[word version - full paper] - contribution#1599: context of the development of regional vet...

8/14/2019 [Word version - full paper] - Contribution#1599: Context of the development of regional VET partnerships in Lithu

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Context of the development of regional VET partnerships in Lithuania

Vidmantas Ttlys, Daiva Bukantait, Tomas Sabaliauskas

Centre for Vocational Education and Research Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania)

Paper presented at the European Conference on Educational Research,University of Gothenburg, Sweden, 10-12 September 2008

(EERA/VETNET)

Abstract

The paper examines general socio-economical, political and cultural preconditions for the

establishment and development of the regional VET networks in Lithuania. The aim is to disclose the

main context factors influencing the possibilities and effectiveness of the application of foreignexperiences in this field. This paper analyses and discloses the following subjects:

1. Historical development of the VET system of Lithuania with special reference to regionalVET partnerships: socio-economic development context (influence of transition from thecentralized planned economy and post-totalitarian society to the market economy and

Western European democracy); institutional development of the IVT system and continuing

vocational training (CVT) (reform of VET in Lithuania and its influence for the VETinstitutions).

2. Influence of the existing legal basis for the development of the regional cooperation in thefield of vocational education and training. Analysis on how the legal system, which setsand regulates the roles and responsibilities of the social stakeholders in the field of

vocational education and training influence the development of the regional partnerships

in this field.

3. Overview and evaluation of the existing forms and types of the partnership andcooperation in VET and the main factors of the development of regional partnership andcooperation in vocational education and training in Lithuania.

4. Identification of the main problems and blockage factors to the transferability of theforeign solutions (from the partners countries) into the Lithuanian local context for each

of the problem areas.

Cooperation and partnership between the social stakeholders in the VET on the regional levelin Lithuania is rather uneven and lacks the systemic approach. Existing initiatives and experiences ofsuch cooperation do not present sufficient basis for the establishment and development of the regionalVET networks in Lithuania. This research aims to overview the current state of the regional VET

partnerships in Lithuania analysing the development path of the partnerships of the main stakeholdersin VET, looking into existing models and practices of the cooperation and clarifying the mainchallenges, possibilities and hindering factors of the future development of the regional VET networksin Lithuania. This research provides the background information for the analysis of the transfer andapplication of the experience of France, Germany and the Netherlands in modelling of the regionalVET networks in Lithuania.

There are applied the following research methods:1. Desktop analysis encompassing existing literature, documents and other sources.

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2. Panel interview (focus group) of the representatives of main stakeholders responsible for thedevelopment of vocational education and training in Lithuania: Ministry of Education and Science,Methodical Centre for Vocational Education and Training, Chamber of Commerce, Industry andCrafts, VET schools, colleges and employers associations.

1. Historical development of the VET system of Lithuania and its implications for theestablishment of the regional VET partnerships

Development of the vocational education and training in the periodof the evolution of the national statehood of Lithuania in the XXthcentury. Development of the modern vocational education and training inLithuania experienced the challenges and influences of the sharp breakages andtransitions of the different socioeconomic systems and political ideologies in theXXth century. The first courses of crafts were launched in Lithuania at thebeginning of the XXth century after the reforms of tsarist governmentimplemented in 1905 (epnas, 1992). More systematic vocational training in the

fields of agriculture and crafts was developed only after the establishment of theindependent state in 1918. Until the 1926 the crafts schools were mainly createdby the monasteries and charity associations and their main aim was to help tointegrate orphans and children of other socially excluded groups in the labormarket. The first public schools of crafts were created in 1926 and thedepartment for special vocational education and training at the Ministry ofEducation was established only in 1937 (epnas, 1992). Looking at the institutionalstructure of the VET of Lithuania in the period of 1918-1940 there can bediscerned three types of vocational training institutions: secondary crafts schools,schools of agriculture and special secondary vocational schools in agronomy,veterinary and technology. These institutions provided young people with

vocational skills and qualifications mainly in the fields of agriculture and crafts, asLithuanian economy of that period was based on agriculture. In 1937 there were14 public special vocational schools (secondary crafts schools, lower secondaryschools of construction and trade) with 2474 pupils and 30 private schools with3845 pupils (Lietuvos Respublikos vietimo ministerijos 1937 m. veikimoapyskaita, 1939).

Undeveloped industry and tertiary sector with the domination of agriculture in the structure ofnational economy was one of the most important factors which determined such slow development ofthe vocational education and training. The rise of education and training in the agriculture was relatedto the implementation of the reform of agriculture in 1922 which opened the possibilities for thedevelopment of the many private farms. The training of the small land owners and small farmers was

also regarded as an instrument of the economical and social integration of these social groups.Development of industry and services was regarded as one of the most important challenges and tasksseeking for the strengthening of the national identity, social stability of society and solution of themain social problems such as poverty and emigration (Trimitas Nr. 19, 1934). Such structure ofeconomy and society, as well as the authoritarian regime of government imposed after the coup dtatin 1926 could not create favorable conditions for the development of the social partnership and thebodies representing the interests of workers and employees.

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Analyzing the preconditions for the development of the cooperation and partnership in thevocational training in that period there can be made the following conclusions:

1. Due to the domination of agriculture in the economy and the agrarian mentality of societythere were no favourable conditions for the institutional development of the social

stakeholders representing the interests of the economical and semi-professional groups(unions, employers organizations, organizations of professional groups).2. This period did not create the possibilities and conditions for the development of the

effective networks or systems of institutions providing vocational education and training.Slow development of the system of activities, underdevelopment of the industry andtertiary sectors caused corresponding quantitative and qualitative underdevelopment of theVET institutions and low density of VET institutions could not create the conditions fordevelopment of effective cooperation and networking between these institutions.

3. Training and provision of skills in the society due to the different external and internalfactors was very fragmented, inconsistent and failing to create the synergy between theindividuals, institutions and social groups. Strong influence of the state to the system of

education and system of activities practiced by the tsarist Russian empire until the FirstWorld War and by the occupational regime of the Germany during the First World War wasinherited by the government of Lithuanian state and it presumed the domination of verticalbureaucratic relations between the state and institutions providing vocational education andtraining.

4. This period did not succeed to create the conditions for the social norms of trust basedcoordination between the institutions, communities and individuals in the field ofvocational education and training.

5. Analysing the attitudes of society towards the vocational education and training there canbe noted the position of farmers and peasants which gave priority to the education neededfor the agricultural activities and to higer education which could help to provide their

children with the intellectual professions (priests, lawyers, medical doctors) and ignoringthe importance of the training in crafts and industrial skills. Appeals of the intellectuals ofthat period to seek for the coherent and equal development of the all sectors of educationseeking in order to ensure the cohesive economical, social and cultural development ofsociety were not listened to attentively.

