Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia

President of the Management Board: Štefan Grosar
Nominated by: Bojan Žnidaršič, VITRA, Centre for Balanced Development Cerknica

The Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia (OZS) makes a decisive contribution to adult education in the area of crafts and enterprise. It has a well-designed system of master examinations that raise the education level within individual occupations while promoting rare occupations (e.g. master cooper). It introduces successful innovations that make it easier for craftsmen and women to achieve their objectives (e.g. e-learning and recognition of prior knowledge).

The Education Centre of the Chamber of Craft and Small Business has since 2008 been enhancing its cooperation with various educational institutions. It has designed the so-called e-hub - a network of more than 150 education and training providers covering crafts and enterprise. It has developed training and assessment of national vocational qualifications in the area of road transport, prepared e-materials for modern knowledge acquisition, and published printed publications (Obrtnik, Podjetnik etc.). The chamber is the lead provider or partner in some 25 domestic and international education and training projects.

The education centre also provides education and professional development for employees. Every year, the OZS sections organise professional meetings, conferences and training covering various areas. By preparing tools for finding knowledge in other environments, they promote mobility and openness to innovation.

The OZS could be considered a craft university. It has been developing forms, contents and techniques for providing knowledge and information, taking account of the needs of the economy, for 40 years. It makes an important contribution to preserving the knowledge and skills of occupations that are "dying out". Most important of all, it raises awareness in society of the importance of investing in employee knowledge. Bojan Žnidaršič, who nominated the OZS, summed up its excellence as follows: "the OZS has a complete educational plan to allow craftsmen and women to advance successfully."