- 2021Design
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
According to Eurostat data, participation rates in lifelong learning remains low in Lithuania, reaching 7.2% against 10.8% in the EU27+ countries. 40% of Lithuanian residents claim that their skills do not directly meet the needs of the professional activity they are involved in. In order to increase attractiveness of lifelong learning it is necessary to create an easily accessible and simple, in terms of navigation, website dedicated to all the information on lifelong learning providers, training programmes, courses and other opportunities to participate in education and training for adults.
Objectives
The measure is part of the Equal start initiative: development of the lifelong learning support system (2021-24) and has the following objectives:
- Develop a digital platform that would make it easier for learners to find training programmes in one place, including the creation of an individual learning account system;
- help to change the culture of lifelong learning in Lithuania by offering more flexible learning opportunities;
- invest more purposefully in strengthening the most relevant competences for professional and social development.
Description
The platform development project is carried out by three ministries: Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, Ministry of Economy and Innovation, and Ministry of Social Security and Labour. It is expected that the unified system will be operational by the end of 2022. It is funded by the Lithuanian economic recovery and resilience plan.
The unified adult education support system will be convenient for all users: learners, training providers, individuals seeking learning opportunities. Higher education institutions, vocational training institutions, non-governmental organisations and private providers will register and list their training programmes on the platform, including quality assurance standards and criteria for the training and education programmes offered. A digital platform will reduce the administrative burden for both the public sector and business.
The platform would host an Individual learning account (ILA) system. The measure is expected to help to change the culture of lifelong learning in the country by creating more flexible learning opportunities and supporting the acquisition of professional and social skills by the adult population. It will become much easier to find various training courses and programmes in a one-stop shop. The platform will also offer training courses on general competences, including digital skills, language skills, and literacy.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport organised the online conference 'Lifelong learning and career guidance in focus' in September 2021, during which participants from Denmark, Estonia, France and the Netherlands shared their good experience of development of ILA schemes.
The ministries, with the help of other interested authorities and experts, are preparing the concept for the development of an ILA, IT solutions and quality assurance mechanisms.
During year 2022, main preparatory technical works have been carried out. It is planed that the unified adult education support system is integrated into other electronic systems such as the electronic Employment Platform. It is intended that an one-stop shop for lifelong learning is fully operational by March 31, 2023.
In 2023, several legal acts were adopted to support the implementation of the Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs) system:
- Order No. V-599 of the Minister of Education, Science and Sport (27 April 2023) - approving the descriptor of the ILA model;
- Resolution No. 819 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania (25 October 2023) - approving the list of non-formal adult education and continuing education funding instruments to be included in the ILAs System, the list of priority areas for publicly funded training programmes through the ILAs, and the list of priority target groups eligible for participation in the ILAs system;
- Order No. V-1218 of the Minister of Education, Science and Sport (18. September 2023) - approving the quality assurance description for non-formal adult education and continuing training programmes published on ILAs system;
- Order No. V-1515 of the Minister of Education, Science and Sport (29 November 2023) approving the administration and funding procedures for the ILAs system.
In 2023, the project Learn all your life! (Mokykis visa gyvenima!) started. As part of the initiative, the individual learning accounts platform Kursuok was developed in the same year as a one-stop shop, offering a centralised system for information on education providers and quality-assured training opportunities.
To benefit from the kursuok platform, learners must meet specific eligibility criteria. Training opportunities are available to adults aged 18-65 who are employed or self-employed, hold a higher education or VET diploma, and are either citizens of Lithuania or foreign residents with a valid residence permit.
State funding is allocated to training in key competence areas, including digital competences, mathematical, science, technology, and engineering competences, entrepreneurship, multilingualism, personal, social, and learning-to-learn competence, literacy, citizenship skills, and cultural awareness and expression.
Training providers wishing to offer courses on the kursuok platform must meet specific criteria. They must be registered in the Register of Education and Science Institutions, submit training programmes for registration in the Register of Non-formal Education Programmes, and obtain a positive quality assessment from the Qualifications and VET Development Centre (KPMPC). Once assessed, training programmes are published on the kursuok platform enabling providers to register learners. Each learner has an individual learning account on the platform.
The individual learning accounts platform (kursuok platform) was launched on 19 January, and by the end of September 2024, more than 8 000 people had completed training across nearly 190 programmes. The most popular areas for learners so far are personal development, social skills, learning to learn, foreign languages, entrepreneurship, and digital competences.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education, Science and Sport
- Ministry of Economy and Innovation
- Ministry of Social Security and Labour
- Qualifications and VET Development Centre (KPMPC)
Target groups
Learners
- Adult learners
Education professionals
- Adult educators
Entities providing VET
- Companies
- VET providers (all kinds)
Thematic categories
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of incentives that encourage learners to take part in VET and lifelong learning; VET providers to improve, broaden and update their offer; companies to provide places for apprenticeship and work-based learning, and to stimulate and support learning of their employees. It also includes measures addressing specific challenges of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) willing to create work-based learning opportunities in different sectors. Incentives can be financial (e.g. grants, allowances, tax incentives, levy/grant mechanisms, vouchers, training credits, individual learning accounts) and non-financial (e.g. information/advice on funding opportunities, technical support, mentoring).
This thematic sub-category refers to providing the possibility for individuals who are already in the labour market/in employment to reskill and/or acquire higher levels of skills, and to ensuring targeted information resources on the benefits of CVET and lifelong learning. It also covers the availability of CVET programmes adaptable to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and reskilling needs. The sub-category includes working with respective stakeholders to develop digital learning solutions supporting access to CVET opportunities and awarding CVET credentials and certificates.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing high-quality lifelong learning and career guidance services, including making full use of Europass and other digital services and resources.
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Individual learning account system: Lithuania. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/42008