Official guidelines on traineeships and apprenticeships

The regulation of traineeships and apprenticeships in Slovenia varies across different sectors. In some fields, traineeships are a mandatory part of education, while in others, they are not included in formal curricula. Several professions have specific regulations governing traineeships, including state prosecutors, healthcare professionals (who must pass professional examinations), public forestry employees, educators, social workers, and sports professionals, all of whom undergo internships and proficiency assessments.

The Employment Relationship Act (Zakon o delovnih razmerjih) addresses traineeship as a contractual employment arrangement for first-time workers to gain skills for independent work, that typically lasts up to one year but may be extended for part-time work or justified absences over 20 days, excluding annual leave. Employers must provide structured training under a set program, including mentorship and final examinations. During the traineeship, employers cannot terminate contracts except in cases of severe misconduct or company closure. In some sectors, voluntary traineeships (without employment contracts) are allowed, but trainees retain rights related to work hours, breaks, expense reimbursement, and health and safety. Trainees must receive at least 70% of the base salary for their role, with wages never falling below the legal minimum. 

In 2017, the Apprenticehip Act was adopted (Zakon o vajeništvu), which regulates apprenticeships as a form of education in secondary vocational education and in programs of further vocational and professional education. The Act defines apprenticeship as a ' form of education, [where] at least 50 percent of the educational program is carried out as practical training with work at the employer, and at least 40 percent of the educational program is carried out by the school, including all general subjects of the educational programme'.

Promoting traineeships and apprenticeships

 The Social Chamber of Slovenia (SZS) (Socialna zbornica Slovenije) has prepared and published a document entitled Guidelines for the preparation of an traineeship training programme and in general promotes traineeships through various projects. In 2015, the Chamber launched a public call for tenders 'Promotion of traineeships', which offered €1.6 million to legal entities registered to carry out social care activities to employ 100 trainees. The call for tenders encouraged applicants to introduce traineeships in their organizations. The Ministry of Labour was the administrator of the scheme, with the SZS as the beneficiary. The funds were available for the period of 2016 and 2017. 

To further promote traineeships, the government introduced a special employment quota in its 2016+ workforce plan for public administration. This quota was exclusively allocated to hiring trainees in ministries, government offices, the police, and administrative bodies, with each institution responsible for recruitment and funding.

Recognition of learning outcomes

Recognition of previous (and practical) education is governed by the Rules on the Recognition of the Previous Education in Higher Vocational Education (Pravilnik o priznavanju predhodno pridobljenega znanja v višjem strokovnem izobraževanju). Students who acquired knowledge through informal education have to prove so with other documents or portfolios (studies, experts’ detailed reports, inventions, patents, publications, etc.). Students also have the option to transfer European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) from other higher education institutions. 

Traineeships is considered as a relevant work experience, that is compulsory to acquire in order to be eligible for the professional exam in education.

Funding

Each ministry regulates traineeships in a specific manner. For example, they can be paid, unpaid or apply a mixed payment system. In the private sector, there are almost no traineeships, but in the public sector they still exist, sometimes as a precondition for a qualifying examination for a position. In the past decade and a half, several programmes / projects were implemented by the MDDSZ. Many of them were supported by the European Social Fund and Call for proposals for co-financing projects under the Education - Strengthening Human Resources Programme (2021-2024).

Quality assurance

The Slovenian government conducted an ‘Analysis of Traineeships in Slovenia’ (Analiza opravljanja pripravništva v Republiki Sloveniji), which served as a basis for the ‘Action Plan for the Organisation and Implementation of Internships in Slovenia’ (Akcijski načrt v zvezi z organizacijo in izvedbo opravljanja pripravništev v Sloveniji).