The professionalisation of adult education in Slovenia and beyond is hindered by a lack of formal training for adult educators and uncertainty regarding the competences required to perform high-quality work in this field. Despite the crucial role these professionals play in ensuring high-quality adult education and lifelong learning, most countries do not have clearly defined requirements or standards for performing this work. Educators often come from diverse professional backgrounds but are not adequately trained for the specific tasks required by andragogical practice. This master’s thesis focuses on the initial professionalisation of adult educators in Slovenia, with an emphasis on analysing the knowledge and competences acquired by graduates of the master’s programme in Andragogy and assessing whether the knowledge and competences they have acquired are sufficient for them to perform their work effectively in practice. Through this study, we explore the role of higher education in the professional development of adult educators in Slovenia, particularly in the context of their initial training, the acquisition of key competences, and the adaptation of study programmes to the needs of the labour market and the specific requirements of the field of adult education. In this empirical study, we find that graduates of adult education work in a wide variety of settings and perform diverse tasks; consequently, the competencies required of them also vary. Graduates identified the greatest gaps in their knowledge in specific areas related to competencies such as counselling, financial management, organizational leadership, and administrative work. Challenges at work often stem from the gap between their expectations and the reality of practice. Graduates believe that Andragogy study programmes should include more practical work and closer collaboration with employers, as this would give students a better understanding of the field and make it easier for them to establish professional connections.
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