Republic of Lithuania
Law
ON VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
14 October 1997 No VIII-450
Vilnius
(As last amended on 22 June 2011 – No XI-1498)
CHAPTER I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1. Purpose of the Law
1. This Law shall establish:
Article 2. Definitions
1. “Institution for assessment of competences” means a social partner, any other legal person of the Republic of Lithuania, a legal person of any other Member State or an organization which does not have the status of legal person, or their branch, accredited in the manner prescribed by legal acts, who are granted the right to assess the competences acquired by a person.
2. “Form of organising vocational education at school” means when education is carried out at a vocational training establishment or in any other school. Practical training may be carried out at an enterprise, establishment, organization, farmer’s farm, with a freelance teacher.
3. “Lithuanian Qualifications Framework” means a system of the levels of qualifications set in the Republic of Lithuania and based on the competences needed for person’s activities.
4. “Apprenticeship form of organising vocational education” means when training is carried out in the workplace: in an enterprise, establishment, organization, farmer’s farm, with a freelance teacher. Theoretical training may be performed at a vocational training establishment or in any other school.
5. “Primary vocational education” means vocational education intended for acquisition of an initial qualification.
6. “Practical training” means development of occupational skills at a vocational training establishment, any other establishment and/or enterprise, farmer’s farm, with a freelance teacher.
7. “Vocational teacher” means a teacher performing theoretical or/and practical vocational training.
8. “Vocational information” means systematic provision of information relating to the matters of vocational education, demand of qualifications in the labour market and occupational choice.
9. “Vocational counselling” means help rendered to a person to take a rational decision on occupational choice, taking into consideration his individual characteristics, demands of the labour market and opportunities for vocational education.
10. “Vocational education” means education according to vocational training programmes, which helps a person to acquire a qualification or to improve it, or to acquire a competence necessary to do work or to perform a function regulated by laws.
11. “Vocational training establishment” means a school or any other establishment the main purpose of which is vocational education.
12. “Vocational education quality assurance” means systems and procedures created and implemented by state institutions and providers of vocational education so that the vocational education quality corresponds to the set indices.
13. “Vocational training programme” means an education programme which is formalised variedly and the aim of the content, ways and methods of conveyance of which are to grant the set competences.
14. “Module of a vocational training programme” means an independent, predefined part a vocational training programme.
15. “Provider of vocational education” means a vocational training establishment, a freelance teacher and any other provider of vocational education (a school of general education, an establishment, an organisation, an enterprise whose main activity does not comprise vocational education), who, according to the procedure laid down by law, has the right to prepare and/or implement vocational training programmes.
17. “Centre for vocational guidance” means a legal person of the Republic of Lithuania, a legal person of any other Member State or any other organization which does not have the status of legal person, or their branch, which renders vocational information and vocational counselling services.
18. “Vocational training standard” means regulations of acquisition of qualifications in the vocational education system.
19. “Vocational standard” means a list of qualifications, competences necessary to acquire these qualifications, assessment criteria and methods.
20. “Social partners” means institutions of employers (the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists, the Lithuanian Business Employers’ Confederation), institutions of business self-government (the Lithuanian Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Crafts, the Chamber of Agriculture of Lithuania) and organisations representing the interests of employees (Lithuanian Confederation of Trade Unions, the Lithuania Trade Union Solidarumas, the Lithuanian Labour Federation) as well as other institutions of employers, business self-government, organisations representing the interests of employees, approved by the Government, which, together with the public administration institutions, perform the functions established by this Law.
21. “Continuing vocational education” means ” means vocational education designed for improvement of the qualification possessed by a person or for acquisition of another qualification, or for acquisition of a competence necessary to do work or to perform a function regulated by laws.
22. “Member State” means any Member State of the European Union or any other country of the European Economic Area.
