Minister R. Popovienė presented Lithuania’s vocational education and training at the EU Education Council meeting

Raminta Popovienė, the Minister of Education, Science and Sport, attended the EU Education Council meeting in Brussels, Belgium, where together with ministers from other EU countries they discussed ways to strengthen and promote vocational education and training.

During the policy debate, Minister R. Popovienė stressed that in order to better align vocational training programmes with labour market needs, it is essential that business and vocational training representatives and education policy makers cooperate, and that constant review of vocational training programmes is performed in line with labour market trends.

“Lithuania particularly incentivises small and medium-sized enterprises that cooperate with vocational training institutions and employ apprentices – students of vocational schools. We will also implement nearly 40 projects to upgrade vocational training equipment and strengthen the training of vocational teachers in the coming years,” the Minister said.

Lithuania is one of the most active and successful EU countries in terms of international mobility in vocational education and training, and the opportunities offered by international exchanges (e.g. Erasmus+) to students and teachers in Lithuania have significantly contributed to the quality and attractiveness of vocational training.

Ways to ensure gender balance in vocational education and training, especially in STEM fields, were also part of the discussion. According to Minister R. Popovienė, a concerted public-private effort through initiatives such as mentoring programmes for girls, publicising motivating success stories, educational campaigns and targeted scholarships could encourage more girls to opt for STEM and engineering professions.

Last updated: 05-12-2025

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