Development of the VET institutions in the soviet period: the main socioeconomical and

institutional characteristics. Soviet system of vocational education and training was integrated in thecentrally planned economy and so called military-industrial complex. Totalitarian industrialization wasdirected only to the strenghtenning of the military power of the Soviet Union and it demandedcentralized planning and development of the human resources. Centralized system of vocationaleducation and training had a main objective: in the shortest possible time to prepare maximal quantityof the narrowly specialised mostly low skilled workforce, which could satisfy the needs of thedeveloping heavy industry. The lack of labor force in the fifth and seventh decades ofthe 20th century further pressed the central planning institutions to direct agreater part of secondary school graduates to vocational training schools (Kerr,1990). For this purpose an intensive vocational guidance was used in order todirect young persons to the workplaces, lacking labor force most. While reachingthe goal, each secondary and vocational school retained close cooperation

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relations with enterprises, factories, collective farms and the so-called Sovietfarms. The said enterprises and organizations arranged for the practice placesfor school students and employed the majority of persons, graduating fromvocational schools.

The transition from the one education level to another was regulated by the

centralized system of assessment of acquired knowledge and skills. One of themost important filters in this system was the exams of the 8th grade schoolseparating the pupils which afterwards had to the vocational schools and toacquire the worker qualifications needed for the planned economy. Due to thesereasons the vocational education lost its social prestige. The sociosystemicimplications of the soviet centralized VET system is designed the fig No. 1.

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Fig 1. Sociosystemic implications of the soviet centralized VET system

Totalitariancommunistideology

Autoritarian machine of rule,based on the system of

nomenclature of ruling partyand complex bureaucraticplaning mechanism and

respressive force structures.

Centralized plannedeconomy, formal

planning of resourceswith weak relatiuonswith real needs and

possibilities.

Hirerarchical centralizedrule of societyeliminating the

possibilities of theindividual to influencethe development ofeconomy and society .

Priority is given to theheavy industry andproduction of themeans of productionignoring the needs todevelop other sectorsof economy.

Problem of coordination inthe supply of resourcescreates the situation of theforced and obligatory

provision of resourcescausing ineffectivenness ofeconomy and big losses.

Lack of the motivationfor the development andgrowth of productivity,

beacause there is nointerest to increase the

plans of production.

Vocational education andtraining is based on the

principle of thecentralized and forcedmobilization

Possibilities of individual to choose the education and qualification are very limited

Evolution of thepassive andcompletely dependedfrom the state massesof society.

Most of the acquired qualifications are very narrow and the stagnation of the system ofactivities does not create sufficient conditions for the professional development

Planned vocational education and training become not only the measure for the supply ofhuman resources for the planned economy, but also executes the function ofindoctrination helping to create and to govern masses loyal to the posttotalitarian regime.

Elements of theSoviet post-totlitariansystem

Consequences of

the post-totalitariansystem

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In assessing the conditions for the development of the cooperation and partnershipin the Soviet period there can be mande the following conclusions:

1. Free development of socioprofessional groups and stakeholders (trade unions,employers organizations, professional organizations) was not possible inprinciple due to the totalitarian system. Therefore there was no experience for

the development of such stakeholders at the reconstitution of the independentstate after the collapse of the Soviet system.2. Lithuania inherited the institutional system of VET which was adopted to the

planned economy and totalitarian society and was not suitable for the newconditions of the market economy and democratic society. This inheritance ofthe VET institutions and their infrastructure (material and human resources)could not compensate or outweight negative influence of the absence of thesocial partnership and cooperation in this system.

3. Experience of the posttotlitarian society and the domination of the verticalinterinstitutional relationships based only on the external control and planningcreated the lack of trust in the society and local communities and reluctance to

create free social organizations and communities.4. Segregational character of the soviet VET system caused the loss of theprestige of vocational education and training in the post-soviet society. Theexperience of the vocational training which was subjected to the plannedeconomy made the influence for the tinking of employers, that VET systemeven in the market economy must provide them with the workforce whichcompletely suits to the needs of the workplace and need no additionaladaptation. VET institutions had also to abandon the stereotypical thinking,that the state and employers has to indicate the comprehensive training needsand guidelines and to become more autonomous and creative.

Development of the VET system and partnerships in VET after the restoring

of the independent state in 1990. Lithuanian VET system is still in the transitionalperiod from the state-regulated (or supply model) to the market regulated (demand)model. It is an interesting fact, that the initiative to introduce and to strengthen socialpartnership in the VET belongs to the Ministry of Science and Education.

Participation of social partners in vocational education and training system wasfirst defined in The White Paper(1999) and theLaw on VETin Lithuania (1997). Socialpartners have been authorised with concrete functions in VET:

(a) to supply proposals to the Lithuanian VET Council, while definingrequirements for VET curricula (modules) and final qualificationexaminations;

(b) to organise final qualification examination;(c) to register practical training agreements/contracts between school, enterprises

and a trainee;(d) to supervise practical training agreements and their implementation.Taking into consideration that Lithuanian VET and general education have been

traditionally school (but not company) - oriented and centralized, this new Law broughtinto the VET system a radical reform.

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The White Paper (1999) described social partnership as a regular cooperation,negotiation and coordination of interests among governmental institutions (mainly,Ministries of Education and Science, Ministry of Social Security and Labor, VETschools), employees representatives (trade unions) and employers representatives(associated business structures). Thus, the first practical steps, trying to coordinate the

educational and vocational activity systems, were implemented in 1998, when the statedelegated several concrete functions in VET for social partners Lithuanian Chambers ofCommerce, Industry and Crafts, and a few years later to The Chamber of Agriculture.

Though Lithuania tried to transfer the best practice from the German dual system,this initiative has never been fully implemented. Much attention was paid to thedevelopment of the qualifications demand model.

Rimantas Lauackas (2005) discerns three levels of the social partnership in theVET system of Lithuania:

(a) National policy level. At this level the social partnership is ensured through theactivities of the Council of the Vocational Education and Training established on the basisof the tripartite cooperation with the participation of government institutions, employers

organizations and trade unions. The Council closely cooperates with the Ministries of theEducation and Science and Social Affairs in the coordination of the activities of the VETsystem. The main objective of the Council is to ensure the coordination of the interests ofthe all main social partners in the processes of the VET system. However, it should benoted, that this institution plays more advisory role in the decision making processes.

(b) Sector level. At this level the main institutions ensuring the social partnershipare the branch experts groups and the Central Experts Group of Branches. These expertsgroups are also constituted on the tripartite basis and consist of the representatives of thebranch employers, trade unions and VET institutions. Their main responsibility is thedesigning of the standards of initial vocational education and training with thesupervision of the Centre for the Methodology of the Vocational Education and Training(public institution established by the Ministry of the Education and Training).

