Vocational training for foreigners in Lithuania will no longer be offered solely in foreign languages starting in September, with courses required to be taught in Lithuanian or bilingually, the Education, Science and Sports Ministry said Monday.
Under the new rules, bilingual instruction will be provided until a student reaches the level of Lithuanian proficiency required for their chosen profession, the ministry said.
“Immigration processes and changes in the labour market are driving a growing need among newcomers to acquire professional qualifications in Lithuania,” Deputy Education Minister Rolandas Zuoza said in a statement. “We have seen cases where vocational training providers, adapting to the needs of foreign students, organise training in a foreign language.”
“By creating better opportunities for foreigners to learn in Lithuanian, we are promoting their smoother integration into the labour market and our society,” Zuoza said.
Education Minister Raminta Popovienė has approved regulations governing bilingual vocational training, setting out how such programs are to be organised, the ministry said.
