VET provider development strategies 2021-27

Policy development
Regulation/Legislation
Latvia
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Timeline
  • 2020Implementation
  • 2021Implementation
  • 2022Implementation
  • 2023Implementation
  • 2024Implementation
ID number
43569

Background

A brief overview of the context and rationale of the policy development, explaining why it is implemented or why it is important.

The recent vocational education and training (VET) reform was completed with amendments to the VET law in 2022. Five VET institution types have been defined. In addition, each VET provider has been assigned a specialisation.

VET providers need to strengthen their capacity for improved performance and increased competitiveness nationally and internationally, according to the Education development guidelines 2021-27 (EDG). The existing approach for the development of VET provider strategies needs to be improved, based on lessons learned from the former 2014-20 strategies.

Objectives

Goals and objectives of the policy development.

To implement a systemic approach of developing VET provider investment and development strategies in line with the national education strategy 2021-27 and in compliance with the education ministry's manual.

To follow a uniform structure approach for these strategies and include clear goals in line with VET priorities at national level.

To encourage VET providers to set ambitious development goals allowing for growth and competitiveness at national and international levels.

Description

What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.

Future development of every VET provider is to be stated in its development strategy, shaped in consultation with the sectoral expert councils and local municipalities. The strategies are aligned with the sectoral and regional development plans.

2020
Implementation

A manual (guidelines) has been prepared by the education ministry to assist the schools in drafting the strategies. A three-month training programme for VET institutions on the development of strategies was offered by the ministry and the National Centre for Education (VISC) in December 2020-February 2021.

2021
Implementation

In 2021, VET providers developed their draft strategies. The Evaluation Commission, represented by the education ministry, its agencies, social partners and other relevant stakeholders, reviewed the drafts. The feedback was sent to VET institutions for improving their draft strategies. After introducing improvements to the strategies, VET institutions presented them to the Evaluation Commission.

2022
Implementation

In 2022, the Ministry of Education and Science endorsed the Investment and development strategies for 2021-27 for all State VET providers.

The ministry also assigned a technical school status to 15 VET providers; a competence centre of art education status - to one VET provider, and a professional school status - to two VET providers.

2023
Implementation

Investment planning was underway considering the needs identified in the investment and development strategies for 2021-27 for vocational education institutions.

2024
Implementation

In August 2024, the Committee for Evaluation of Development and Investment Strategies of Vocational Education Institutions and Evaluation of Investment Applications of the Ministry of Education and Science decided on the allocation of funding to vocational education institutions, considering their investment needs identified in the Development and investment strategies 2021-27. The investments were earmarked for the modernisation of vocational education programmes, improvement of infrastructure and digitisation.

In September 2024, the government approved a measure and funding for climate neutral solutions in VET (regulation no. 611), promoting energy efficiency and sustainability of investments, rational use of energy, reduction of consumption of environmental resources and moving towards a neutral environmental impact.

Bodies responsible

This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
  • Ministry of Education and Science
  • National Centre for Education (VISC)
  • Sectoral expert councils
  • VET providers

Target groups

Those who are positively and directly affected by the measures of the policy development; those on the list are specifically defined in the EU VET policy documents. A policy development can be addressed to one or several target groups.

Entities providing VET

  • VET providers (all kinds)

Other stakeholders

  • Social partners (employer organisations and trade unions)
  • National, regional and local authorities

Thematic categories

Thematic categories capture main aspects of the decision-making and operation of national VET and LLL systems. These broad areas represent key elements that all VET and LLL systems have to different extents and in different combinations, and which come into focus depending on the EU and national priorities. Thematic categories are further divided into thematic sub-categories. Based on their description, policy developments can be assigned to one or several 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.

Engaging VET stakeholders and strengthening partnerships in VET

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.

Further developing national quality assurance systems

This thematic sub-category refers to further development of national quality assurance (QA) systems for IVET and CVET, for all learning environments (school-based provision and work-based learning, including apprenticeships) and all learning types (digital, face-to-face or blended), delivered by both public and private providers. These systems are underpinned by the EQAVET quality criteria and by indicative descriptors applied both at system and provider levels, as defined in Annex II of the VET Recommendation. The sub-category concerns creating and improving external and self-evaluation of VET providers, and establishing criteria of QA, accreditation of providers and programmes. It also covers the activities of Quality assurance national reference points for VET on implementing and further developing the EQAVET framework, including the implementation of peer reviews at VET system level.

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.

Promotion strategies and campaigns for VET and lifelong learning

This thematic sub-category refers to initiatives that promote VET and lifelong learning implemented at any level and by any stakeholder. It also covers measures to ensure and broaden access to information about VET to various target groups, including targeted information and promotional campaigns (e.g. for parents, adult learners, vulnerable groups). Among others, it includes national skill competitions and fairs organised to attract learners to VET.

European priorities in VET

EU priorities in VET and LLL are set in the Council Recommendation for VET for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience, adopted on 24 November 2020 and in the Osnabrück Declaration on VET endorsed on 30 November 2020.

VET Recommendation

  • VET underpinned by a culture of quality assurance

Osnabrück Declaration

  • Resilience and excellence through quality, inclusive and flexible VET

Subsystem

Part of the vocational education and training and lifelong learning systems the policy development applies to.
IVET
CVET

Country

Latvia

Type of development

Policy developments are divided into three types: strategy/action plan; regulation/legislation; and practical measure/initiative.
Regulation/Legislation
Cite as

Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). VET provider development strategies 2021-27: Latvia. 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/43569