(c) Practical vocational level. At this level the main actors are different localworking groups composed by the representatives of the VET schools and employers.These groups create the vocational training standards within separate occupations,develop the curricula for the vocational schools. Social partnership at the practicalvocational level can also be discerned in the other processes of the VET system: the co-operation between the VET schools and employers in the organization of the practicaltraining or between the enterprises and the centres of the labour market training in thefield of continuing training of the employees. However, this partnership is rather passive,fragmentary, scatered and unsystematic (Lauackas, 2005).

Recently concluded survey of employers executed by the Association of theProfessionals of Personal Management (Personalo valdymo profesional asociacijos -PVPA) disclosed, that only very small part of surveyed enterprises communicated withthe education and training institutions. 68 percents of employers consider, that theknowledge and skills acquired by the VET schools leavers does not correspond to thelabor market demands and current market situation. 52 percents of the surveyedemployers indicated, that vocational schools designed their curricula on their own andwithout the reference to the enterprises and 78 percents of employers indicated that they

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were not involved in the preparation of the VET standards (Darbdaviai nepatenkintiprofesini mokykl absolvent paruoimu:http://naujasdarbas.delfi.lt/index.php?info=3&t=news&g=2302F035-5192-4B3E-BC73-1913AE25E923). There can also be noted, that the enterprises of the sectors whichencounter the problem of the shortage of workforce are more inclined to cooperate with

the education and training institutions. For example, 22% enterprises of constructionsector indicated that while solving the problem with the lack of workforce theycooperated with the education and training institution. The main problem lies in the fact,that the involvement of employers in the most cases is too formal and based on the top-down approach, when the employers organizations only formally execute the functions inthe VET system delegated by the state. For example, VET schools face a lot of problemstrying to involve employers in the designing or updating of VET curricula by assessingthe needs of enterprises. Despite of that there are some important factors which willenhance the higher and more intensive involvement of employers in the processes ofVET: increasing shortages of skilled employees due to the emigration, growth of theseparate successful cases of co-operation between the employers and VET schools and

the introduction of the National Qualifications System.The involvement of trade unions in the processes of VET is even more problematic mainly due to the weakness and underdevelopment of the unions inLithuania. There can be noted shortages of the partnerships of the VET schools,employers and other stakeholders on the regional and local levels.

Concluding the analysis of the historical evolution of the VET in Lithuania itsinfluence to the existing practices of the cooperation and partnership in the vocationaleducation there can be proposed the following explanatory model of this process (Fig. 2).

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Centrally planned economy withthe supply based and led

vocational education and training

Centralized and subjected to theplanned economy system ofvocational education and trainingsupply the workforce according

to prescribed plans.

VET institutions play the role ofexecutors in the production ofhuman resources for plannedeconomy.

Relationships between the VETinstitutions and state enterprisesare planed and ruled by thegovernment and based on the

obedience to set rules andinstructions .

Development of the mentality and

thinking inherent to the patronagerelations with the government:

absence of autonomous initiativesand cooperation based on the

interests.

Formation of the market economy and labor

market together with the reorientation of the

VET to the labor market demand

VET system is being restructured and reoriented to thelabor market needs by the implemented governmentinitiatives and policies, providing more autonomy forthe actions of VET institutions.

VET institutions display more initiatives too cooperatewith employers in analyzing and satisfying their needsas well as seeking to solve the problems of the outdatedtechnical basis and other problems. Employers are usedto treat the VET system in supply led terms expectingfrom the VET institutions that they would supply theskilled workforce without any significant input ofemployers.

Cooperation between VET institutions, enterprises andother stakeholders is very episodic, lacking initiativesand clearly expressed interests from the side ofstakeholders, especially from the employers and

unions.

Despite the socioeconomic changes the paternalistic

mentality of the stakeholders and society and thedominating supply-led approach in the field of VET did

not permit to develop the cooperation between the

stakeholders in vocational education and training.

Development of the market economy,

increasing internationalization of the

labor market

Trends in decentralization of the VETsystem seeking to increase its effectiveand responsiveness to the increasing nof the skilled workforce.

Employers increase their attention to tdevelopment of human resources andcooperation with VET institutions,government exerts initiatives to foster development of human resources bycreating different policy instruments ainstitutional settings: NQF, public VETschools, sectoral training centres etc.

Cooperation between the VET institutenterprises and other stakeholders slowacquire more characteristics of strategthinking, it becomes more based on th

interest of stakeholders in the humanresourcesdevelopment.

Mostly external factors, especially

internationalization of the labor marketintegration in the EU socioeconomic

structures demand stakeholders in VET base their cooperation on the new strate

of human resource development at thedifferent levels.

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2. Impact of the existing legal basis for the development of the regionalcooperation in the field of vocational education and training

The following questions are analysed and answered in this part:1. How the existing laws and other legal acts empower the social stakeholders to

participate in the processes of vocational education and training and to cooperate in thisfield? Why analysed legal norms are effective or ineffective in doing it? What changes inthe existing legal basis are needed in order to enhance the development of the partnershipof the regional stakeholders in the field of vocational education and training?

Laws regulating the cooperation between the social stakeholders in the vocationaleducation and training in the most cases do not ensure the empowering for thestakeholders to participate actively in the processes of the vocational education andtraining and to co-operate in coordinating their interests. Sometimes when the role ofsocial stakeholders is defined more concretely it is usually accompanied by the controlfunction of the government institutions. For example, the Law on teh Amendment of the

Law of Vocational Education adopted in 2007 foresees delegation of the functions ofaccreditation of qualifications to the social partners indicating, that these social partnershave to be appointed by the government (LR profesinio mokymo statymo pakeitimostatymas, 2007).

Sometimes the laws fail to indicate concrete functions and responsibilities of thesocial stakeholders in the processes of vocational education and training. For example,the same law on vocational education and training of 2007 foresees implementation ofthe apprentiseship in Lithuania, but fails to indicate clearly defined functions andresponsibilities of the social stakeholders in this field. In the other laws on education andtraining, like in the previous edition of the law on vocational education and training of1997, the law of education and the law of higher education the main interest is focussedon the institutions and their functions failing to set the rules and standards for thedifferent processes of education.

Strategic documents also fail to provide more clear and concrete vision on how todevelop cooperation between the social stakeholders in the vocational education andtraining. The cooperation between the stakeholders in these documents is described in avery general terms avoiding to propose concrete solutions and ideas on how to developthis cooperation. In many mases the laws and legal acts only declare the possibility of theactor to execute certain actions or initiatives, but do not clearly indicate concretefunctions and responsibilities. For example the law on Vocational education and trainingissued in 1997 declares that VET schools can design their own training curricula byinvolving in this process social partners. Similarly are defined the functions in changingthe VET curriculla: VET institution has a right with the approval of its founder,Ministry of Education and Science and /or the Ministry of Social security and labor tochange training programmes, to create the new programmes and to offer them to includeinto the Register of study and VET programmes (Lietuvos Respublikos Profesiniomokymo statymas, 1997).

How are defined and regulated the functions and responsibilities of thestakeholders in VET on the regional level? There can be stated that the existing legalbasis legitimize rather strongly centralized system of vocational education and training.

