Vocational education ensures practical and theoretical preparation for work in a particular profession, allows obtaining professional qualification and ensures further professional development.
Upon completion of basic education programme one can acquire vocational education in:
- vocational basic education programmes — students study 3 years and acquire a partial vocational secondary education only and professional qualification of the 2"“ level. Upon completion of vocational basic education programme young people can start working as well as continue their studies to acquire the general secondary education;
- vocational secondary education programmes — students study 4 years and acquire vocational secondary education and professional qualification of the 3"’ level. Upon completion of vocational secondary education programme young people can start working or continue their studies in higher educational institutions.
Several vocational institutions offer young people to acquire professional qualification after graduating the secondary school and qualification can be acquired in 1-yearor2-year long vocational education programmes.
The characteristic feature of vocational education is specialization in the particular professional area in order to acquire the corresponding profession. Therefore in vocational education institutions there are students from different counties of Latvia, and vocational education institutions offer their students possibility to live in hostels.
In order to ensure the conformity of vocational education to the needs of labour market the collaboration among vocational education institutions and the employers has been initiated and as a result, the possibilities for professional practice are guaranteed and common educational programmes are developed.
Contacts and Information Sources:
Ministry of Education and Science, Phone: +371 67226209, pasts@izm.gov.lv
Education Department, Phone: +371 67047994
Education Quality State Service, Phone: +371 67222504, ikvd@ikvd.gov.lv, www.ikvd.gov.lv
State Education Centre, Phone: +371 67216500, visc@visc.gov.lv, www.visc.gov.lv