Definitions of the target group(s)

Foreigners, the unemployed, possibly other narrowly defined groups and persons with special educational needs are regarded the target groups, at which support measures in adult education are aimed.

Specific support measures

Foreigners

According to the Act on Asylum, every migrant who is granted asylum (a refugee) or a person under subsidiary protection is included into the state integration programme. Creation of conditions for acquisition of the Czech language course that is free of charge is part of the programme. The Ministry of the Interior implements the courses in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. An offer of the courses and the instruction for adult refugees or persons under subsidiary protection are ensured by an educational institutions on the basis of a contract, following a competition. The duration of the course is 400 hours in the case of individual tuition, and 600 hours for group tuition. For refugees the courses are free.

Since 2009, pursuant to the Act on the Residency of Aliens in the Territory of the Czech Republic, every foreigner is obliged to present a certificate of having passed an examination in the Czech language when applying for permanent residence permission (with some exceptions, e.g., persons under 15 and over 60 years of age). A foreigner is entitled to one examination in the Czech language at this level at no charge. The voucher for sitting an examination in the Czech language is issued by the Ministry of Interior. A foreigner can register for the examination in the Czech language only at some schools specified in the so-called list of schools (i.e., language schools (jazykové školy) and the Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies of Charles University as a member of ALTE association). Detailed information concerning the examination, the preparation for the examination, the list of schools, the issuance of vouchers and the certificates of having passed the examination as well as further information is available at the website Czech for Foreigners.

In 2009, Centres for Integration of Foreigners (CPIC), operated by the The Refugee Facilities Administration of the Ministry of Interior, began their activities. There are 18 CPIC and they are subsidised from the Operational Program of the Asylum Migration and Integration Fund (OP AMIF), co-financed from the European fund of the same name. Their aim is to create opportunities for long-term co-operation in the field of the integration of foreigners from the third countries who have long-term or permanent residence in Czechia. The CPIC provide counselling and information services, legal counselling, courses of the Czech language, socio-cultural courses, the operation of an Internet and a library. These services are free of charge. In addition, CPIC also organise adaptation-integration courses lasting 4 hours, which are mandatory for the aforementioned foreigners from 2021 (with exceptions). The course can be paid either by the foreigners themselves or by their employers.

Unemployed and other defined groups

Retraining courses are one of the tools of active employment policy. They enable natural persons to get qualification for a new job or to keep the present job. The retraining is offered in the form of accredited educational programme. In the case the participant is registered at the Labour Office of the Czech Republic (job applicant, job seeker), the retraining can be financed from the active employment policy sources. Another condition for covering retraining by the Labour Office is its reasonability for the participant, i.e. effectivity and usefulness. The Labour Office covers the costs (course costs) for the job applicants or job seekers if it recommends their retraining and concludes a written agreement on retraining with them before the retraining course starts. The agreement on retraining stipulates the obligation of the participant or the job seeker to pay fully the costs of retraining if he/she finishes the retraining without serious reasons or he/she refuses to enter the suitable employment corresponding to the newly acquired qualification. There is no legal claim for retraining costs and costs connected with retraining. The payment after successful completion of the selected retraining goes directly to the retraining facility. Basic conditions of the retraining are set by the Act on Employment, the details by the Decree of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs on Retraining of Job-seekers and Employees.

Employers who organise retraining in the interest of further job exercise of their employees can be reimbursed fully or partially based on a written agreement with the relevant Labour Office. A job seeker may ask relevant branch of the Labour Office for the reimbursement of retraining costs, which he / she has found and selected. The reimbursement of the chosen retraining by the Labour Office is not claimable; it depends fully on the judgement of the Labour Office if it will cover the retraining.

Link between retraining and the National Qualification Framework (according to the Act on Verification and Recognition of Further Education Outcomes) enables the participant of retraining courses to acquire a professional qualification. Some complete professional qualifications are composed from several professional qualifications. If a participant of retraining obtains a certificate on all professional qualifications, he/she could sit an exam at the relevant school prescribed for the relevant branch of education, e.g., VET final examination (závěrečná zkouška) or Maturita examination (maturitní zkouška) and acquire the certificate on the relevant level of education.

If needed, courses can be organised for narrowly defined target groups where social status is the admission requirement, e.g. courses to help homeless persons to get out of their situation or courses in prisons.

Persons with special educational needs

Recently the offer of supplementary or retraining courses for school leavers organised by schools and other educational institutions has increased. In this way school leavers may acquire and practice the skills needed to carry out certain working activities. School leavers with a disability who do not succeed in the labour market are offered the opportunity to work in sheltered workshops or workplaces.

Within the social services (according to the Act on Social Services), a network of daily social facilities and hospices operates providing the whole range of services and further education for disabled clients, with the opportunity to work in sheltered workshops. The choice of modern social services is increasing, especially those of assistants (both work and personal assistants), whose work helps disabled persons to have a better access to a job. Another option for clients, depending to a large extent on social services, is institutionalised care. A current trend is to reduce the number of clients in institutionalised care and use the system of support and social services, which enable individuals with a disability to live in a natural family environment and to realise social roles of caring persons.

Independent schools established for pupils with defined types of disadvantage extend their sphere of activity in the area of lifelong learning and activation of persons with disabilities.