Lithuania has taken an important step towards improving the quality of work-based practical training. The project “Q-TRACK. Development of Quality Assurance Model for practical work–based training” has already delivered its first results, laying the foundations for a new quality assurance system for work-based practical training in Lithuania. The project is funded under the Lithuanian–Swiss Cooperation Programme 2024–2029.
The project is developing and piloting a quality assurance model that will help ensure that publicly funded work-based practical training meets consistent quality standards. This is particularly important for Lithuania as it seeks to strengthen a high value-added economy, develop skills that meet labour market needs, and ensure that investments in workforce training generate the greatest possible impact.
The first phase of the project has already produced its initial results. A methodology for analysing quality assurance systems for work-based learning in other countries has been developed, together with an initial review of practices in European countries, Canada and Australia. A set of assessment parameters has also been prepared to enable an objective comparison of different approaches to quality assurance in work-based practical training.
“When developing a new quality assurance model, it is essential to rely not on assumptions but on international experience. The initial analysis of foreign countries has provided a solid foundation for a more in-depth study of good practices and the subsequent stages of the project. It will also help identify solutions that could be effectively adapted to the Lithuanian context. The Lithuanian–Swiss Cooperation Programme provides an opportunity to create long-term value by strengthening workforce skills development in Lithuania,” says Marius Navadunskis, Senior Project Manager at the Central Project Management Agency (CPMA).
The initial analysis examined different work-based learning systems, including decentralised, centralised and mixed models, identifying their strengths and challenges. It also highlighted the key elements that determine high-quality practical training: a clear legal framework, well-defined responsibilities shared between institutions and employers, quality assurance processes, employer engagement, assessment of training content and learning outcomes, and an effective monitoring system.
Another important project outcome is a set of recommendations identifying the countries whose experience should be analysed in greater depth when developing Lithuania’s model. Considering different approaches to organising practical training, Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Canada and Australia have been recommended for detailed analysis. Their experience will help assess which quality assurance solutions could be successfully adapted to the Lithuanian context.
These results provide an important basis for the next stages of the project. Building on the findings of the international analysis, quality assurance requirements for practical training and detailed guidance for companies will be developed. In the next phase, these will be implemented and tested through pilot training in three companies. The international experience gathered will support the development of the quality assurance model and recommendations for its formal adoption.
The project will contribute to building a higher-quality workforce skills development system that responds to labour market needs. Clear quality standards will improve the effectiveness of publicly funded training, provide greater clarity for companies delivering training, and help ensure that the skills acquired through practical training reflect the real needs of the labour market.
This important development is being made possible through Lithuanian–Swiss cooperation. Support from the Swiss Confederation enables Lithuania to draw on international good practice, analyse the most advanced quality assurance approaches for work-based practical training, and develop a model tailored to Lithuania’s needs. This represents not only an investment in higher-quality vocational skills development today, but also in a more competitive Lithuanian economy for the future.
The project is being implemented under the Vocational Education and Training Programme of the Lithuanian–Swiss Cooperation Programme 2024–2029.