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The Ministry of Education and Science is planning the vocational trainingaccording to so called orders from the sectors of economy. The volumes of enrollmentand its distribution according to different training programmes in the vocational schoolseach year are agreed with the administration of counties.

According to the current law of vocational education and training (2007) there isthe following distribution of functions and responsibilities between the Ministry ofEducation and Science, Ministry of Social Security and Labor, administrations ofcounties and municipalities:

Ministry of Education and Science together with the Ministry of Social Security

and Labor:

1) coordinate the designing of VET standards and approve them;2) prepare the methodology of the calculation of funding of training per pupil and

present it for approval to the Government ;3) define general requirements for the regulations (statute) of the county councils

of vocational education and training ;4) define the requirements for the content of vocational training contracts and thesules of registration of contracts;

Governor of the county:

1) participate in planning the enrollment of pupils and adults seeking for the firstqualification into the state funded programmes of vocational education and training in thecounty (planning function)

2) establish the county council of vocational education and training, approve theregulations of its activities and organize its work (regulation function);

3) performs the functions of the founder of the VET institutions attributed to thecompetence of county administration (foundation function);

4) perform the supervision of the activities of the VET providers (controlfunction);

5) initiate vocational training of the persons with special needs (foundationfunction).

Representational (legislative) institution of municipality :

1) initiate the establishemnt of the network of the VET providers according to theneeds of the local population and labor market (planning and foundation functions);

2) establish, reorganise, liquidate and restructure subordinate VET institutionsreferring to the criteria defined by the Government (foundation functions);

3) perform the functions of the founder of the VET institutions attributed to thecompetence of municipalities (foundation function);

Executive institution of municipality (department of education and training):

1) participate in preparing the enrollment of pupils and adults seeking for the firstqualification into the state funded programmes of vocational edcuation and training(planning and organization functions);

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2) plan the enrollment of pupils into the subordinate VET institutions (planningfunction);

3) organize and execute the continuing training and certification of the principalsof VET schools (executive organizational function);

4) organize the assessment of the learning outcomes of general and secondary

education for the pupils of vocational schools, as well as the final exams for thecertificate of secondary education (executive organizational function);5) plan and perform vocational guidance (executive function).

What are the most needed changes in the legal basis in order to promote and enhance thecooperation and partnership between the social stakeholders in VET?

There can be discerned the following changes of the legal basis which are neededto enhance the cooperation and partnership between the social stakeholders in VET:

1. Legitimization of the fiscal policy measures which could motivate theemployers to increase the financial support to the vocational education andtraining and enhance them to invest in the initial and continuing vocational

training. Such measures can be like the attribution of the investments to thevocational training and financial support to the VET institutions as anexpenditures of activities and deduction of these expenditures from the profit.

2. Establishment of the legal acts clearly regulating apprenticeship, activities ofthe public VET schools, sectoral practical training centres and otherinstitutional units of the partnership and cooperation in the vocationaleducation and training.

3. Increase of the transparency, clarity and stability of the legal basis ofvocational education and training by accepting important umbrella lawscovering all fields of vocational education and training: the law onqualifications, law on the recognition of informal and non-formal learning etc.

3. Existing forms and types of the partnership and cooperation in VET and the main

factors of the development of regional partnership and cooperation in vocational

education and training in Lithuania

At present the cooperation and partnership between the VET institutions,employers and other stakeholders is increasing but it is still rather episodic and based onthe separate and rather unsystematic cases. From the other side there can be notedshortage of the regional initiatives and forms of the cooperation and partnership in theVET. One of the possible reasons is the demographical situation and size of the country.What is the potential representativenness and authonomy of Lithuanian administrativeregions (districts) in the field of VET? According to prof. Vincentas Dienys, referring tothe demografical requirements o the VET development and regulation and the situation inthe developped EU countries there can be statei, that the sufficient autonomy of theregions in VET can be achieved in the regions which have at least 1 million inhabitants. 1

Such minimal population is required in order to have sufficient demand of the humanresources in the whole sectors and occupation of the regional economy which is satisfiedby the corresponding networks of the VET institutions. This minimal demografical

1 From the interview executed on the 05-03-2008.

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density of the regions is also needed for the establishement of the long lastingcooperation networks between the VET schools, employers and other stakeholders of theregions, because the interest for co-operation and creation of the cooperation networks ofVET in the regions very depends on the number of the present and potential students andlearners in the different occupations. Lithuanian regions do not satisfy this quantitative

requirement and can not be regarded as sufficiently autonomous entities for theestablishment and development of the regional VET networks. Therefore it should betterconsidered possibilities to develop networks of the cooperation in VET on the nationallevel with the clearly expressed regional dimension.

Analysing the preconditions of the development of partnership between the VETstakeholders in the regions there can be discerned the VET councils of districts consistingof VET schools, colleges, employers and the authorities of districts. The County VETcouncils are established on the tripartite basis with the role of provision of expertise,consulting and coordination of VET functions in the regions. Such councils areestablished in the all counties of Lithuania, but their activenness and involvement in thedevelopment of VET is rather different from region to region. In the statute of the county

VET council this organization is defined as collegial education self-governmentinstitution advising to the county government on the strategic questions of the VETdevelopment (Lietuvos Respublikos vietimo ir mokslo ministro ir Lietuvos Respublikossocialins apsaugos ir darbo ministro 2008 m. sausio 18 d. sakymas Nr. ISAK-115/A1-25, 2008). The main tasks of the council are to analyse and evaluate the strategicquestions of the VET development in the county, to design the regional VET policies, toprovide advices and conclusions on the VET development and VET quality improvement.The county VET councils also provide the suggestions to the Ministry of Education andScience and other ministries regarding the preparation and improvement of the laws andlegal acts regulating the vocational education and training processes. The Council alsoevaluates the applications of IVET providers to provide state funded initial vocationaleducation and training according to their training curricula and analyses the needs of VETcurricula and volumes of VET in the region. It also provides the recommendations andsuggestions for the VET institutions regarding the existing and new training curricula,vocational guidance and other VET activities. Generalizing the overview of theobligations and rights of the county VET councils there can be stated that despite of thepredominantly advisory role these organizations can still be very active in proposing andlaunching of the different initiatives in the VET development. If VET councils ofcounties would make use of all their possessed rights and influence they can become veryimportant institutional basis for the development and intensifying of the cooperation ofthe VET stakeholders in the regions and subsequently it would increase their influenceand decision making power in the future. Presently county VET councils can play a veryimportant role in forecasting and planning the VET development in the regions byadjusting the plans of VET schools in the forming of the cohorts of the pupils andestimating the volumes of the VET school leavers. In this regard one of the veryimportant fields of their activities can be adjustment of the supply of the workforceprovide by the VET institutions with the demands of the regional labor market andprevention of the drop-outs from the vocational schools in the regions which increase theshare of the unskilled and low skilled human resources. These institutions can enhancethe cooperation between the VET schools, colleges and other educational institutions in

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the region, can be mediators in setting the cooperation contracts between theseinstitutions.

