Lithuania: successful launch of the vocational adult education platform KURSUOK

More than 7 000 people had already registered on the KURSUOK platform for learning programmes up until June 2024, with over half of them having already received their first certificates of completion. The most popular areas for learners are personal development, social skills, learning to learn, foreign languages, entrepreneurship and digital competences. More than 1 300 people have registered for the foreign language courses, striving for multilingualism, and almost 800 for the entrepreneurship competences. Currently, the KURSUOK platform offers more than 180 learning programmes from over 50 training providers.

Criteria for learner access to the platform and State funding

The KURSUOK platform is accessible to all adults who wish to learn. Those who successfully complete the learning courses receive digital certificates confirming their completion. Learners have their own individual learning accounts on the platform. They are identified through their entry in the public register, thus ensuring that they meet the requirements to receive State funding.

Individuals who meet the specified criteria may receive State-funded learning up to EUR 500. An individual may use the so-called State-funded learning basket once every 5 years. Funding is available for:   

• employed persons aged between 18 and 65 (employed on the basis of an employment contract, a legal relationship equivalent to an employment contract, or self-employed)
• those who have higher or vocational education diplomas and are citizens of the Republic of Lithuania or foreigners with a residence permit in Lithuania.  

Priority State-funded programme areas

State funding covers programmes to improve adult skills in the following areas: digital, literacy, multilingualism, mathematics, science, technology and engineering, as well as their personal development, social skills, learning-to-learn skills, citizenship skills, entrepreneurship skills, cultural awareness and expression ability.

Requirements for training providers

For training providers wishing to include their learning programmes in the KURSUOK platform the following steps are necessary:

• register the institution in the Register of Educational and Scientific Institutions;
• provide information about the learning programmes in the Register of Non-formal Education Programmes;
• receive a positive quality assessment of the programme by the Qualifications and Vocational Education and Training Development Centre (KPMPC);
• once the programme is published on the KURSUOK platform training provider account, the training provider forms the groups and announces the registration for the learning programme group.

Adult learning perspectives

According to a survey conducted by the market research agency Spinter Research on behalf of the European Social Fund Agency, 41% of Lithuanians plan to improve their personal or vocational skills in the coming years. A third (33%) do not plan to do so, and a quarter (26%) are uncertain about whether they will seek training or courses. The majority of those seeking free skills improvement are aged between 46-55 and 56+, with 31% in each group stating so.

The KURSUOK platform was created as part of the Mokykis visą gyvenimą! (Learn all your life!) project, which aims to promote lifelong learning for adults by creating a unified information system for lifelong learning and by providing learning opportunities. The project is implemented by the European Social Fund agency in cooperation with partners: Qualifications and Vocational Education and Training Development Centre, Association of Lithuanian Higher Education Institutions for Centralised Admissions, and the National Education Agency.

Read more

• The national adult education platform: KURSUOK.lt
• Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania (2023). Įsakymas dėl individualių mokymosi paskyrų sistemos modelio aprašo patvirtinimo 2023 m. balandžio 27 d. Nr. V-599. Vilnius [Order No. V-599 on the approval of the model description of the individual learning accounts system 27 April 2023 Vilnius (in Lithuanian).
• Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania (2023). Įsakymas dėl individualių mokymosi paskyrų sistemos administravimo ir asmenų, siekiančių tobulinti kompetencijas ir (arba) jų įgyti per šią sistemą finansavimo bei konkurso gauti finansavimą, skiriamą dalyvauti neformaliojo suaugusiųjų švietimo ir tęstinio mokymosi programose, organizavimo tvarkos aprašo patvirtinimo 2023 m. lapkričio 29 d. nr. v-1515 Vilnius [Order No. V-1515 on the approval of the procedures for the administration of the system of individual learning accounts and the financing of persons seeking to improve and/or acquire competences through the system and the organisation of the tender for the financing of participation in the non-formal adult education and continuing learning programmes 29 November 2023 Vilnius] (in Lithuanian).
• Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania (2023). Įsakymas dėl individualių mokymosi paskyrų sistemoje skelbiamų neformaliojo suaugusiųjų švietimo ir tęstinio mokymosi programų kokybės užtikrinimo tvarkos aprašo patvirtinimo 2023 m. rugsėjo 18 d. Nr. V-1218 Vilnius [Order No. V-1218 on the approval of the quality assurance procedures for non-formal adult education and continuing learning programmes published in the individual learning accounts system 18 September 2023 Vilnius] (in Lithuanian).
• The project Mokykis visą gyvenimą! (Learn all your life!) (in Lithuanian)