Article 3. Purposes of the Vocational Education System
The purposes of the vocational education system shall be as follows:
1) to help a person to acquire a qualification and competences which correspond to the current level of science, technology, economics and culture, help him to secure his position and compete in a shifting labour market, guarantee the progress of the national economy, competitiveness in the international market and sustainable development;
2) to create conditions for persons with various needs and abilities for life-long learning, upgrading qualification and requalification;
4) to ensure that qualifications meet the needs of the national economy, to guarantee the objectivity of competence assessment, qualification award and recognition;
Article 4. Principles of the Vocational Education System
The principles of the vocational education system shall be as follows:
1) equal opportunities – the vocational education system is socially just, it ensures equality of persons without prejudice to their gender, race, nationality, language, origin, social status, belief, convictions or attitudes; it guarantees to every person the acquisition of a primary qualification and creates conditions to improve the acquired qualification or to acquire a new one;
2) contextuality – the vocational education system is closely related with the context of national economic, social, cultural development, it renews together with the said development and meets the ever-changing needs of the labour market;
3) efficiency – the vocational education system seeks good results of vocational education by knowingly and economically using the available resources and invoking effective management – appropriate and timely decisions which are taken together with social partners;
Article 5. Vocational Education System
The vocational education system of Lithuania shall comprise:
Article 6. Primary Vocational Education
1. Primary vocational education shall be provided for persons who are at least 14 years old:
2. A provider of vocational education shall create conditions for a student who has not acquired the basic education to continue education according to the basic education curriculum.
3. A person who has acquired the basic education may choose education according to a vocational training programme or concurrently study according to the secondary education curriculum as well.
4. When a student studies according to the vocational training programme, modules of general education technologies subjects or vocational training programmes shall be validated according to the procedure laid down by the Minister of Education and Science.
5. A student who has completed a formal vocational training programme and/or who has acquired the assessment of the competences he acquired in a prescribed manner shall be awarded the qualification of an appropriate level.
Article 7. Continuing Vocational Education
2. The achievements of the previous studies shall, in accordance with the procedure laid down by the Minister of Education and Science, be validated for a person who upgrades the qualification held or seeks to acquire another qualification.
3. A person who has completed a formal vocational training programme and/or has received in a prescribed manner the assessment of the competences he acquired shall be awarded the qualification of an appropriate level.
4. Upon assessment of the competences acquired in the course of person’s non-formal vocational education, such competences may be recognised as a qualification of an appropriate level or part thereof in accordance with the procedure for assessing competences acquired by a person, as laid down by the Minister of Education and Science and coordinated with the Minister of Economy.
Article. Vocational Guidance
2. Vocational guidance shall be carried out in schools of general education, vocational training establishments, centres for vocational guidance, labour exchanges in accordance with the procedure laid down by the Minister of Education and Science together with the Minister of Social Security and Labour.
Article 9. Designation and Framework of the Qualifications System
1. The purpose of the qualifications system shall be to ensure the correspondence of the qualifications meet the economic needs, their transparency, comparability, continuity of education, occupational and geographical mobility.
2. The qualifications system shall be based on the cooperation between social partners, the State and educational establishments.
3. The qualifications system shall comprise the formation and management of qualifications, the assessment of the competences acquired by a person and the award of qualifications.
Article 10. Formation and Management of Qualifications
1. A qualification shall be based on competences. A vocational standard shall set competences necessary to acquire qualifications.
2. Qualifications shall be managed by the qualifications management institution on the basis of the Lithuanian Qualifications Framework established by the Government.
3. In order to coordinate strategic issues of the formation of the qualifications system the qualifications management institution shall set up a central vocational committee made up of representatives of state, municipal institutions, establishments and social partners, and in order to approve vocational standards – sectorial vocational committees.
Article 11. Assessment of Competences and Award of Qualifications
1. The Government shall lay down requirements for institutions for assessment of competences and the procedure for accrediting them.
2. An institution for assessment of competences shall organise the assessment of the competences acquired by a person, in compliance with the procedure for assessing competences acquired by a person, as laid down by the Minister of Education and Science and coordinated with the Minister of Economy.
3. A qualification shall be awarded to a person who has acquired all the competences set by an appropriate vocational standard or an appropriate vocational training standard and necessary for acquisition of a qualification, and in the absence of the said standards, all the competences set in an appropriate vocational training programme which is registered in the Register of Studies, Training Programmes and Qualifications.
4. A person shall be awarded a qualification by a provider of vocational education, upon receipt of the results of the assessment of the competences.
Article 12. Preparation and Legalization of Vocational Training Programmes
1. Vocational education shall be carried out in accordance with formal and non-formal vocational training programmes.
2. A provider of vocational education may accept persons for studying and start implementing formal vocational training programmes only after the receipt of the licence issued by the Ministry of Education and Science.
3. A provider of vocational education, a citizen of the Republic of Lithuanian or any other Member State, any other natural person who uses the right to move freely within the territory of the Member States, a legal person of the Republic of Lithuania or any other Member State (hereinafter referred to as “natural and legal persons”), or any other organization which does not possess the status of legal person or their branches shall have the right to initiate and/or prepare vocational training programmes.
