Since FYR Macedonia’s independence in 1991, a number of reforms have been carried out in the
country aimed at the development of the economy and the labor force. These reforms have intensified
in the last seven years and include strong advocacy for workforce development (WfD); the
development of a systematic approach to gathering and using skills demands information to inform
policy. The latter approach has sought to strengthen the role of stakeholders in the process
of designing and adopting strategies and policies for WfD. However, social dialogue, regulated by laws
and programs, is still not yielding the desired results in practice.  
A number of sectoral strategies for economic development that contain a reference to WfD have
been adopted, including strategies for industrial development, development of agriculture, tourism,
innovation, SMEs, and vocational education and training. These strategies have been accompanied
by reforms in the respective areas and sectors. With a view to improving the quality of labor market
supply, compulsory education was extended to 13 years, encompassing elementary education, lower
secondary, and upper secondary education, with the intention of increasing the share of the
workforce that possessed higher qualifications. Two institutions were established: one supporting
vocational education (Centre for VET) and one supporting adult education (Centre for Adult
Education). Along with the increased investments in the infrastructure of VET education, these measures
are expected to strengthen the system for WfD.