Scope and contents

The National Programme for Youth is based on the study Youth 2010 (Mladina 2010) on the position of young people in Slovenia which was carried out in 2010 and published in 2011. It identifies young people as part of the society undergoing extensive changes in the last decade, which affect the quality of their life. This applies both to the social environment such as family, education and employment, as well as the situation of young people in the labour market. The National Programme for Youth attempts to ensure a better situation for young people in education, which would then be reflected in a more favourable situation for young people in the labour market, resulting in better living conditions of the youth, which may also lead to more favourable demographic trends.

The general aims of the National Programme for Youth are:

- To provide better opportunities for young people in education and training, both formal and informal;

- To develop employment policy which will ensure the economic and social security as well as autonomy of young people;

- To ensure the participation of young people and influence on decision-making concerning policies affecting them;

- To ensure equal opportunities between men and women and the prevention of discrimination;

- To prevent risk factors that cause poverty and social exclusion of young people;

- To follow the principles of sustainable development;

- To follow the principle of intergenerational cooperation and ensure greater solidarity among generations;

- To pay special attention to the health and welfare of young people and health inequalities;

- To provide young people with a safe start of their careers.

The objectives and priorities of the National Programme for Youth are clustered into the following six domains:

1. Objectives in Education

• To improve competences of youth (establish better system for validation of non-formal and informal learning, prevent drop-outs in vocational and technical schools and on tertiary level, establishing career guidance for youth, strengthen the scholarship policy);
• To foster (study) mobility of young people (strengthen the promotion and incentives for study and practical experiences abroad).

2. Objectives in Employment and Entrepreneurship

• To help youth starting the career (improve active employment policies, improve creativity, better connection of labour market needs and education);
• To improve the quality of employment (to reduce the extension of less favourable forms of employment among youth);
• To enable easier coordination between professional and private/family life.

3. Objectives in Housing and Residential conditions

•  To assure the accessibility of apartments for youth (accessibility of loans, regulation of rental, regulation of empty apartments).

4. Objectives in Health and Well-being

• To stimulate and promote the regular physical activity with intention to prevent body overweight (strengthen balanced nutrition and regular physical activities);
• To prevent alcohol and drug abuse (create an environment for responsible use of alcohol).

5. Objectives in the field of Youth and Society

• To promote youth participation (promotion of youth participation, promotion of structured dialogue, strengthening the infrastructure in youth sector and strengthening the information and counselling in youth sector);
• To promote the establishing of new youth organisations (increase funding of youth organisations, support geographically balanced development of youth organisations, create a system for education and training for youth workers/leaders).

6. Objectives in Culture and Creativity

• To enhance the accessibility of cultural activities to young people and increase cultural engagement of youth.

Responsible authority for the implementation of the Youth Strategy

The Resolution on the National Programme for Youth 2013–2022 was adopted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia on the proposal of the Government. The competent ministries are responsible for the implementation of the national programme, but the Office of Republic of Slovenia for Youth (Urad RS za mladino) is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the programme through action plans. Responsible institutions for the implementation of the cross-sectorial national programme are:

• Ministry of Education,
• Ministry of Culture,
• Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
• Ministry of Health,
• Ministry of Finance,
• Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport,
• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food,
• Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy
• Ministry of Defence,
• Ministry of the Interior,
• Ministry of Public Administration,
• Ministry of Infrastructure,
• Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and
• Ministry of Justice.

On the basis of this Resolution, the Government on yearly or two-yearly basis adopts implementation plans (Government decision on the adoption of the Implementation plan for the period 2022; Izvedbeni načrt Resolucije o Nacionalnem programu za mladino 2013-2022 za leto 2022). 

In each of the action plans specific objectives, actions, terms of implementation, budget allocations and responsible institutions for its implementations are indicated. Relevant ministries report to the Office for Youth because monitoring and evaluation are under its jurisdiction. The interim report is to be submitted to the National Assembly every three years, whereas the final report is to be submitted after the expiry of the validity of the National Programme for Youth. 

In 2017 the first expert interim evaluation of National Programme for Youth was performed by the expert group. The second expert interim evaluation for the period 2017-2019 was performed in 2020 (see Vmesna evalvacija Nacionalnega programa za mladino v letih 2017-2019) and came to the conclusion that the Programme is being implemented in line with financial and institutional capacities and the implementation of actions within the identified sub-areas is strengthening. However, the limited financial and human resources are also reflected as a major constraint of the Programme, which has been highlighted by various stakeholders. Overall, the Programme has had a significant impact on the perception of young people in public policy-making and implementation processes, and has raised awareness among key stakeholders of their specific needs and interests. The Programme has shown to be a successful mechanism for implementing vertical youth policies, but the sectoral orientation of most of the actions makes it particularly difficult to address cross-sectoral areas such as intergenerational solidarity and sustainable development. They are more effective in addressing traditional vertical areas such as employment and education.

The Final evaluation of the National Programme for Youth 2013-2022 (Deželan, 2023), conducted in 2023, shows that it was implemented within financial and institutional capacities. Progress was made across six areas and 25 goals, with notable success in education and employment, though challenges persist in housing, mental health, and youth sector support. Implementation varied due to reporting inconsistencies, resource limitations, and outdated indicators. While the program increased awareness of youth issues in policymaking, its effectiveness was limited by a lack of dedicated funding.

To enhance the program, recommendations include securing stable resources, strengthening evidence-based youth policy, defining clear priorities and responsibilities, improving coordination and inter-ministerial cooperation, and empowering the Office for Youth as a key coordinating body. Despite challenges, the program remains a crucial platform for youth policy but requires adjustments to stay effective.

Revisions/ Updates

There have been no revisions of the Resolution on the National Programme for Youth so far.