Lettonie

There are no particularly strategic countries for the international cooperation in vocational education sector. However, in the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci mobility projects 1998-1999 and 2000-2006, Latvia most actively has cooperated with Germany – in 2000-2006, 41% of the projects chose for partnership some institution in Germany (16% in Finland, 8% in Sweden, 6% in United Kingdom, 5% in Italy, 5% in France and 16% in other countries). Since 2000, joint projects
have been carried out with all the Leonardo da Vinci programme participant countries. In 2007- 2010 most frequently Latvia cooperated with Germany, Finland and Poland and as potential placement and experience exchange country special interest has gained Turkey.

The most common mobility programme for vocational education is LLP Leonardo da Vinci programme, which, along with the state, is also the main source for the funding. Target groups for the Leonardo da Vinci programme are persons from initial vocational education, people in the labour market and professionals in vocational education. Statistics show that in 2010 the main target group is students (49.1%). The second target group is vocational education professionals (28.8%). The third target group is young workers or recent graduates/unemployed (22.1%).
 
Placements of the vocational education students take place both at partner schools and workplaces. Most common it is combined mobility. After participation at the LLP Leonardo da Vinci project participants receive acknowledgments of the receiving partners. However, the recognition of the knowledge, skills, and competences acquired abroad during a study period is conducted by the students’ home education establishments. In last years among vocational education students about 95% have received Europass Mobility.

In Latvia, funding is provided from two sources which are ministries and ‘other’ institutions. The implementation process has completely been delegated from the ministries to public national institutions and ‘other’ institutions as well as private companies to a lesser extent. NGOs and regional institutions do not play a role at all as funding or implementing agencies in the field of learning mobility.