VYTAUTAS MAGNUS UNIVERSITY

CENTRE FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND RESERACH

Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia;

Population: 3,5 mln. (82 % Lithuanians, 8 % Russians, 7% Polish, 3%other);

Territory: a little bit smaller than the Republic of Ireland (65 303 km2);

Climate: average winter temperature: -5°C, average summer temperature: +17°C;

State language: Lithuanian;

Major religion: Roman Catholic.

• Ministry of  Justice • MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE • Ministry of Health Care • Ministry of Foreign Affairs • Ministry of National Defence • Ministry of Environment • Ministry of Transport • Ministry  of Finance • Ministry of the Interior • Ministry of Social Security and Labour • Ministry of Economy • Ministry of Culture • Ministry of Agriculture

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE (SMM)

(Responsible for the development of a general

policy and strategy of initial vocational education and

training )

MINISTRY OF SOCIAL CARE AND WORK

(SADM)

(Responsible for labour market vocational training)

CENTRE FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

AND RESEARCH (PRSC) (Performs vocational education

and training research)

METHODOLOGICAL CENTRE FOR VOCATIONAL

EDUCATION AND TRAINING (Guarantees didactical provision of initial vocational education)

LITHUANIAN LABOUR MARKET TRAINING BOARD

(LDRMT)

(Implements the policy of labour market vocational training and counselling through territorial

boards and educational centres ).

VYTAUTAS MAGNUS UNIVERSITY

• Faculty of Economics and Management• Faculty of Natural Sciences• Faculty of Humanities• Faculty of Informatics • Faculty of Catholic Theology• FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

• Political Science and Diplomacy School • School of Law• School of Fine Arts• School of Social Work • Kaunas Botanical Garden

FACKULTIES INSTITUTES

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

• Department of Education

• Department of General Psychology

• Department of Theoretic Psychology

• Department of Sociology

• Centre for Social Research

• CENTRE FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

• Educational study centre

• Psychological Clinic

DEPARTMENTS CENTRES

Centre for Vocational Education and Research was founded as a structural unit of Vytautas Magnus University under the initiative of Lithuanian Ministry of Education and Science. The main task of the Centre is research on the VET system and its changes in the context of Lithuanian and global processes and the main tendencies of VET development, and also concern about the intellectual potential (training of teachers and specialists of management in all the levels) of the VET system. The Centre performs the research into VET and international scientific relations (by means of congresses, conferences, exchange programmes, etc.), the wide-ranging publishing activity is directed towards the development of the policy of Lithuanian education and VET and the quality of vocational education.

Credo of the activity of Centre for Vocational Education and Research is the actual interface between the science (research) and the teaching (study) in a very sensitive area of education that is a determinant factor in the field of human resource development. Autonomy, freedom of choice and possibility to avoid bureaucracy are ensured to the Centre by its academic status. The participation of students in the activities of the Centre guarantees natural links with vocational teaching institutions, enterprises, social partners, governmental and non-governmental organizations and international partners.The processes of the continuous change, competitive environment and national identity are the three main premises of the development of the Centre's activity. Responsibility for the state and its people determines the quality of our activity, whereas the changing environment and competition determine the strategy of the activity of the Centre as organization. Co-workers, experts and students are a guarantee of our intensification and "growth", as well as the main precondition of our conformity to the tasks of Lithuanian future and European integration.

Prof. habil. dr. Rimantas Laužackas Director of Centre

Steering group Project group

Continuous studygroup

Disseminationgroup

DISSEMINATION

Scientific journal ‘’Vocational education: research and reality’’

Informational publication ‘‘For change and reform in vocational education and training’’

Monographs:

Rimantas Laužackas• Systemotheoretical dimensions of the change in vocational training• Curriculum design. standards and programmes in vocational education and training • Reform of vocational education content: didactical features • Reform of vocational education in Lithuania: parameters and results

Kęstutis Pukelis

• Teacher education and philosophical studies • Parameters of the ideal model for teacher training

Monographs:

Books:

Sigita GrigaliūnienėProfessiological management

Mentor handbook

Learning and counselling

INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

The CENTRE FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH (PRSC) at Vytautas Magnus University participates in various national and international projects in vocational education and training. At present the Centre coordinates two Leonardo da Vinci and three ESF programme projects, and also participates as a partner in one Socrates, one Equal Phare and six Leonardo da Vinci projects. PRSC has close cooperation ties with Lithuanian and foreign education and labour market institutions and has partners in various European countries – Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Great Britain, Finland, France and etc.

SOCRATES:

• “Portfolio Evaluation in Life Long Learning Improving Employability of Adult Learners”

LEONARDO DA VINCI:• „Country specific thematic analysis of continuous vocational training on the basis of CVTS2 and modelling of CVT-structures “ • ‘’Meeting the Needs of Employment: European Curriculum Guidelines for Lifelong Vocational Counselors in the line with the Challenges of EU Enlargement“ • ‘’Overcoming Intercultural and Linguistic Barriers in Continuously Accessible Vocational Guidance and Counseling’’ • ‘’Facilitating access to lifelong learning through the recognition procedure of non-formal and informal learning’’ • ‘’Basic Skills for Work – Combined Basic Skills and Communication Training for Low-Skilled Workers in Five Different European Work Sectors’’• ‘’Learning Empowerment - Self-directed Learning for Low-skilled Unemployed People’’ • ‘’European dictionary on skills and competencies’’• ‘’ Retraining of Unemployed People in Resorts Regions for Self-Business Development’’• ‘’Improvement, Introduction and harmonization of Occupational Standards in the NEU. European Qualifications in Fashion and Beauty Sector’’

ESF:

• “ Expansion of research space competencies into higher non university level”

• “Expansion of vocational teacher education network to the regions of Lithuania”

• ‘’Development and implementation of master degree study module for vocational counselors’’

EQUAL:

• ‘’Kaunas country partnership network for consultation, training and employment of the long-term unemployment’’

MODULAR STUDIES

1. Research of Qualifications2. Vocational Training Curriculum Designing3. Designing of Social Research4. Management of Change in an Organization5. Methodology of Career Designing 6. Effectiveness of Teaching and Learning7. School Quality Management8. Teaching-Learning-Studies: Paradigm Change9. Professional Socialization10. Methods of Personality Cognition11. Methodology of Personnel Selection12. Psychology of Communication and Cooperation in an Organization

STUDIES

SPECIAL VOCATIONAL STUDIES:

Programme for Initial Pedagogical Minimum (Vocational Pedagogics)

MASTER STUDIES:

• Educational organization• Management of vocational education and training

STUDENTS

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

WWW.VDU.LT/PRSC

E-mail: prsc@fc.vdu.lt

Tel: 00 370-37-327827