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VET system in Lithuania in the case of agrarian organic farming sector Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rimantas Vaisvalavičius Lithuanian University of Agriculture LdV Pilot Project expert General information Structure of gross value added by sector (info of 2000): Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries - 10.1 Industry - 23.6 Construction - 7.9 Services - 58.3 The Lithuanian education system comprises pre-school development, general education of children and youth, vocational and college education, higher education, and adult education. VET conceptual Structure Vocational education and training in Lithuania encompasses initial vocational training and continuing professional development. Initial vocational training leads to a vocational qualification. It can be acquired at institutions of vocational education and training, advanced schools, and colleges. Continuous professional development comprises formal and non-formal adult education, and provides an opportunity for every citizen to acquire a new vocation or professional qualification and improve it. It can be delivered at any of the institutions mentioned above. VET administrative Structure The overall responsibility for the general policy in the area of initial vocational education and training and its strategic development lies with the Ministry of Eduacation and Science (MES), whereas labour market vocational training is within the competence of the Ministry of Social Security and Labour (MSSL). The main functions of these ministries are the establishment of vocational training standards, the organisation of supervision over the training providers, and the ensuring of a proper functioning of a system of in-service training for trainers, their appraisal, etc. Situation in ecological agrarian sector The demand of consumers for organically produced agricultural products and foodstuffs is increasing and thus a new market for agricultural products is being created. Having implemented common European policy into the practice of organic agriculture, new EU member states are challenged to ensure the high standards for quality management of agricultural production. However, the institutions responsible for initial and further education as well as the advisory services are insufficiently prepared to support and develop measures to be suitable to fulfill above mentioned major tasks. What is the Problem ? In Baltic States the agricultural schools are responsible for initial farmers training. The responsible coordinators of the further farmers training are Ministries of Agriculture. Agricultural counsellors are graduates of agricultural universities either colleges in responsibility of the Ministries of Education. Such diarchy leads to non-existence of the system for the further training of counsellors because discontinuous practical training course are organized either by different organizations or Agricultural Advisor Services themselves. For the reinforcement of ecological agriculture segment Pilot Project No. LT/04/B/F/PP-171000 Transfer of Competencies for Vocational Training in Ecological Agrarian Sector of Baltic States Project Initiator – Contractor - Coordinator Lithuanian University of Agriculture Project Partners – Osteuropazentrum of Hohenheim University (Stuttgart, DE) Estonian Association of Rural Consultants (Tartu, EE) Estonian University of Agriculture (Tartu, EE) Lithuanian Agricultural Advisory Service (Dotnuva, LT) Lithuanian Veterinary Academy (Kaunas, LT) Kaunas College (LT) Latvian Agricultural Advisory and Training Centre (Ozolnieki, LV) Latvian University of Agriculture (Jelgava, LV) Bishop Burton College (Beverley, UK) Duration of the Project - 30 months (01.10. 2004. – 31.03.2007) Main ideas of the Project 1. Supporting and developing measures for training of vocational counsellors of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian agricultural advisory service systems in ecological agriculture according the needs of their countries and the EU. 2. Developing a training system for counsellors with the help of distance training elements, ensuring the continuity of Project results. International groups of professors formed from all concerned project partner institutions are working on particular vocational training in following areas: Agri-environment – Estonian Agricultural University Organic crop production and horticulture – Lithuanian Agricultural University Organic animal husbandry – Lithuanian Veterinary Academy Economics and marketing in organic farming - Latvian Agricultural University The finally expected results of the pilot Project proposal are as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. New effective education systems (material and human resources) created and adapted to national advisory services to train agricultural counsellors in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania expected to be capable at the end of 2006. Modular programmes curriculum in each national and English language created for vocational training of agricultural counsellors in ecological agriculture to be prepared till the mid of 2005. The vocational training material in four specific areas will be prepared as handbooks (1200 copies, including 600 in national and 600 in English languages) and CD-ROM (1200 copies) versions expected to be available at end of 2006. Elements for distance training in ecological agriculture will be prepared as Internet version both in each national and English language at the end of 2006. The Lithuanian University of Agriculture is located in Noreikiškės campus, suburb of Kaunas. Lithuanian University of Agriculture includes the following subdivisions: 5 faculties - Agricultural Engineering, Agronomy, Economics and Management, Forestry, Water and Land Management; 3 institutes - Institute of Rural Culture, Institute of Environment and Institute of Informatics Technologies; 35 departments; Park of Agricultural Science and Technologies; Innovation centre; Experimental station; Training farm. At the University studies are organized at three levels – Bachelor, Master and PhD. At present University offers 18 Bachelor study programs and 48 Master level specializations. There study 6590 students, of which 658 in master and 75 in PhD studies. In the last 5 years the number of accepted students has varied from 1632 to 1803. University has 47 professors, 217 associated professors, 90 lecturers and 25 assistants. Thank You for attention!