4. A formal vocational training programme shall be intended for acquisition of a qualification recorded in the Register of Studies, Training Programmes and Qualifications, which is established by the Government.
5. The procedure for preparing and legalizing formal vocational training programmes shall be laid down by the Minister of Education and Science.
6. A formal vocational training programme must meet the vocational standard defining the qualification or an appropriate vocational training standard.
7. Formal vocational training programmes may be implemented together with general education curricula or supplemented with other curricula designated for person’s socialisation, self-realisation, securing of his position in the labour market.
8. Formal vocational training programmes, qualifications, vocational standards and vocational training standards shall be registered in the Register of Studies, Training Programmes and Qualifications.
9. A non-formal vocational training programme shall be intended for acquisition of competences or development thereof.
10. The requirements for non-formal vocational training programmes and their implementation may be established by an institution commissioning education according to this programme or financing it.
Article 121. Licence to Conduct Formal Vocational Education
1. Formal vocational education may be conducted by legal persons, other organizations of Lithuania or any the Member State which do not possess the status of legal person, as well as their branches established in the Republic of Lithuania, or natural persons residing in the Republic of Lithuania who have the licence of formal vocational education (hereinafter referred to as the "licence") which confers the right to carry out formal vocational training programmes entered for a legal or natural person in the Register of Licences.
2. The Minister of Education and Science shall issue licences, suspend their validity, repeal suspension of the validity and revoke the validity. Rules for licensing of formal vocational education shall be approved by the Government.
3. Natural and legal persons, other organizations of Lithuania or any other Member State which do not have the status of legal person, whishing to conduct formal vocational education, must meet the following requirements:
1) vocational teachers or candidates for vocational teacher must meet the requirements laid down in vocational training programmes and the Law on Education;
2) locations where theory is taught and practical training takes place, material and methodological resources intended for education and training must correspond to the anticipated number of students and meet the requirements set out in a vocational training programme;
4. Evaluation of correspondence to the set requirements shall be organized and conducted and an expert report concerning the preparedness to implement training programme shall be issued by an institution authorised by the Ministry of Education and Science.
5. The decision on the issuing of the licence or a justified refusal to issue the licence must be submitted to the natural or legal person not later than within 30 days from the receipt of the application (request). Upon having established that not all necessary documents were submitted, the submitted documents are inadequately executed, the documents contain false and/or inaccurate data, the Ministry of Education and Science shall, within 10 working days of the receipt of the documents, inform about this a legal or natural person who seeks to receive (supplement, revise) the licence and set a time limit of 30 calendar days to address the deficiencies. The time limit for issuing a licence shall be calculated from the date of submission of all the adequately executed documents and information. Failure to furnish a reply concerning the issuing of a licence shall not be regarded as the issuing of such licence.
6. A charge levied by the State of the amount set by the Government must be paid for the issuing, supplementing, revising of a licence, or issuing of a duplicate. The said charge shall be paid before the adoption of a decision on the issuing of a licence or the adoption of a decision on the supplementing, revising of a licence or the issuing of a duplicate.
7. A licence shall not be issued, if:
1) the submitted documents and the application do not comply with the requirements set in the rules of licensing of formal vocational education;
2) the validity of the licence has been revoked for a legal or natural person because of the established violations which were not eliminated within the set time limit and less than six months have passed since the revocation of the validity of the licence;
8. The Minister of Education and Science may take a decision to suspend the validity of a licence for a period of 30 calendar days; the period may be extended on objective grounds for another 30 calendar days in order to eliminate the established violations where:
1) it is established that vocational teachers fail to meet the requirements set out in a vocational training programme (programmes) and the Law on Education;
2) premises where theory is taught and practical training takes place, material and methodological resources intended for education and training do not correspond to the anticipated number of students and do not meet the requirements set out in a vocational training programme;
3) organization of teaching process, admission of students and their accounting, issuing of documents legalizing learning outcome as well as the accounting of these documents are executed in contravention of the requirements set out by legal acts;
4) it is established that a legal person, any other organization of the Republic of Lithuania or any other Member State which does not possess the status of legal person, or its branch established in the Republic of Lithuania, or a natural person residing in the Republic of Lithuania does not act in conformity with the conditions of licensed activities as laid down in the rules of licensing of formal vocational education.
