The purpose of vocational training is promoting acquisition or improvement of a qualification or retraining and assisting in preparation to participate in a shifting labour market. In vocational schools, primary professional education is provided to persons aged 14 years or older. Training in vocational schools is carried out by the following types of programmes:
training programmes for students without basic education aimed at the acquisition of a professional qualification or a profession and basic education;
training programmes for students with basic education aimed at the acquisition of a professional qualification or a profession and upper secondary education;
training programmes for students with upper secondary education aimed at the acquisition of a professional qualification of a skilled worker.
Upon completion of a training programme, a professional training diploma or a qualification certificate is issued. Persons who complete a basic education programme together with a professional training programme attain basic education, those who complete an upper secondary education programme and pass examinations attain upper secondary education.
In the 2019–2020 academic year, there were 71 vocational education institutions with 27.8 thousand students. 14.5 thousand (52 per cent) students, alongside acquiring a profession, pursued upper secondary education. In 2019, in vocational schools, a vocational qualification was obtained by 12 thousand graduates (in 2018, 15 thousand).
Number of vocational schools and students in them by municipality, 2019–2020
Such phenomenon (indicator) in the period concerned was absent or confidential data.