Reference year 2026
Version 2026
Drafted by Simonas Gaušas, Partner/ Research Manager, Visionary analytics - and member of Cedefop's Community of apprenticeship experts for Lithuania
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 (i.e. 5-10 grades, typically from ages 10/11 to 16/17).
Data about participants in apprenticeship scheme is collected on a general level and is not analysed according to personal characteristics.
While most apprentices are young people, it is also possible to use apprenticeships to train adults.
According to the Education Management Information System, in 2025 there were 4441 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.
The Procedure for the organization of VET in the form of apprenticeship (Q1) defines that apprenticeship should be applied for at least one module of VET programme (with duration of 10 credits or more) or not less than for two months. It is not required to conclude apprenticeship employment contract for the whole duration of training programme. The volume of VET programmes is from 20 to 110 learning credits, where typical duration of one school year is 60 credits. If the apprenticeship employment contract is signed for whole duration of programme, in-company training should not be less than 70% of total apprenticeship employment contract duration.
Actually, 5% is the legal threshold (based on the Procedures for the organisation of VET in the form of apprenticeship, Art. 12) for one of indicators to monitor the performance of VET providers – ‘proportion of apprenticeships’ (i.e. number of students with an apprenticeship contract for at least 1 module or 2 months per year divided by the number of students who obtained a qualification that year).
The Labour code (Art. 84, point 5) foresees that in-company training in apprenticeship labour contract concluded together with legally regulated training contract (see section 2 on typology) should not make up less than 70% of the total duration of an apprenticeship employment contract. This requirement is bypassed due to the fact that the Labour code does not regulate what should be overall duration of the apprenticeship labour contract - VET providers and employers are free to determine it within the above limits set by legal acts.
Thus, the actual share of apprenticeships may not even exceed one module in VET programme.
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 foresees that the Qualifications and VET Development Centre (QVETDC) provides methodical assistance and guidance for VET providers and employers regarding apprenticeship implementation.
QVETDC is responsible for the overall quality of apprenticeship scheme.
Large EU projects in the area of apprenticeships (e.g. project ‘Apprenticeship – New opportunity for me!’, 21.4M Eur, 2023-2026) is implemented by the European Social Fund Agency (ESFA).
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.
Trade unions: consider apprenticeships in social dialogue processes; help to ensure working conditions of apprentices.
Chambers and employers’ representatives take part in organising final qualification exam to apprentices after which a VET diploma is issued by a VET provider.
Ministry of education, science and sports: apprenticeships policy development.
Ministry of Social Security and Labour: regulates PES activities.
Public Employment Services: supports unemployed who wish to acquire qualification or reskill through apprenticeship programmes, through measure ‘Employment based on apprenticeship contract’.
Ministry of Economy: supports human resource development in companies (e.g. used to provide subsidies for companies making use of apprenticeship opportunities).
The Qualifications and VET Development Centre (QVETDC): monitors, ensures quality, and evaluates apprenticeship programmes and their providers. This function is supported also with analyses by the National Audit Office and the Government Strategic Analysis Center (STRATA). QVETDC also provides qualification improvement programmes for VET teachers.
VET schools: design and deliver apprenticeship programmes.
Apprenticeships are typically provided through cooperation between VET schools and companies.
Typical profiles/ requirements for VET teachers teaching in VET schools are defined in the Procedures for teacher qualification. Key requirements include:
• Competences: Lithuanian language proficiency, have pedagogical qualification or, alternatively, complete a Pedagogical-psychological knowledge course; have a special pedagogy or psychology qualification or, alternatively, complete a special pedagogy and special psychology course; digital literacy skills specified in the Procedures for teachers and student support specialists digital literacy programmes.
• Subject expertise: requirements for subject expertise are typically set in each VET programme.
In Lithuania there are no qualification or work experience requirements for company representatives who contribute to organisation and coordination of apprentice activities in the company.
The Qualifications and VET Development Centre (QVETDC) provides qualification improvement programmes for VET teachers.
The main institution that is responsible for monitoring, quality assurance and evaluation of apprenticeship programmes is the Qualifications and VET Development Centre (QVETDC).
QVETDC monitors, ensures quality, and evaluates apprenticeship programmes and their providers.
General measures for the quality assurance of vocational training, based on the provisions of the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Training may be used for apprenticeship provision.
Apprenticeship quality is most often monitored in external evaluations assessing performance of VET providers delivering formal VET programmes. One of five key monitoring indicators used is called ‘proportion of apprenticeships’, i.e. number of students with an apprenticeship contract for at least 1 module or 2 months per year divided by the number of students who obtained a qualification that year. The minimal value for this indicator is 5%. Another indicator is number of apprenticeship contracts, although it typically includes data from VET schools and does not account Public Employment Service data on apprenticeship contracts.
