The fundamental role in the field of development and support of adult education is played by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS) and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MLSA).

The main powers of the Ministry of Education in the area of adult education at national level are to make legislation for the whole field of further education, prepare policies and strategies, set out the system for recognition of professional qualifications according to the Act on Verification and Recognition of Further Education Outcomes and develop and implement the National Qualification System, to interconnect the initial and further education, to inform on educational offer in the field of further education, to support learners and providers of education or to support promotion of adult education. The Ministry of Education is granted special power in the field of retraining where it acts as an accreditation body for retraining programmes according to the Act on Employment. It also coordinates activities of other ministries, other central state administration bodies and professional chambers in relevant areas according to the Act on Recognition of Professional Qualifications and the Act on Verification and Recognition of Further Education Outcomes.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs guarantees above all the state employment policy. In the field of adult education, it is in charge mainly of:

• monitoring and assessing current and future demands for qualifications on the labour market, continuous dialogue with social partners;

• developing and updating the description of occupations (in co-operation with employers) as a necessary prerequisite needed for specifying qualification requirements for their performance and their recognition (National Occupations System);

• defining requirements for further education in compliance with demands of the labour market with the aim to achieve a maximum possible accord between the human resources and demands;

• retraining in conformity with the demands of the labour market including its funding and educating of applicants and other persons interested in employment with the aim to increase their employability on the labour market;

• supporting education of adults who have a difficult access to the labour market;

• supporting the human resources development on the labour market, supporting education of employers and employees, implementing systems of human resources development in companies with special attention to the support of small and medium-size enterprises (SME);

• system assuring of career guidance and counselling for applicants and persons interested in employment and persons entering the labour market.

In 2010, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Education established the National Guidance Forum as a mutual advisory body in the field of career guidance in a lifelong perspective. It unites subjects providing and developing services of career guidance and counselling in the Czech Republic, including state administration institutions.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade also plays an important role in the adult education field. It devotes special attention to competitiveness enhancement through implementing some national programmes, e. g. the Sectoral Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovation (2007–2013). Supporting introduction of and access to new information and communication technologies, including retraining of staff, belonged to its main goals. A follow-up, the Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovations for Competitiveness (2014–2020), concentrates on the use of the existing innovation infrastructure built in the 2007–2013 period.

The Ministry of Culture as a central state administration body for the media, libraries and cultural and educational activities provides for a substantial part of interest based learning.

All ministries are responsible for vocational training in regulated professions within their sectors. They are authorizing bodies according to the Act on the Recognition of Further Education Results, grant authorization to verify and recognize further education results and participate in preparation of qualification and assessments standards in their sectors.

Regions, due to division of powers among respective levels of public administration, play a decisive role in education and training including adult education, mainly because they are authorized to establish upper secondary and tertiary professional schools (střední školy and vyšší odborné školy).

Municipalities play an important role in education and training since they are entitled not only to establish basic schools (základní školy) which provide spaces, means of instruction or staff for educational courses but also establish most museums, galleries, libraries and cultural community centres which are traditional venues for adult education and learning and cultural activities.

In addition to the above mentioned administrative bodies the adult education field is significantly influenced by advisory bodies of the government, especially by the Council of Economic and Social Agreement, and social partners. Individual regions set up councils for the development of human resources (with advisory function). Chambers of commerce also act as providers of vocational training at national and regional level.