Reference year 2019
1Scheme history
The apprenticeship scheme was introduced in 2008 by amendment of the Law on VET.
2Beneficiaries
No minimum and maximum age limit is defined for apprentices. The Law on VET requires that apprentice should have at least a lower-secondary education.
Data about participants in apprenticeship scheme is collected on a general level and is not analysed according to personal characteristics.
According to National Agency for Education, based on the data of Register of pupils, in 2018 there were 3449 apprentices enrolled in formal VET programmes.
3Qualifications
Qualifications can range from level 1 to level 5.
352, 354, 454
For accessing higher education, a matura certificate is required. Upper secondary education leading to matura certificate and VET are integrated at level 4 qualifications, i.e. both, matura certificate and VET diploma can be awarded in apprenticeship.
4Governance
There is no one organisation at the national level responsible for coordinating the scheme. The national coordination of the scheme is shared by Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, Ministry of Economy and Innovation and Ministry of Social Security and Labour. Additionally, Ministry of Finances participate in planning funding of apprenticeship implementation.
The Procedure for organisation of VET in apprenticeship form (Q1) foresees that Qualifications and VET Development Centre provides methodical assistance and guidance for VET providers and employers regarding apprenticeship implementation.
Employers’ representatives have contributed to the design of qualifications and training programmes. Chambers, employers’ and employees’ representatives are members of sectoral professional committees who endorse sectoral qualifications standards and new qualifications, and contribute to the evaluation of curricula.
Chambers and employers’ representatives take part in organising final qualification exam to apprentices after which a VET diploma is issued by a VET provider.
5Training at the workplace
Alternation between work-place and school is a usual practice. Theory training may also be implemented at work-place in case conditions for theory training are established at work-place.
According to Labour Code, duration of training time at workplace and working time should be agreed between employer and an apprentice in apprenticeship employment contract.
The form of alternation of training between workplace (company) and school is agreed between school and company. There are cases when every week includes both venues and other cases with two months spent at school followed by 8 months at the workplace.
According to the Description of the Procedure for the organisation of vocational training in the form of apprenticeship, employers:
- are responsible for preparing related documents (individual training plan, VET contract and other documents) if they carry out apprenticeship without a training provider;
- appoint (1) an employee responsible for the organisation of the apprentice work and in-company practical training and (2) an employee responsible for coordination of apprentice work and practical training (in-company trainer). It is employers’ responsibility to safeguard time and conditions for trainers to prepare for apprentices’ training;
- safeguard conditions for work and practical training that would be in line with VET programme content;
- carry out VET at work place, participate in evaluation of apprentices’ learning outcomes and create conditions for apprentices to reach learning outcomes set in VET programme;
- safeguard a safe learning place for apprentices and correspondence of it to the requirements set in training programme;
- ensure conditions for apprentices to participate in evaluation / recognition of their competencies;
- issue to apprentices documents certifying learning outcomes;
- create conditions for apprentices to complete an upper secondary general education programme in case an apprentice is enrolled into VET and upper secondary education programme.
6Contract and compensation
An apprenticeship employment contract is concluded between a company and a learner. A VET contract is concluded among three parties: a learner, a school and a company.
The apprenticeship employment contract is registered at company with a copy to school. A tripartite VET contract concluded among a learner, a school and a company is registered at school and at a company.
The remuneration and its progress over time is subject to an agreement between apprentice and employer. The Labour code stipulates that it should not be less than official minimum monthly wage. Additionally for learning at VET institution, an apprentice gets a training allowance (stypendium) depending on his learning results. The size of stypendium has been approved by the Government decree. The lowest stypendium equals to 0.27 of basic social benefit and the largest - 0.76 of basic social benefit. Basic social benefit is EUR 39 in 2020.
The apprentice wage is set by individual agreement between him and company. The Labour code stipulates that an apprentice wage should not be below an official minimum wage.
7Financing and incentives
Salary of apprentice is usually covered by employers. In case employers receive a subsidy to cover wage and social security tax of apprentice, this part (40% of expenses, not exceeding an official minimum monthly wage) will be covered from European social fund. Training allowance (stypendium) is covered by the State.
In-company training part of apprenticeship is financed by employers hosting apprentices. Additionally, VET institutions may use State funding for organising in-company training of their learners’ in apprenticeship track. For example, the State funding may be used to cover trainers’ remuneration, transportation costs to companies, etc.
Subsidies are funded from European social fund (ESF). For example, for training of apprentices (who were previously unemployed), Lithuanian public employment service provides a subsidy for companies which reimburses companies 40 % of salary and social security fund spending for apprentices (who previously were unemployed). This subsidy cannot be higher than the minimum monthly wage (Eur 555).
Similarly, the Ministry of Economy and Innovations provides subsidies funded from ESF for employers to support apprenticeship training of companies’ employees.
It is also planned that in the future similar subsidies will be administered by the Ministry of education, science and sport.
The wage covers time spent in company. Additionally for learning at school, apprentice gets a training allowance (stypendium).