There can be noted clear dominance of the networks of VET institutions whichare established and managed centrally (top-down approach). This applies both for thenetwork of IVET schools and the system of the regional labor market vocational training

centres governed by the Labor market training authority, which is currently going to beintegrated with the initial VET system.There is clear shortage of the systematic contacts and exchange of information

between the VET institutions and employers organizations. For example, theConfederation of the Industrialists of Lithuania claim, that since the establishment of thisbiggest employers organization 17 years ago they were never asked to help in definingthe skills needs in the sectors. This organization also notes the shortage of cooperationbetween the secondary schools and VET schools and even the destructive competitionbetween these educational institutions seeking to attract the pupils and to ensure the statefunding which depends on the number of pupils (Lietuvos pramoninink konfederacijosir Lietuvos Respublikos ems kio rm bendrojo posdio protokolas Nr. 25, 2005).

Despite of such crictical evaluations of the current situation and declaration of miscontentthe employers organizations still lack for the will and preparation to take concreteobligations and roles in the VET. Untill now all efforts are limited to the establishment ofthe different work groups which analyse the existing problems and propose possiblesolutions (for example, decision to create working group of stakeholders from theConfederation of the Industrialists and Chamber of Agriculture to analyse the questionsof the improvement of prestige of blue collar work, improvement of the technicalinfrastructure of practical training and other questions). Presently, due to the big shortageof the workforce and the low unemployment employers became much more active in theimprovement and support of the activities of vocational schools. They propose togovernment to apply the fiscal reductions or to treat the financial support for the schoolsas the expenditures in order to enhance the employers to support the VET schools.

According to other employers one of the biggest problems which does not permitto develop the cooperation between the VET schools and enterprises as well as toincrease the support of enterprises to vocational schools is that there is no guarantee thatthe support of the enterprise gives the return and in many cases this financial support ismore useful for the competitors which do not support the VET schools themselves. Theypropose to accept certain laws, which foresee the obligation for the schools leavers towork in certain enterprises (those who support the VET school) after the leaving theschool.

There can be noted, that the cooperation between the VET institutions andemployers is the most active in those sectors, which experience the biggest shortage ofthe skilled employees, like construction and road freight transport sectors. A goodexample here is the activities of the Association of the road freight carriers of LithuaniaLinava uniting the enterprises of the road freight sector. Linava established its owntraining centre which trains and develops the skills for about 3000 truck drivers per year(http://www.linava.lt). The training centre Linava develops the cooperation with theVET schools helping them to design the training curricula, providing training materials,organizing seminars for the trainees and teachers and their practical training in thetransport companies.

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The shortage of the skilled employees in the construction sector made to establishcloser relation between the enterprises, vocational schools, Association of Builders andthe Ministry of Education and Science. Recently Association of Builders and Ministry ofEducation and Science prepared the guidelines for the all stakeholders involved in thetraining in this sector indicating the measures helping to impove the quality of the

preparation of construction workers. According to the Director of the Department ofInitial and continuing vocational training at the Ministry of Education and Training Mr.Romualdas Pusvakis, these guidelines foresee the complex solutions proposed togetherby the Association of Builders, enterprises and VET institutions which also include theways for the development of popularity of construction professions as well as theimprovement of the career possibilities in this sector (http://www.smm.lt). Theseguidelines propose to conclude the contracts and agreements between the constructionenterprises and VET schools in order to solve the existing problems.

The representatives of the VET schools analyzing their relationships with theVET schools often claim, that the last skilled and qualified teachers and trainers wererecruited from the VET schools by the employers and the pupils also leave the VET

schools without completion for the reasons of emigration or employment which does notpermit to ensure the quality of education and provided skills.Ministry of the Education and Science is very interested in the cooperation

between the employers and VET schools in organizing the internships of the VETteachers in the enterprises. Such co-operation would permit to decrease the gap betweenthe qualifications of teachers and trainers and the technological and organizationalrealities of the industry. Ministry of the Education and Science also support the position,that the stakeholders of the public VET schools should be not separate enterprises buttheir sectoral associations. Some associations of employers do not agree with thisposition, stating that the associations do not have sufficient financial resources in order tobecome the effective stakeholders and in this case they would still have to revert to theenterprises.

Analyzing the main currently developed institutional units of the cooperation andpartnership in the vocational education and training there can be discerned the following:

a. Regional VET centres established during the optimization of the network ofthe VET schools by uniting together those vocational schools and centres inthe regions which could not collect enrollment sufficient for the cost-effectivetraining. Currently there are working 5 such centres in the different regions ofLithuania. Here is presented the case of Marijampol regional VET centre.2

Regional VET centre of Marijampol was established in 2000 in the framework of

the optimisation of the netwrok of VET schools of Lithuania. Creation of centre wass

supported by the European Training Foundation and the National Board of Education ofFinland. The centre was created using to the experience of the Lahti Region Educational

Consortium in Finland. Centre united former school of polytechnics, vocational school of

construction, several schools of agriculture, and vocational training centres of theimprisonment institutions established in the region. Now the centre is the only VET

institution in the county of Marijampol and one of the biggest VET institutions in

Lithuania with 1970 pupils, 320 employees including 86 vocational teachers and 53teachers of general education. The governing institution of the centre - Board of Centre

2 Source: interviews with the representatives of the institution and the web-site

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is composed of 4 teachers, 2 other employees, 1 representative of the trainees, 2representatives of the parents, 5 social stakeholders and 3 representatives of the

municipalities of county. The Board is responsible for the management of the all

activities of institution: approve the directions of work, control the economical and

financial management, decide about the establishment or closing of the units and

departments, organize the practical training of the trainees in the enterprises, proposethe recommendations for the development of the technical infrastructure of training, take

care about the organization of the continuing training and skills upgrading of teachersand trainers. Such organizational and management structure as well as the available

infrastructure permits for the Centre to use effectively the support of the European Union

by participating in the different projects. During these projects there are developed newtraining curricula, updated technical basis of the practical training, developed skills and

qualifications of teachers and trainers (http://www.mprc.lt).

b. Establishment of the public VET enterprises with the participation of socialstakeholders which have been initiated 5-6 years ago. The transformation of

the VET schools to the public institutions or regional VET centres expands theweight of these schools in regions and increases their possibilities in providingskills and qualifications both for the pupils and for the employees of theenterprises as well as to react more flexibly to the labor market needsbecoming multifunctional vocational training school. It also helps to solvethe problems of the work of teachers and administration of school.Involvement of the employers and their organizations as well as the regionalauthorities in the management of schools permits to respond both to the needsof the employers and to the requirements of the regional development ofhuman resources by integrating initial vocational training, adult education andcontinuing vocational training. Currently there are 75 vocational educationschools in Lithuania and 13 of them are public vocational schools owned andgoverned by the ministry of education and science and business organizations.Employers recently have become very interested to take part in thereorganization of the state owned VET schools to the public enterprises, whatpermits them to be the stakeholders and co-owners of the schools. Currentlymany employers and their organizations are not satisfied with the long and too bureaucratic procedures in transforming the VET schools in the publicentities. However, some employers think that only the reorganization of thestate VET schools to the public enterprises will not solve all the problemsrelated to the lack of the teachers qualifications, insufficient funding oroutdated technical infrastructure of training. They claim, that VET schools andemployers had done nothing in order to increase the attractiveness of thevocational education and training for the pupils of secondary schools and toincrease the flows of young people to these schools. In the same time therecan be noted that some employers even propose to regulate these flows withthe state planning intervention, just like in the times of the soviet plannedeconomy. Here is presented the case of Vilnius Vocational School of Builders3.