9. At the decision of the Minister of Education and Science the suspension of the validity of a licence may be repealed if the established violations are eliminated.
10. The Minister of Education and Science may take a decision to revoke the validity of a licence in the following cases:
1) at the request of a legal person, any other organization of the Republic of Lithuania or any other Member State which does not possess the status of legal person, or its branch established in the Republic of Lithuania, or a natural person residing in the Republic of Lithuania;
2) when a legal person, any other organization of the Republic of Lithuania or any other Member State which does not possess the status of legal person, or its branch established in the Republic of Lithuania ceases to exist;
3) when it is established that a legal person, any other organization of the Republic of Lithuania or any other Member State which does not possess the status of legal person, or its branch established in the Republic of Lithuania, or a natural person residing in the Republic of Lithuania has provided false data in the submitted documents;
4) when a legal person, any other organization of the Republic of Lithuania or any other Member State which do not possess the status of legal person, or its branch established in the Republic of Lithuania, or a natural person residing in the Republic of Lithuania for whom the validity of the licence was suspended has not within the set time limit eliminated the violations which where the reason of the suspension of the licence;
Article 13. Setting-up, Termination and Restructuring of Vocational Training Establishments. Development of the Network
1. Vocational training establishments may be set up by natural or legal persons or other organizations which do not possess the status of legal person and their branches.
2. Vocational training establishments shall be reorganised, liquidated and restructured in compliance with the Civil Code.
3. State and municipal vocational training establishments may be restructured from budgetary establishments into public establishments pursuant the provisions of the Civil Code.
4. When setting up state and municipal vocational training establishments whose legal form is the public establishment, as well as when restructuring state vocational training establishments into public establishments, state or municipal immovable property may not be invested in them.
Article 14. Admission to Study
1. Providers of vocational education, with the exception of the providers of internal affairs vocational education, providers of vocational education who execute applications for the enrolment in state-financed vocational training programmes for acquisition of the primary qualification, filed by the persons to whom the Law on Support for Unemployment and the Law on Social Integration of the Disabled are applied, shall, taking into consideration the needs of the labour market, submit applications for the enrolment in state-financed vocational training programmes for acquisition of the primary qualification to the Minister of Education and Science.
2. The plan of enrolment in state-financed vocational training programmes of the persons wishing to acquire the primary qualification, with the exception of the persons to whom the Law on Support for Unemployment, the Law on Social Integration of the Disabled or the Law on the Approval of the Statute of the Internal Service, shall be approved by the Minister of Education and Science after the consideration of this plan in the Vocational Education Council of Lithuania, and in the programmes executed by internal affairs vocational training establishments – by the Minister of the Interior.
3. The procedure of enrolment of persons wishing to acquire the primary qualification in a state or municipal vocational training establishment – a budgetary and public establishment – shall be laid down by an institution which implements the rights and duties of the owner of the establishment (a meeting of the partners) in compliance with the general criteria of enrolment approved by the Minister of Education and Science.
4. The procedure of enrolment of persons in a non-state vocational training establishment shall be laid down by the owner (a meeting of the partners) on the basis of the requirements established for them in vocational training programmes.
5. A person who wishes to acquire the primary qualification at an enterprise, establishment, farmer’s farm or freelance teacher, to improve the qualification possessed or to acquire another qualification, shall be enrolled in accordance with the requirements laid down in the vocational training programmes or in accordance with the procedure laid down by an enterprise, establishment or a farmer.
6. The enrolment of persons in internal affairs vocational education establishments shall be regulated by the Law on the Approval of the Statute of the Internal Service.
7. The provider of vocational education shall lay down the procedure of enrolment according to non-formal vocational training programmes.
8. Person’s enrolment according to a vocational training programme shall be executed in the form of a vocational education contract. The requirements for internal affairs vocational education contracts and the procedure of registration thereof shall be laid down by the Minister of the Interior, the requirements for other vocational education contracts and the procedure of registration thereof shall be laid down by the Minister of Education and Science in conjunction with the Minister of Economy.
Article 15. Forms of Organization of Vocational Education
2. The school form of vocational education shall be applied by a vocational training establishment or any other school in which theoretical education and practical training are carried out. When a vocational education establishment concludes a vocational education contract with an enterprise, establishment, organisation for which vocational education is not the main activity, with a farmer, freelance teacher and a student, practical education may be carried out in the workplace.
