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ETF TERTIARY VOCATIONAL EDUCATION Riga 20-21 May 1999 Vaļņu iela 2, LV – 1098 Riga, Latvia The report was written and edited by experts from: The report was elaborated with the financial support of European Training Foundation (ETF) © Akadēmiskās Informācijas centrs , Rīga, 1999 © European Training foundation, Turin, Italy, 1999 PrefaceThe Latvian national Observatory organised seminar on tertiary education for representatives from Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania with the support of ETF. Also the representatives from Slovakia, Czech republic, Belgium, France, European Council, ETF was invited. The main purpose of the workshop was to get a clear picture and impact of non-university higher education. The non-university higher education is topic of high importance in Latvia. There is a clear necessity for professional higher education programmes leading to level IV and level V qualifications therefore becoming an important part of education in Latvia. By now professional programmes were created without involvement of employers but now involvement of employers is foreseen in such kind of programmes. Some progress has occurred in introducing of higher professional education programmes in Latvia since the beginning of the VET reform. Phare project "Reform of Higher Professional Education" is successfully going on in Latvia. Adoption of Law on Vocational Education (adopted in June 1999, comes into force in September 1st, 1999) creates a legislative basis for development of this kind of educational programmes. By now Law on Higher Education Establishments foresaw that under the supervision of higher educational establishments it is possible to set up structural units - colleges with duration of studies less than 4 years. Their study programmes provide possibility to acquire specific professional education for persons with secondary education. Several colleges are already working under supervision of several higher education establishments. Law on Vocational Education defines higher professional education as professional education of a highest level leading to level IV or level V professional qualifications. 2 BASIC FEATURES OF HPE-STUDY PROGRAMMES 3 INSTITUTIONAL SETTING OF HPE-STUDY PROGRAMMES 4 IMPACT OF HPE- STUDY PROGRAMMES 8 HPE: PLACE IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM 9 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HPE-IMPLEMENTATION
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