- 2015Implementation
- 2016Implementation
- 2017Implementation
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Completed
Background
Lithuanian vocational training institutions employ 3137 teachers (2060 vocational teachers and 1077 general education teachers). For eight out of ten, it was their main job (84% of vocational teachers and 68% of general education teachers). About a quarter of vocational teachers worked in both vocational schools and other workplaces. Teachers aged 50 and older predominate among vocational teachers. More than 42% of the structure of vocational teachers consists of those with a senior teacher qualification category. Assessing the 10-year trends, it can be seen that the proportion of methodologists, experts and vocational teachers with the teacher qualification category increased slightly. However, a relatively large proportion (27.5%) of vocational teachers who do not have any qualification category remain. The participation of teachers (vocational and general education teachers) in in-service training and retraining courses has been declining slightly over the last few years. A comparison of the number of course attendees and the number of in-service training certificates issued shows that some individuals may participate in several in-service training events because the number of in-service training certificates exceeds the total number of participants in the courses. Information on in-service training for teachers is very limited: there is a lack of data to assess the extent of in-service training in terms of duration, nature and position of teachers. In Lithuania, there is a discrepancy between the regulation of in-service training of vocational teachers and the real situation, and this may have a negative impact on the quality of vocational training.
Objectives
The aim is to increase the quality of vocational and adult education by developing a system for in-service training of teachers in vocational education and adult education institutions.
Description
In 2015, the education ministry approved and prioritised the organisation of VET for teacher-related CPD within the framework of sectoral practical training centres and innovative companies. In the 2015-16 period, traineeships in companies were funded for 100 VET teachers from the engineering, construction, trade, transport and services sectors.
In October 2016, a national-level project was launched aiming to create a CPD system for vocational teachers and adult educators. The project is coordinated by the Qualifications and VET Development Centre, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. It was foreseen that 700 vocational teachers (almost one third of those currently working) would participate in key and pedagogical competences training courses on such topics as communication and cooperation, working culture, creativity development, organisation of distance learning, assessment of learning outcomes, digitalisation of curricula, and vocational training for special needs learners. It was also planned for around 300 vocational teachers to enrol in training courses on preparation and quality of training resources, mentorship, planning of lessons, differentiation of learning, evaluating learners and learning reflection.
In January 2017, a call for VET teacher-related CPD projects was announced by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport under the programme Development of formal and...
In 2015, the education ministry approved and prioritised the organisation of VET for teacher-related CPD within the framework of sectoral practical training centres and innovative companies. In the 2015-16 period, traineeships in companies were funded for 100 VET teachers from the engineering, construction, trade, transport and services sectors.
In October 2016, a national-level project was launched aiming to create a CPD system for vocational teachers and adult educators. The project is coordinated by the Qualifications and VET Development Centre, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. It was foreseen that 700 vocational teachers (almost one third of those currently working) would participate in key and pedagogical competences training courses on such topics as communication and cooperation, working culture, creativity development, organisation of distance learning, assessment of learning outcomes, digitalisation of curricula, and vocational training for special needs learners. It was also planned for around 300 vocational teachers to enrol in training courses on preparation and quality of training resources, mentorship, planning of lessons, differentiation of learning, evaluating learners and learning reflection.
In January 2017, a call for VET teacher-related CPD projects was announced by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport under the programme Development of formal and non-formal learning. A total budget of EUR 4 799 000 was allocated for funding such projects. The training programmes, aimed at addressing technological competences (including in course preparation, training materials and training provision), were to last at least 30 hours per year. VET business partnerships were required for applicants to be eligible for funding. Most applications have come from social partner organisations, such as chambers of commerce, industry and crafts, and the Lithuanian Employers’ Confederation. Development of the programme started in 2017.
In 2017, 764 vocational teachers and VET institution managers attended training courses on topics such as the reinforcement of sectoral practical training centres, the assessment of learning outcomes, VET didactics, and application of research in VET practice.
In 2018, 150 teachers and VET institution managers attended training courses on communication and cooperation, working culture, and creativity development.
For example, in the 2016-17 academic year, 644 students participated in the business-plan competition organised at county level, 144 at a regional level and 16 at national level. Some 1 180 training firms were active, of which 157 were newly established and 1 023 were continuing their activity from previous years.
In 2019, training exercises for vocational school teachers were carried out to develop subject and didactic competences: Organisation of distance learning, Development of digital teaching content, STEM education, Vocational training of students with special needs. More than 100 vocational teachers participated in this training.
A total of EUR 2.2 million has been allocated for the project, which will run until 2020.
Action is completed, no new developments.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education, Science and Sport
- Qualifications and VET Development Centre (KPMPC)
Target groups
Education professionals
- Teachers
- Trainers
- Adult educators
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers both to formal mechanisms of stakeholder engagement in VET governance and to informal cooperation among stakeholders, which motivate shared responsibility for quality VET. Formal engagement is usually based on legally established institutional procedures that clearly define the role and responsibilities for relevant stakeholders in designing, implementing and improving VET. It also refers to establishing and increasing the degree of autonomy of VET providers for agile and flexible VET provision.
In terms of informal cooperation, the sub-category covers targeted actions by different stakeholders to promote or implement VET. This cooperation often leads to creating sustainable partnerships and making commitments for targeted actions, in line with the national context and regulation, e.g. national alliances for apprenticeships, pacts for youth or partnerships between schools and employers. It can also include initiatives and projects run by the social partners or sectoral organisations or networks of voluntary experts and executives, retired or on sabbatical, to support their peers in the fields of VET and apprenticeships, as part of the EAfA.
Teachers, trainers and school leaders competences
Competent and motivated VET teachers in schools and trainers in companies are crucial to VET becoming innovative and relevant, agile, resilient, flexible, inclusive and lifelong.
This thematic category comprises policies and practices of initial training and continuing professional development approaches in a systemic and systematic manner. It also looks at measures aiming to update (entry) requirements and make teaching and training careers attractive and bring more young and talented individuals and business professionals into teaching and training. Supporting VET educators by equipping them with adequate competences, skills and tools for the green transition and digital teaching and learning are addressed in separate thematic sub-categories.
The measures in this category target teachers and school leaders, company trainers and mentors, adult educators and guidance practitioners.
This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of initial and continuing professional development (CPD) for VET educators who work in vocational schools and in companies providing VET. VET educators include teachers and school leaders, trainers and company managers involved in VET, as well as adult educators and guidance practitioners – those who work in school- and work-based settings. The thematic sub-category includes national strategies, training programmes or individual courses to address the learning needs of VET educators and to develop their vocational (technical) skills, and pedagogical (teaching) skills and competences. Such programmes concern state-of-the-art vocational pedagogy, innovative teaching methods, and competences needed to address evolving teaching environments, e.g. teaching in multicultural settings, working with learners at risk of early leaving, etc.
This thematic sub-category refers to measures aimed at engaging more professionals into teaching and training careers, including career schemes or incentives. It includes measures enabling teaching and training of staff, managing VET provider and trainer teams in companies to act as multipliers and mediators, and supporting their peers and/or local communities.
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2026). Teacher-related CPD in cooperation with the labour market: Lithuania. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2026). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2025 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/hr/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28343