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Implementation of education and training policies and programmes. The Committee notes the comprehensive information provided in the Government’s report received in September 2008, including replies to the 2004 direct request. The Government reports that new provisions were incorporated into the law on vocational training which came into force in 2008. These new provisions change the concept of vocational training, contributing to the implementation of lifelong learning, and ensuring compliance of qualifications with labour market needs and involvement of the social partners in the management of vocational training. They also establish the Lithuanian Vocational Training Council as an advisory board for consideration of strategic vocational training issues. The Committee also notes that nearly 30,000 persons undergo training in training centres every year, of which about 14,000 are unemployed. Territorial services provide vocational information and counselling for adults, vocational and psychological counselling, elaborate programmes for integration of workers into the labour market, career planning, social adaptation, and vocational and personal development. In 2007, 12 labour market informal vocational training programmes were conducted for older workers. The Government also reported on several vocational programmes and measures targeting women offenders, women aged 55 and older, women returning from a career break and young mothers. The Committee would like to continue to receive information on the vocational training and programmes executed by the training centres and territorial services, and invites the Government to provide in its next report further information on the effective coordination established between the measures implemented by the Vocational Training Council and public employment service (Article 1, paragraph 1, of the Convention). The Committee also asks the Government to indicate the measures taken with a view to encouraging and enabling women and other vulnerable categories of workers to develop and use their capabilities for work in their own best interests and in accordance with their own aspirations (Article 1, paragraph 5).

Article 2. Education, training and lifelong learning. The Government additionally reports that it elaborated upon and applied more than 50 active job search and occupational skills development programmes. These programmes are divided into groups by the following counselling objectives: professional and self-determination training; development of capacities and skills in order to successfully compete in the labour market; and development of self-awareness, confidence in own capacities and opportunities in the labour market. The Committee invites the Government to supply further information in its next report on the impact of these new programmes on the establishment of open, flexible and complementary systems of general, technical and vocational education, educational and vocational guidance and vocational training. The Government reports that it trained 295,600 pupils of 11–16 years of age in 2005, and that this number decreased to 281,000 in 2006, and to 264,100 in 2007. The Government also reports that the number of students trained in higher education rose from 193,900 in 2005 to 195,600 in 2006, and to 200,500 in 2007, of which 80,500 were men and 120,000 were women. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information, disaggregated by gender and age, concerning education, training and lifelong learning.