The Procedures for the organisation of VET in the form of apprenticeship do not set any other quality requirements for apprenticeships, do not stipulate mechanisms by which VET institutions should judge the quality of apprenticeships and do not pose any formal reporting requirements on the assessment of apprenticeships. The MoESS plans to initiate roundtable discussions in 2026 on a number of topics including changes necessary for the Procedures with an aim to improve quality of apprenticeship.
Other institutions that also contribute to monitoring of VET incl. apprenticeship programmes include:
• the National Audit Office, that in 2020 published the report on efficiency of VET. The report, among other issues, also analysed apprenticeship programmes.
• Government Strategic Analysis Center (STRATA). The last study on VET was published in 2021. It also includes some analysis of apprenticeship programmes.
• National education agency (NŠA) also contributes to external evaluations of apprenticeship providers.
In 2023, training for VET institutions' staff and VET teachers aimed to enhance VET institutions' capacity to respond effectively to business and regional needs, included strengthening VET quality assurance systems and processes, peer assessment, and the external evaluation of vocational training.
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/sea…
5Training at the workplace
Lithuanian legal acts do not foresee any compulsory alternation of training between two learning venues. However, alternation between work-place and school is a usual practice that is arranged between VET school and employer. There are no standards or guidelines in this area. Theory training may also be implemented at work-place in case conditions for theory training are established at work-place.
However, based on the Labour Code adopted in 2016 (Art. 84), in case the apprenticeship labour contract is concluded together with training contract for formal VET, the maximum duration of theoretical training is equal to 30%.
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.
The basis is any VET programme that can be provided either in school-based or apprenticeship form.
Learning outcomes are typically set in general VET plans and VET programmes. The Procedures for the organisation of VET in the form of apprenticeship require employers to prepare relevant documents including training plan, training schedule, apprenticeship contract, etc.
However, there are no guidelines for preparing training plans. Thus, it is not clear how to properly distribute training of learning outcomes across the two apprenticeship programme venues.
Apprentices learning outcomes are assessed according to an agreed assessment plan. Assessment is done by a trainer and a VET teacher after finalising a programme module (i.e. a structural unit of the programme) or during the modules. The final assessment of apprentices, as in school-based VET, is organised by independent external accredited competence assessment institutions (e.g. Chambers, branch associations).
The Procedures for the organisation of VET in the form of apprenticeship require employers to prepare relevant documents including training plan, training schedule, apprenticeship contract, etc. However, there are no guidelines for preparing training plans. Thus, it is not clear how to properly distribute training of learning outcomes across the two apprenticeship programme venues.
The institution providing practical training has to be authorised to carry out training activity (training has to be mentioned in its statute) and registered in the database of formal training providers administered by the Ministry of Education and Science; and relevant persons who will be training apprentice(s) should have competed a course for pedagogical-psychological competences with a duration of 120 hours.
This requirement can be waived if a company cooperates with a VET provider.
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 workplace, 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.
In Lithuania there are no qualification or work experience requirements for company representatives who contribute to organisation and coordination of apprentice activities in the company.
The institution providing practical training has to be authorised to carry out training activity (training has to be mentioned in its statute) and registered in the database of formal training providers administered by the Ministry of Education and Science; and relevant persons who will be training apprentice(s) should have competed a course for pedagogical-psychological competences with a duration of 120 hours.
This requirement can be waived if a company cooperates with a VET provider.
6Contract and compensation
the practical training of apprentice at a workplace is carried out in accordance to an apprenticeship employment contract (pameistrystės darbo sutartis) concluded between the company and the apprentice;
the school-based learning part of the apprenticeship is carried out on the basis of a trilateral VET contract (profesinio mokymo sutartis) between the company, the VET institution and the apprentice.
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 agreement is called an ‘apprenticeship employment contract’.
It can be concluded with or without training contract.
It is regulated by articles 81-84 of the Labour Code.
The apprenticeship employment contract is registered at the company with a copy provided for VET school. A tripartite VET contract concluded among a learner, a school and a company is registered at school and at a company. If the apprenticeship programme is supported by PES, it is registered in the relevant PES register (based on Articles 18-31 of the Procedures for applying active labour market policy measures).
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 (1153 Eur in 2026).