3. When applying the apprenticeship form, a provider of vocational education shall conclude employment and vocational education contracts. Practical training of a person shall be organised in his workplace, and theoretical education may be carried out in a vocational training establishment, following the conclusion by the provider of vocational education of a vocational education contract with this establishment and a student.
Article 16. Vocational Education of Persons with Special Needs
1. Persons with special needs shall be provided in compliance with the procedure laid down by legal acts with the conditions to study according to vocational training programmes and to acquire a qualification.
2. Persons who completed special training programmes may get education together with other students according to vocational training programmes adapted to them.
Article 17. Vocational Education of Persons who are Deprived of Freedom or whose Freedom is Restricted
1. Persons who are deprived of freedom or whose freedom is restricted shall be provided with the conditions in the manner prescribed by the Government or an institution authorised by it to get education at special reformatory places or places of confinement.
Article 18. Ensuring of Vocational Education Quality
1. Vocational education quality shall be ensured, within the scope of their competence, by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Economy, other ministries and government agencies, establishments under the Ministry of Education and Labour, the qualifications management institution, municipal institutions, the owner of a non-state vocational training establishment (a meeting of the partners), the head of a vocational training establishment when initiating and legalizing public agreements concerning the conception of vocational education quality, providing for indices, criteria, standards or other requirements of vocational education quality, observing and evaluating the conformity of vocational education with the agreements, planning and implementing the improvement of vocational education.
2. The monitoring of vocational education pursuant to the education monitoring indices approved by the Minister of Education and Science and in accordance with the procedure laid down by him, self-evaluation and external assessment of the quality of activities of vocational training establishments, evaluation of vocational training programmes, evaluation of learning outcome, supervision of vocational education and granting of qualifications shall be carried out in order to ensure and improve vocational education quality.
Article 19. Legalization of Qualifications and Learning Outcome
1. The following documents of qualifications and learning outcome shall be issued:
1) a qualification certificate – to a person who received the assessment of the competences required for that qualification;
2) a vocational education certificate – to a student who has completed the formal vocational training programme;
3) a certificate of vocational education achievements – to a student who has not completed the vocational training programme;
4) a certificate – to a person who has completed a module of the vocational training programme, the non-formal vocational training programme and (or) has acquired the competence necessary to perform the work or function regulated by the law;
2. The content, form and procedure for issuing documents of qualifications and learning outcome specified in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be defined by the Minister of Education and Science.
3. A student of a vocational training establishment, who in parallel with the vocational training programme completes the basic education curriculum and upon the evaluation of his learning outcome, shall be issued a certificate of basic education, a student who completes a secondary education curriculum and passes the matura examinations – a certificate of secondary education, a student who does not complete a secondary education curriculum or does not pass the matura examinations – a certificate of learning achievements.
4. The recognition of the qualification acquired abroad for the qualification acquired in Lithuania and the attestation of the qualification acquired in Lithuania for the persons going abroad shall be regulated by the legal acts and international agreements of the European Union and the Republic of Lithuania.
Article 20. Student’s Rights and Duties
1. The student shall be entitled:
3) to the transfer of the subjects of technologies of general education, the modules of vocational training programmes, achievements of previous education;
2. The student must:
1) adhere to the regulations of a vocational training establishment, rules of student’s conduct, working arrangements of a vocational training establishment and the provider of education who carries out practical training;
3) those who are under 16 years of age, while studying under the vocational training programme, must continue studying under the basic education curriculum;
Article 21. Rights and Duties of the Provider of Vocational Education
1. The provider of vocational education shall have the right:
2) to develop formal vocational training programmes meeting the needs of the economic and labour market of Lithuania and to propose to enter them in the Register of Studies, Training Programmes and Qualifications;
3) to develop non-formal vocational training programmes and to enter them in the Register of Qualifications Development Programmes and Events;
4) transfer for a person the subjects of technologies of general education, the modules of vocational training programmes in accordance with the procedure laid down by the Minister of Education and Science;
5) upon the receipt of the results of the assessment of the competences, to award a qualification to a person;
2. The provider of vocational education must:
2) create the conditions of learning provided for in vocational training programmes, ensure the conformity of vocational training programmes with vocational standards or vocational training standards, continuous renewal of the curriculum content and methods;
Article 22. Powers of the Ministry of Education and Science
1. The Ministry of Education and Science shall:
4) announce information about formal vocational training programmes executed by vocational training establishments, providers of vocational education who execute the said programmes and who possess licences to execute them, institutions which are granted the right to assess competences acquired by a person;
