Challenges:

• High proportion of the elderly population. 
• Low educational attainment of the population.
• Economic crisis and decline of standard of living.
• Weak cooperation between educational institutions and industry.
• Scholarships are available mostly for technical students and not for other training areas.
• Young people are reluctant to return to the region and stay in their place of study.

Opportunities:

• Continuation of promoting the concept of lifelong learning.
• Promoting intergenerational cooperation and exchange of knowledge (Centre of intergenerational learning).
• Upgrading the existing education system with the programs of non-formal lifelong learning.
• Expanding the importance of sustainable development in lifelong learning.
• Promoting flexible learning.
• Enhancing digital literacy.
• Ensuring the responsiveness of the education system to development needs of the regional economy.
• Promoting creativity and entrepreneurial spirit throughout the educational system.
• Reducing the gap between educational supply and labour market needs.
• Promoting inclusion  of vulnerable groups into different forms of education, training, lifelong learning and the labour market.