Additionally for learning at VET institution, an apprentice gets a monthly training allowance (stypendium) depending on his learning results. The size of stypendium has been approved by the Government decree. The lowest stypendium equals to 0.5 of basic social benefit and the largest 3 times the basic social benefit (https://www.e-tar.lt/portal/fr/legalAct/TAR.A99F39F5434F/asr). The basic social benefit is EUR 74 in 2026.
If the apprenticeship programme is supported by PES, the stypendium for theoretical training period at VET school is 0.5 minimum monthly wage.
The apprentice wage is set by individual agreement between him and company. The Labour code (Art. 84 point 4) stipulates that an apprentice wage should not be below an official minimum wage.
7Financing and incentives
The salary of apprentices is usually covered by employers.
In case employers receive a subsidy to cover wage and social security tax of an apprentice, this part (maximum 70% of expenses, not exceeding 1.5 times the official minimum monthly wage) (https://uzt.lt/darbdaviams/pameistryste/66) will be covered from EU funds (European structural and investment funds or Recovery and Resilience Facility funds). The 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.
In case employers receive a subsidy to cover wage and social security tax of an apprentice, this part will be covered from EU funds (European structural and investment social funds or Recovery and Resilience Facility fund).
The training allowance (stypendium) is covered by the State.
Since July 2017 Public employment service (PES) implements measure ‘Employment based on apprenticeship contract’ and provide subsidies that are funded from European structural and investment funds (ESF+) and Recovery and Resilience Facility fund). For example, for training of apprentices (who were previously unemployed), Public employment service provides a subsidy for companies which reimburses companies 50-70 % (depending on company size) of salary and social security fund spending for apprentices (who previously were unemployed). This subsidy cannot be higher than 1.5 minimum monthly wage (Euro 1153 in 2026).
The project ‘Apprenticeship – New opportunity for me!’ was initiated by MoESS and is managed by the European Social Fund Agency (ESFA). It runs from January 2023 until April 2026. It aims to create 3 866 apprenticeships in SMEs and large companies with the EUR 19.1 million of RRF funding allocated to it, thereby increasing the attractiveness and skills matching of VET programmes.
In the ESIF 2014–2020 funding period, the Ministry of Economy and Innovations (MoEI) provided subsidies to companies for training, including apprenticeships. However, this support is no longer provided in the ESIF 2021–2027 funding period.
When the apprenticeship programme is supported by the Lithuanian PES, the costs of the organization and coordination of the work activities and practical training by the appointed in-company trainer and part of his/her salary can be reimbursed by PES. In other cases this may not be available or amounts could differ.
The ‘Promoting apprenticeships in Lithuania’ initiative, launched in 2024, developed a communication strategy to promote apprenticeships.
The project "Publicity of Apprenticeships in Lithuania" is underway, the goal of which is to create and implement measures to publicize and promote apprenticeships in Lithuania, in order to increase the attractiveness of vocational training in the form of apprenticeships.
In 2020, a national apprenticeship portal, www.pameistryste.lt, was launched to provide targeted information to companies, VET institutions and apprentices. It is funded by the QVETDC.
Support for training in-company trainers is not systemic and depends on separate projects. The 2020–2022 European structural and investment funds (ESIF) project STEP-UP Supporting Tutor’s Educational and Professional Upgrade developed and tested a new pedagogical model for the preparation, training and support of trainers in companies.
Further, between September 2023 and April 2026, the ESFA is carrying out an RRF project called Qualification improvement – higher VET quality, which has a budget of EUR 3.5 million, that aims to provide approximately 200 company trainers with pedagogical and andragogical competence (completed) and for approximately 800 VET teachers with technological competence (to be completed).
The wage covers time spent in company. Additionally for learning at school, apprentice gets a training allowance (stypendium).
For learning at VET institution, an apprentice gets a monthly training allowance (stypendium) depending on his learning results. The size of stypendium has been approved by the Government decree. The lowest stypendium equals to 0.5 of basic social benefit and the largest 3 times the basic social benefit (https://www.e-tar.lt/portal/fr/legalAct/TAR.A99F39F5434F/asr). The basic social benefit is EUR 74 in 2026.
From 1 September 2022, general education schools and vocational education and training institutions started to strengthen their career guidance system, and new positions of career specialists were created. Career guidance services are now mandatory from the first grade, although the implementation of regulatory provisions may still vary among schools.
In 2020, a national apprenticeship portal, www.pameistryste.lt, was launched to provide targeted information to companies, VET institutions and apprentices. It is funded by the QVETDC.
The national promotion event Apprentice of the Year started back in 2022. This includes video promotions and articles in local media to promote apprenticeship among the youth.