5) approve a plan of admission in state-financed vocational training programmes of persons wishing to acquire the primary qualification, with the exception of the persons to whom the Law on Support for Employment, the Law on Social Integration of the Disabled or the Law on the Approval of the Statute of the Internal Service apply;
6) approve general criteria of admission of persons in state and municipal vocational training establishments;
7) define the content, form and procedure of issuing documents of qualifications and learning outcome specified in paragraph 1 of Article 19 of this Law;
8) approve the description of the procedure of transfer of the subjects of technologies of general education and the modules of vocational training programmes;
9) in the manner prescribed by the Government, issue licences to execute formal vocational education;
10) prepare investment programmes for the development of the systems of vocational education and qualifications;
11) coordinate the improvement of qualifications of vocational teachers of vocational training establishments in which the Ministry implements in the manner prescribed by legal acts the rights and duties of the State as an owner or stakeholder;
12) establish and manage the Register of Diplomas, Certificates of Secondary Education and Qualification Certificates and the Register of Qualifications Development Programmes and Events;
13) upon coordination with the Ministry of Economy, approve the description of the procedure for assessing competences acquired by a person and the description of the procedure for distributing the funds appropriated for assessment;
16) on the recommendation of the qualifications management institution, accredit institutions and grant them the right to assess competences acquired by a person;
17) set the tasks, functions of central and sectorial vocational committees of the qualifications management institution, as well as the procedure for setting up and financing such committees;
2. The Ministry of Education and Science in conjunction with the Ministry of Economy shall:
1) define the structure of vocational standards and vocational training standards, the procedure for preparing, changing and supplementing them, as well as approve them;
2) prepare the methodology for computation of vocational education funds for one student and submit this methodology to the Government for approval;
3) lay down requirements for vocational education contracts as well as the procedure of their registration;
4) execute financing of vocational training programmes from the state budget by applying the principle of appropriation of funds for education for one student.
Article 23. Powers of the Ministry of Social Security and Labour
The Ministry of Economy shall:
4) coordinate the improvement of qualifications of vocational teachers of vocational training establishments, founded by itself or assigned to the Ministry, in which the Ministry implements, in the manner prescribed by legal acts, the rights and duties of the State as an owner or stakeholder;
Article 24. Powers of other Ministries and Government Agencies
Other ministries and government agencies shall:
2) coordinate the improvement of qualifications of vocational teachers of vocational training establishments in which the Ministry implements in the manner prescribed by legal acts the rights and duties of the State as an owner or stakeholder;
Article 25. Powers of the Qualifications Management Institution
The qualifications management institution shall:
2) organise predicative research on demand for qualifications and work pertaining to shaping of a system of qualifications;
3) assess institutions and recommend them to the Ministry of Education and Science for accreditation and for assessment according to their preparedness the competences of a person;
Article 27. Powers of Municipal Institutions
1. A representative institution of the municipality shall:
1) initiate the creation of a network of providers of vocational education, meeting the needs of municipal residents;
2) in accordance with the procedure laid down by the Law on Education, set up, reorganize, carry out structural arrangements, liquidate and restructure vocational training establishments in which it implements in the manner prescribed by legal acts the rights and duties of the municipality as the owner or stake holder.
2. An executive institution of the municipality shall:
1) participate in the enrolment of persons, who wish to acquire the primary qualification, in the state-financed vocational training programmes;
2) plan the admission of students to vocational training establishments in which it implements in the manner prescribed by legal acts the rights and duties of the municipality as the owner or stakeholder;
3) carry out the improvement of qualifications of heads of vocational training establishments in which it Ministry implements in the manner prescribed by legal acts the rights and duties of the municipalities as the owner or stakeholder;
4) organise the evaluation of achievements in basic education as well as matura examinations of students of vocational training establishments;
Article 28. Powers of Social Partners
Social partners shall:
2) initiate the preparation of new qualifications, vocational standards, vocational training programmes, participate in composing their content;
3) participate in the evaluation of vocational training programmes according to their correspondence to the needs of the economy, and coordinate them within the limits of their competence;
4) participate in planning the enrolment of students in state-financed vocational training programmes;
6) coordinate organisation of assessment of the competences acquired by a person and participate in assessment of the competences acquired by a person;
7) participate in organisation of practical vocational training at an enterprise, establishment, farmer’s farm or with a freelance teacher and in performing of the supervision thereof;
8) participate in carrying out external assessment of the quality of activities of vocational training establishments;
Article 29. The Vocational Education Council of Lithuania
1. The Vocational Education Council of Lithuania shall be an advisory institution when resolving strategic issues relating to vocational education.
