Current Framework and International Cooperation 2025-2026

Internationalisation in adult education and training in North Macedonia is supported through participation in European programmes and international cooperation initiatives.

Adult education providers may participate in Erasmus+ projects and other international activities, which support cooperation, exchange of practices and development of competences.

Internationalisation is also promoted through partnerships with international organisations, participation in projects and involvement in networks related to adult learning.

The extent and form of internationalisation may vary depending on the type of provider and programme.

Sources: Law on Adult Education; Erasmus+ programme documentation.

European, Global and Intercultural Dimension in Curriculum Development 2014-2020

All measures that have been implemented with the purpose of inserting the European, global and intercultural dimension in the curriculum during this period were directly related to the implementation of projects funded under the Erasmus+ programme.

In the period 2014-2020, adult education and training institutions in North Macedonia participated in 20 innovation projects with a total value of 2,573,500 Euro within the Erasmus+ key action KA204 (Strategic Partnerships in adult education and learning).

Case Study: "Train Brain Soft" Project

One good practice example for implementing of the European, global and intercultural dimension in the curriculum development is the Erasmus+ project entitled as “Train Brain Soft - Development of Standardized Curriculum and e-Tool for Soft Skills for Private Security Personnel”. The project aimed at development of standardized curriculum for soft skills for private security personnel and Modular Training Program for soft skills. The background of the project explained that despite the growing global need of private security personnel, there is evident practice of early leave of employees and big turnover which alludes on systematic problem in this sector. Several international surveys had shown mismatch between skills acquired through private security basic training and the transversal skills needs at the labor market. At the same time, private security employers are struggling to find qualified employees and are interested in providing specialized trainings for their employees, however they all lack funds to do so. The objectives of the project are: to improve the achievement in relevant and high-level transversal competences in a lifelong learning perspective for private security personnel; provide open and innovative training tool embedded in the digital era and improve and extend the offer of high quality learning opportunities for private security employees. The overall objective is to raise the awareness of the policy makers on how to strengthen current training policies for private security officers to effectively support andragogical practices that are conducive to developing transversal skills. Moreover, showcasing good practices in training and assessing transversal skills for private security personnel will provide extra value. Project partners from North Macedonia, Croatia, Norway, Romania and Slovenia, are representative national state organizations with public authorizations (organize official trainings and examinations for PS personnel). They are umbrella organizations for actors in the PS sector (private security companies and companies with in-house security). The total number of participants in the project, trained for soft skills with the use of the project's e-training tool was around 6.500 private security personnel (approximately 25 % of the operative and managerial staff from the PSCs members of Project Partner Organizations). The trainees are employed in around 280 Private Security Companies (national and multinational companies).

Partnerships and networks 2016-2020

Participation of the adult education and training institutions in the Erasmus+ KA2 action (strategic partnership projects) has significant impact on the international dimension and emphasizing of the European context of the national education system. Strategic Partnerships aim to support the development, transfer and/or implementation of innovative practices as well as the implementation of joint initiatives promoting cooperation, peer learning and exchanges of experience at European level. Being partners of the European adult education and training institutions in Erasmus+ partnership projects, the institutions from North Macedonia participate in activities which accelerate the transfer of knowledge from other education systems through exchange of their good practices and support the process of devising new innovative approaches in teaching, learning and instruction. The institutions for adult education started to use funds in the Erasmus + KA 204 action “Exchange of Good Practices” from 2016 and in the period 2016-2020 were funded 6 projects with total amount of 348.056 Eur.