Inadequacies in education system curb regional development

Inadequacies in education system curb regional development

The fact that Slovakia's education system doesn't do enough to develop people's skills is the main obstacle preventing the development of regions, according to the participants of a seminar involving the European Commission's Representation in Slovakia and the INEKO independent think-tank in Bratislava. Additional barriers are insufficient transport infrastructure, high payroll levies for low-income groups, as well as complicated paperwork and corruption in the drawing of available funds. Head of the European Commission's Representation in Slovakia Dušan Chrenek noted that Slovakia as a whole has done very well in macroeconomic terms in recent years, having posted one of the EU's highest rates of growth but "we continue to see large differences between Slovakia's regions when it comes to growth and GDP per capita, as well as in the unemployment rate, and the levels of education and poverty risk."

According to INEKO, Slovakia is one of the OECD's member countries with the biggest regional gaps in incomes and the unemployment rate. This can be attributed to the low income in regions other than Bratislava region, as well as the persistently high unemployment rates in eastern Slovakia, as well as in the southern swathes of central Slovakia. Experts concurred on the need to enhance the use of available resources, develop human capital and make improvements to the transport infrastructure.

Anca Dragu, Photo: Wikimedia.org/Pe3kZA

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