2. The Vocational Education Council of Lithuania shall be composed in equal parts of representatives of state and municipal institutions, employees’ and business self-government institutions, and organisations representing the interests of employees.
Article 30. Sources of Financing of Vocational Education
Vocational education shall be funded from:
Article 31. Financing of Vocational Education
1. Funds appropriated for vocational education shall consist of:
2. Teaching funds for formal vocational education shall be appropriated from the state budget, special targeted state budget appropriations for municipal budgets and (or) the Employment Fund, by applying the methodology of computation of teaching funds for one student as approved by the Government.
3. Non-formal vocational education shall, in the manner prescribed by legal acts, be financed by a natural or legal person who commissions training; it may be supported from the state, municipal budgets and the Employment Fund.
4. Teaching funds for budgetary and public vocational training establishments as well as for providers of vocational education who implement state-financed vocational training programmes shall be appropriated from the state budget, special targeted state budget appropriations for municipal budgets, municipal budgets or the Employment Fund.
5. Continuing vocational education of employees of an enterprise, establishment, farmer’s farm shall be carried out with the funds of the enterprise, establishment, farmer’s farm or the students. State budget funds may also be appropriated in accordance with the procedure laid down by legal acts for training of employees of an enterprise, establishment or farmer’s farm.
6. Vocational education of unemployed persons and persons warned about dismissal shall be financed in accordance with the procedure laid down by the Law on Support for Unemployment.
7. Funds for assessment of the competences of a person shall be appropriated by applying the methodology of computation of funds for one person, which is approved by the Government. Funds shall be allocated in accordance with the procedure of distribution of funds, as laid down by the Ministry of Education and Science and coordinated with the Ministry of Economy.
8. Funds for vocational counselling of students at schools of general education and vocational education shall be appropriated by applying the principle of distribution of funds for one student.
9. Funds for vocational counselling of persons in vocational counselling centres, labour exchanges shall be appropriated by the Ministry of Social Security and Labour in the manner prescribed by it.
10. Maintenance funds for a state and municipal vocational training establishment shall be appropriated by an institution implementing the rights and duties of the owner (a meeting of the partners); maintenance funds for a non-state vocational training establishment shall be appropriated by the owner (a meeting of the partners). Maintenance funds may be appropriated for public vocational training establishments from the state budget, municipal budgets, the Employment Fund or other funds. Municipal vocational training establishments whose legal form is a budgetary or public establishment may be allocated maintenance funds from the special targeted state budget appropriations of an appropriate year for municipal budgets pursuant to the methodology approved by the Government.
11. Investment funds from the state budget intended for the development of the systems of vocational education and qualifications (construction, renovation, renewal of the material teaching base, preparation of standards, etc.) shall be appropriated according to investment programmes approved in the National Investments Programme of an appropriate year. Investment funds for vocational training establishments may also be appropriated by the owner (a meeting of the partners) in accordance with the procedure laid down by him.
12. In order to fulfil the functions laid down in subparagraphs 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 of Article 28 of this Law, social partners may be appropriated the funds according to the approved estimates of income and expenditure from the appropriations allocated for that purpose by the ministries for the sphere of regulation of which these functions are provided for.
Article 32. Material Assistance
1. Students who study according to vocational training programmes seeking to acquire the primary qualification, as well as students of internal affairs vocational training establishments may be paid a stipend and receive any other material support as prescribed by the Government.
2. Students with special needs seeking to acquire the primary qualification and do not receiving a stipend may be provided with meals and any other material support in accordance with the procedure laid down by legal acts.
Article 33. Payment for Vocational Education
1. At a non-state vocational training establishment an additional payment for vocational education shall be fixed by the owner (a meeting of the partners) of the establishment.
2. The amount of the payment for non-formal vocational education at state and municipal vocational training establishments – budgetary and public establishments – shall be fixed by an institution implementing the rights and duties of the owner of the institution (a meeting of the partners).
3. Additional, not provided for in vocational training programmes, practical teaching aids and education services (consultation, courses, etc.), rendered by vocational training establishments, shall be provided for a fee. The amount of the fee for services rendered shall be determined by the head of the vocational training establishment after consultation with the council of the establishment.