During the project training programmes were prepared to broaden vocational teachers’ technological competences needed for designing and manufacturing wood products and furniture and for working with modern equipment and materials. Vocational teachers will be introduced to technological innovations of wood processing technologies, sectoral development trends and will prepare a project for improving VET curricula. Afterwards such traineeships will be organised for vocational teachers from engineering, food production, construction, transport and many other sectors. It is planned that in total 650 teachers from vocational schools and colleges will have participated in traineeships by the end of 2013.
The coordinator of the three-year project is the Education Development Centre (Ugdymo plėtotės centras). During the project a model for VET teachers’ technological competence improvement has been developed based on the experience of previous pilot projects. The model suggests elements of the in-service training system, funding, a scheme for stakeholder cooperation, etc. It was developed on the basis of a comprehensive survey of managers in VET providers and vocational teachers/lecturers on competences required for technology training. In cooperation with employers and their organisations 100 vocational teacher training programmes in 12 sectors of the economy were developed. Training according to these programmes will be organised in leading companies under the supervision of employees of enterprises.