3 Source: interview with Mr. Juozas Baranauskas, director of the institution

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Vilnius Vocational School of Builders was established on July 1, 2000, after joining together two vocational schools involved in the training of builders: Vilnius

Vocational School of Builders No1 and Vilnius Vocational School of Builders No3. In the

year 2000, after both the schools had been joined together, Vilnius Vocational School of

Builders became the biggest vocational school in Vilnius and its region providing

qualifications of workers for construction and wood-working industries. Upon thesuggestion of the Ministry of Education and Science in 2004 this institution became

public enterprise with the participation of the Ministry of Education and Science and aconstruction company Ajonda as a main stakeholders. After the school changed its status

to the public enterprise the following changes in the partnership of this school with

employers and other stakeholders took place:1. Vocational school acquired constant partners of cooperation in the face of

construction company. School, Association of Builders of Lithuania and the

company Ajonda discussed the principles of working together in the new

situation. The asset of company which is invested to the school remains the property of company in the form of share. According to the statute of

organization each shareholder has 1 vote in the management of school.2. Participation of the company in the management of school helped to adapt tothe fast changing technological environment in the sector of construction.

Company permitted to the school to use its available technical and

technological facilities and machinery. School sends their pupils to acquirepractical skills in working with modern machinery in the work-places of the

company.

3. Company became involved in the all processes of vocational trainingbeginning from the curriculum design and ending with the quality assurance

of training. The specialists and experts of the company consult teachers of the

school in designing and redesigning of the vocational training programs and

modules. Company takes care for the organization of the practical training inits facilities providing access to the modern equipment and machinery, as well

as participates in the evaluation of acquired qualifications. Company as

partner takes care about the quality of training and living conditions of thepupils - it helped to organize the building of the new dormitory for the pupils

ensuring the support for this project from the Association of Builders of

Lithuania (it has been the first and the only new dormitory of the vocationalschool built in Lithuania after the regaining its independence in 1990).

4. School organizes and provides the continuing vocational training for the

employees of the company. Other important advantage of the changed status

of VET school to the public enterprise is improved possibilities to apply forand to exploit effectively the financial support from the EU structural funds.

The school together withy the external partners implemented important

projects of the renovation of the infrastructure and the curricula of training:Development and implementation of new programmes for teaching

construction and wood-working with the aim to design and implemented new

training programmes corresponding to the needs of the workplaces,Modernization of facilities for builder training with the aim to renovate the

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infrastructure and technical infrastructure of the school buy repairing offacilities and acquiring new machinery.

5. The participation of the company in the management of the school does not

have any impact to the external relations of the school with the other

stakeholders and enterprises. School develops the relations with different

construction companies and providers of the machinery and materials in theconstruction sector. As far as the company is involved mainly in general

construction works, it does not have any specific demands and requirementsfor the curriculum of the school.

c. Activities of the county VET councils providing the recommendations for thedesigning and development of the regional policies of the human resourcesdevelopment. The interviewed stakeholders noted that currently municipalitiesand administrations of counties are not capable to design the regional VETpolicies or strategies and to involve the Vet providers, employers and otherstakeholders in their implementation. It was also noticed, that the countyadministrations and municipalities of the smaller regions and cities are much

more interested in the development of VET in their regions and show moreattention to the development of the VET in their regions, than theadministrations and municipalities of the big cities. This can be explained bythe fact, that development of VET and education in general is the mostimportant condition for the preparation and sustaining of the skilled humanresources in the so called provincial regions, while the bigger cities are thecentres of attraction for the skilled workforce and the administration of theseregions do not see the need to make any additional efforts in the field ofhuman resources development.

d. One of the important preconditions for the development of social partnershipin the VET of Lithuania is currently implemented initiative of the Ministry ofEducation and Science to establish the sectoral centres of practical trainingwhich would serve to the needs of the initial vocational training, highereducation and continuing vocational training of the employees. These centresare established by the partnership of different stakeholders and supported bythe financial support of the EU structural funds.

e. Activities of the regional Chambers of Industry, Commerce and Crafts inthe assessment and accrediting of the qualifications of the VET school leavers.

4. The preconditions for the adaptation of experience of the foreign countries in

establishment and development of the regional VET networks in Lithuania

There can be discerned the following preconditions for the transfer of experiencesand models of regional VET partnerships from the foreign countries:

1. Internal preconditions of the VET system.There can be stated, that the VET system of Lithuania is still in the transitional

period from the state-regulated (or supply led) model of VET to the market regulated (ordemand led) model of VET. From the other side, the domination of the school based VETmodel is still very evident in Lithuania. We can outline the following characteristics of

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this VET model which are important for the implementation of the experiences of foreigncountries in the field of the regional VET networks:

a. Lack of experience and intensiveness of the relationships between the VET

institutions and the employers (especially on the regional level), making the process

of social partnership in VET too formal and too dependent on the state

interventions. This circumstance creates serious obstacles for the implementation of theexperiences and models of the regional VET partnerships and networks from the VETsystems and models based on the intensive and constant relationships between the VETinstitutions, employers organizations, unions and other partners, as, for example, theexperiences of the dual VET model in Germany or initiatives in regional VET partnershipin the Netherlands (experiences of ROCs, partnerships in establishment of practicaltraining centres, etc.). From the other side, the experiences of these countries can giveimportant lessons on how to create this experience and intensiveness of co-operation bythe common action of all the stakeholders:

a. state, which can establish favorable legal basis and enhance the participationof employers and other partners using the levers of fiscal and social policy,

etc. examples from France;b. regional authorities which can initiate regional cooperation projects in VETand in this way to create the basis for gaining the needed experience andknow-how if partnership;

c. employers and unions, which also can propose the initiatives of projectsaccording to their needs or to act through the established branch or sectoralagreements;

d. VET institutions, which could change their passive attitude of state dependantsand act as more independent, autonomous institutions seeking for the establishment ofstrategic partnerships.

