Back On Wednesday, 19 March, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) of the Republic of Latvia signed an agreement for the implementation of the programme “Stronger Work-Based Learning for Improving Vocational Education and Training in Latvia (VET).” With Swiss support, this programme will help address the most pressing challenges in Latvia’s vocational education system, including the shortage of qualified specialists in the labour market, the ageing teaching workforce, and the need to strengthen cooperation with industries.
Head of Swiss Contribution Office Christoph Liechti: “The company-based dual VET, combining in-company training with vocational studies, is a cornerstone of the Swiss economy and firmly ingrained in the Swiss culture. We are proud to support the piloting of this approach across three sectors in Latvia, further enhancing our strong bilateral cooperation through the collaboration of Swiss and Latvian partners.”
“The development of vocational education is a strategic long-term investment in Latvia’s economy. With Swiss support, we have the opportunity to modernize the existing vocational education system, aligning it with labour market demands while addressing the acute shortage of teachers,” emphasized Armands Eberhards, Deputy State Secretary for European Union Funds at the Ministry of Finance.
Deputy State Secretary for Human Capital, Science and Innovation at the Ministry of Education and Science, Jānis Paiders, expressed: “The direct involvement of industries and their increased responsibility for preparing future employees introduces a new dimension in the development of Latvia’s vocational education system. We aim to establish this approach in close cooperation with industry partners in Switzerland and Latvia. In our vision, vocational education teachers should be industry specialists who are also trained for teaching in vocational schools, ensuring the faster integration of the latest industry trends into vocational education. Therefore, we are pleased that the Swiss programme will support the development of a work-based vocational education teacher training programme, helping to address the shortage of vocational education teachers in schools.”
The programme will introduce a new approach to vocational education, ensuring direct industry participation in workforce training. In collaboration with businesses, industry experts, vocational schools, and government institutions, the programme will develop curricula, implement training processes, and establish a new qualification examination model. Inspired by the Swiss vocational education system, where the majority of training takes place in companies, this approach will be piloted in the agriculture, mechanical engineering, and hospitality sectors. At least 15 companies will participate, offering professional qualifications to at least 145 students.
The training process will integrate new and innovative digital learning tools and simulation technologies to ensure a modern and practice-oriented learning experience.
With Swiss support, the issue of an ageing vocational education teaching workforce and teacher shortages will also be addressed. A dedicated pilot programme will train at least 100 new industry professionals to obtain vocational education teacher qualifications, ensuring the successful implementation of work-based learning in companies. The initiative includes scholarships, mentorship support for new teachers, and a targeted campaign to attract industry specialists to vocational education.
The total budget for the programme is €12.35 million, with 85% funded by Switzerland and 15% co-financed by the Latvian state budget. The programme will be implemented from April 2025 to November 2029 by the Ministry of Education and Science, in cooperation with the State Education Development Agency, industry and higher education institutions.
This is the final of four agreements signed under the Swiss-Latvian Cooperation Programme, concluding the planned agreement-signing phase and marking the transition to the active implementation phase.
As previously reported, Latvia will receive a total of €42.4 million in Swiss funding, supporting the implementation of four programmes by December 2029: “Advancement of paediatric cancer care in Latvia”, “Remediation of Historical Pollution”, “Applied Research” and “Work-Based Learning and Education”.
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