General objective – strengthen the employability and adaptability of the regional labour force through increased accessability of vocational training in the Marijampole target region.

Justifiation of the projectc

Marijampole region has been identified in the National Development Plan as a target for the initial PHARE funding to stimulate social and economic development. The region has high potential for economic growth through increased competitive advantages that will be especially vital while facing additional challenges of EU Internal market.

The main economic and training institutions of Marijampole target region are located in Marijampole city. Related tendencies limit the opportunities of inhabitants from remote regions to access educational training and re-qualification initiatives.

Much of the demands for business support and labour market services could be met through existing regional infrastructure while focussing on the development of human resources through the expansion and innovation of the education and training system.

Although Marijampole region has a quite extensive vocational education training infrastructure, the system is plagued by the lack of highly qualified trainers, adequate training programs, modern training facilities and insufficient correlation links with labour market requirements.

Marijampole region faces high unemployment that exceeds 12 percent. The unemployment levels in the rural areas can be as high as 30 percent. This creates huge and far-reaching social problems, making rural areas even more unattractive for the economic activity and settlement.

Improved access to education through flexible and open learning means might become one of the major tools in the joint effort of local, regional, national and European institutions to stimulate the development of the more remote and disadvantaged areas and increase their contribution to the overall economic development of the region and Lithuania as a whole.

The introduction of formal distance studies into higher education started in Lithuania in 1994. Two modern distance study centres in Vilnius University and Kaunas University of Technology and three support centres in Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Kaunas and Vilnius Colleges were established, staff was trained, distance studies modules were developed. In 1988-2002 LieDM for provision of video-conferences was established.

In 2001 the Government approved the NDP for the Development of DE in 2002-2004 laying down the strategy for the development of vocational distance education and training system. The introduction of life-long vocational education and training is a very important part of modernizing the vocational education and training system.

The establishment of a distance vocational education and training system the Marijampole target region is being launched as part of PHARE 2000 Economic and Social Cohesion Programme, financed by the Human Resources Development Fund Measure 3.