b. Mismatch between the needs of employers and qualifications, skills and

competences provided by the IVET institutions due to the outdated VET curriculum

and technical basis of practical training and fragmentary involvement o employers

in the processes of designing, provision and awarding of qualifications and

competences. This mismatch becomes one of the main reasons for the lack of trust anddisinterest of employers and VET institutions to cooperate with each other creatingreciprocal passiveness of these stakeholders. Such situation prevents from the effectiveimplementation of any experiences and approaches of Germany, France or Netherlandswhich require credits of mutual trust, understanding and mutual interests incooperation. Nevertheless, such situation can become an important reason and startingpoint for the search of solutions, including those related to the application of experiencesfrom the other countries. Here, for example, the experience of France and especially therole of state government in initiating different measures in VET (like apprenticeshipmodel of formation en alternance, APEL measures, CIF, DIF etc.) can be interestingexamples due to the level of dependence of the Lithuanian VET on the state regulationand government initiatives.

c. Lack of the communication and transition between the sectors of initial

and continuing vocational training, underdevelopment of the continuing vocational

training due to the institutional structure of VET system with the domination of the

public IVET institutions, lack of cooperation between the vocational schools and

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CVT providers, unregulated relations between the public institutions of IVET and

CVET (VET schools and labor market training centres). This situation createsobstacles for the implementation of the foreign experiences and models of the regionalVET cooperation directed towards the closer integration of initial and continuingvocational training and learning pathways. Therefore by implementing of such measures

there should be foreseen how to intensify the cooperation between initial vocationaltraining sector which is predominantly public and the continuing vocational trainingsector consisting of both public and private institutions. Some measures to increase suchcooperation are already undertaken and started to be implemented: integration of theinitial vocational training and labor market training systems, implementation of thenational system of qualifications etc. However, there is still a very important problem ofcoordination o functions and activities of the initial and continuing vocational traininginstitutions seeking to develop a more open and accessible VET system based on the principles of lifelong learning. It comprises the need to increase the territorialaccessibility of the continuing vocational training in the regions of Lithuania, where theVET schools and training centres can play a very important role.

d. Existing legal system and institutional framework ensure rather stronglycentralized VET system limiting the autonomy and responsibilities of the social

partners in VET. Strong centralization of the VET system limiting the initiatives andpossibilities of the VET institutions, employers and other social partners in proposing andimplementation of the vocational training measures on the regional level naturally createsimportant obstacles for the transfer and implementation of such measures andexperiences from the other countries. Especially if such transferred measures or projectsrequire from the actors autonomous acting and decision making. Therefore theimplementation of such measures and experiences would require additional (preparatory)efforts and measures directed towards the increasing of know-how, self-trust andindependent decision making, ability to take the responsibility for the proposed initiativesand solutions. Again, such situation is more favorable for the implementation of thosemeasures and experiences of cooperation in VET which are based on the top-downapproach and whose implementation requires strong participation and supervision of thecentral government. Strong centralization can be regarded not only as a reason of the lackof local initiatives of actors in VET, but also as a long-term consequence of this problem.When the VET institutions and social partners do not show any initiatives in the field ofVET or are not ready for such actions, the state government must engage and take thisrole.

e. Problems in funding of the VET institutions. Lack of funding and co-fundingof the VET institutions by many researchers and policy makers is very often indicated asone of the most important obstacles in the development of VET. Lack of funding isregarded as the main reason of the outdated technical basis of training and the lack ofskilled and qualified staff in the VET. From the one side the lack of public funding shouldenhance the initiatives of the VET institutions to look for the external partners, to providethe services for the market in order to find additional funding possibilities. Therefore thecooperation between the VET institutions and employers in the field of the organizationof practical training becomes a very important measure in coping with the problemscaused by the outdated technical basis of practical training. From the other side, lack offunding of VET poses the difficulties to the cooperation between the employers and VET

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institutions, because the VET schools due to the lack of public funding, outdated practicaltraining basis loose their attractiveness for the employers. Referring to the implicationsof this to the transfer of the experiences of the foreign countries in the field of theregional VET partnerships the special attention should be paid to the experiences andmodels of the co-funding in VET.

2. External preconditions and factors influencing the adaptability of the

experiences of France, Germany and the Netherlands in the

establishment and development of the regional VET networks.

a. Integration of Lithuania in the common EU labor market based on the free

movement of workforce between the member countries and the increased

economical emigration. Intensified emigration of workforce and increased needs ofskilled workforce can significantly influence establishment and development of theregional VET partnerships in Lithuania as well as the transfer and implementation of theexperiences of regional VET cooperation networks from Germany, France and theNetherlands. Growing shortage of the skilled workforce can create rather big tensions in

the relationships between the VET schools and employers. Responding to the growingneeds and shortages of the skilled workforce in the labor market in the context ofgrowing economical migration is a completely new challenge for the VET institutionswhich do not have the experience and largely lacks the know-how of acting in the marketconditions reacting to the changing needs of the enterprises in the different sectors. Slowadaptation of VET institutions to these changes in many cases causes the disappointmentof the part of employers and their disbelief in the perspectives of the cooperation with theVET schools often expressed by the position: we (business) can not wait. Suchposition makes the employers to look for the individual solutions for solving the shortageof the skilled workforce by implementing of the different ad-hoc, adaptive and short-termcontinuing vocational training measures. Other part of employers and their organizationsseek for more active cooperation and partnership with the VET institutions in order torespond to the above mentioned challenges. They try to cooperate with the VETinstitutions in organizing the practical training, introducing of the new training curricula,updating and development of the technical basis of training. These two approaches ofemployers has different implications for the development of the regional VETpartnerships in Lithuania:

a) The first approach poses real obstacles for such cooperation due to the lack ofinterests in cooperation, mutual trust and social capital resources. The transfer of theforeign experiences would be very difficult and doubtfully if it would bring any effect.The efforts of government in promoting of transfer of the regional VET partnershipexperiences from the other countries can even increase the distrust of employers andunions in such measures. On of the ways to solve this problem would be to grow upincrementally the trust between the employers and VET institutions by involving them inthe small and short term cooperation projects giving the clear benefits for the bothpartners.

b) The second approach creates favorable conditions for the development of theregional VET networks. Both the employers and VET institutions are open to the co-operation and understand, that the real long-term profits of this co-operation come onlyafter the goal oriented and intensive mutual efforts and investments. This approach is also

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favorable for the transfer of the foreign experiences in the field of the development of theregional VET networks. However, it should be taken care to avoid, that the transfer ofthese experiences change or violate the existing power balances and relations between thepartners. Therefore such transferred measures should be less dependent on the stateregulation and should leave more freedom of action for the partners.

b. Orientation to the liberal model of the economy and market relations. Thisorientation towards the liberal model of the economy of market relations can createfavorable conditions only for such models of the regional VET partnerships, whichprovide the biggest short-term benefits for the economical actors, do not require biginvestments and efforts from the stakeholders, and especially from the employers,exclude intensive participation and regulation of the government institutions. The role ofthe state in case of the Lithuanian liberal model of the partnership and co-operation inVET can be rather specific and unusual for the traditional liberal models, because thestate government tends to support business initiatives in partnership, creating favorableconditions for the involvement and participation of the employers, as in the cases of thetransformation of the part of VET schools to the public enterprises with the involvement

of local employers and municipalities.c. Lack of the know-how and experience of the social partnership, weakunions and their limited participation in the VET processes. VET institutions,employers, municipalities and regional administrations comparatively very recentlystarted to acquire the experience and know-how in the field of cooperation andpartnership. Public stakeholders, including part of the VET schools often do not have theincentives to cooperate with the institutions from the private sector, especially if thiscooperation requires to change the existing work practices and methods or theorganization of the training process, attitudes towards the quality and professionalism.Private sector organizations also tend to look at the public sector as too bureaucratic,inflexible making the cooperation with these institutions too complicated, time-consuming and ineffective. Special attention should be paid to the weak positions of theunions in Lithuania, their under-development and lack of know-how and experience inrepresenting the interests of employees in the fields of vocational training, skillsupgrading, career development, initial vocational training. Only recently unions startedto be little more active and to participate in the different processes and projects related tothe vocational training and human resources development, but more on the national level.This factor has negative implications for the development of the regional VETpartnerships and transferring of the experience of the foreign countries in this field.Therefore the most effective and desirable would be such experiences and models whichenhance the incremental growth of the experience and know-how in the cooperationbetween the VET schools, employers, unions and regional authorities and permit toaccumulate such experience.

d. European support in the integration process: EU funded projects in the

VET, human resources development and social partnership. The EU support andrelated EU funded projects facilitate and enhance the establishment and development ofexperience of social partnership in VET. The involvement of the VET institutions,employers organizations and unions in these projects (Leonardo da Vinci projects,European Social Fund supported projects, etc.) help to strengthen the competences andexperience of these stakeholders in the fields of social partnership and co-operation, as

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well as in the field of vocational training. These projects also help to establish long-terminstitutional relationships based on the mutual trust.

e. Very limited role and influence of the local and regional government in the

social and economical development of society. Local and regional government is notable to use completely their rights and execute the delegated functions in the field of the

VET. Regional VET councils work in too formal way and can not make any strategicdecisions or implement strategies directed to the development of the regional partnershipnetworks in the field of VET. The main reasons of this is the lack of the interest of societyin the regional and local governance and misunderstanding of their importance andinfluence for the everyday life, lack of the competent persons in the structures of theregional governance in different field, including the vocational education and training.This factor does not facilitate the development of the regional partnerships andcooperation networks in VET and can impede the transfer of the experience of the othercountries in this field. To cope with this problem there could be useful those measuresand experiences which help to the local and regional governments to accumulate theexperience and know-how in the fields of partnership and cooperation with social

stakeholders and the governance of vocational education an training.Conclusions

1. Socioeconomical and political development of the society and state,institutional development of Lithuania in the path of transformations from theagrarian economy and social structure since the end of the XIXth and the beginning of the XXth century to the Soviet planed economy and post-totalitarian state almost until the last decade of the XXth century did notcreate favorable conditions for the establishment and development of theconstant regional partnerships in the field of vocational education and trainingon the regional level and determined some complicated mental,communicational and social problems which need to be solved in designingand development of such partnerships weak social partnership, very limitedand too formal communication between employers, VET schools and localgovernment institutions, rather high distrust between the involved socialstakeholders, etc. In the search of possible solutions of these problems therecan be referred to the experiences of the other countries but in the same time itmust be considered the specificity and uniqueness of the VET development inLithuania and its environment by carefully examining the transferablemeasures and evaluating their adaptability.

2. There exists certain institutional and process preconditions for theestablishment and development of the regional partnership networks in theVET of Lithuania: establishment of the regional VET centres in optimizingthe network of the public VET schools, establishment of the public VETenterprises with the participation of the employers and municipalities asstakeholders, activities of the VET councils of counties in the development ofthe VET policy, incentives to establish the sectoral practical training centres inthe regions etc. Most of these initiatives and measures are in the process ofimplementation and require strong support of the government and social

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stakeholders. Besides, these measures lack the coordination which wouldpermit to enhance the cooperation between the regional stakeholders in thefield of VET.

3. Existing legal basis in many cases does not provide sufficient empowermentfor the social stakeholders and partners to develop the cooperation in the field

of VET both on the national and regional levels. From the one side, there canbe felt the strong influence of the central regulation and control approachwhen the regional and sectoral stakeholders do not have sufficient legalempowerments for the acting in the co-operation networks. From the otherside there is a need for more clear and transparent definition of the rights andresponsibilities of the stakeholders and social partners as well as for theoverarching legal basis providing more comprehensive definition of theserighs and responsibilities in the overall field of lifelong learning (for example,the Law on Qualifications).

4. The transfer of the experiences in the establishment and development of theregional VET networks from France, Germany and the Netherlands is

conditioned by the internal preconditions of the VET system in Lithuania andthe external preconditions and factors influencing the adaptability of theseexperiences. Amongst the internal preconditions of the VET system there canmentioned: lack of experience and intensiveness of the relationships betweenthe VET institutions and the employers (especially on the regional level),making the process of social partnership in VET too formal and too dependenton the state interventions; mismatch between the needs of employers andqualifications, skills and competences provided by the IVET institutions dueto the outdated VET curriculum and technical basis of practical training andfragmentary involvement o employers in the processes of designing, provisionand awarding of qualifications and competences; lack of the communicationand transition between the sectors of initial and continuing vocational training;underdevelopment of the continuing vocational training due to theinstitutional structure of VET system with the domination of the public IVETinstitutions, lack of cooperation between the vocational schools and CVTproviders, unregulated relations between the public institutions of IVET andCVET; rather strongly centralized VET system ensured by existing legal basis,limiting the autonomy and responsibilities of the social partners in VET,problems of the funding of the VET etc. Amongst the external preconditionsand factors influencing the adaptability of the experiences of France, Germanyand the Netherlands in the establishment and development of the regionalVET networks there can be mentioned integration of Lithuania in the commonEU labor market based on the free movement of workforce between themember countries and the increased economical emigration, orientation to theliberal model of the economy and market relations, lack of the know-how andexperience of the social partnership, weak unions and their limited participation in the VET processes, European support in the integrationprocess. These factors and preconditions as well as their interrelationshipsprevent the direct transfer and application of the models and experiences ofthe foreign countries in the development of the regional VET networks.

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Therefore such experiences can serve mainly as the sources of information forthe designing of the original model of VET partnerships in the regions bydisclosing the general internal mechanisms and powers of the regional VETpartnerships.

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