The need for the recognition of transversal skills in VET: Interview-based insights from Lithuania

In January 2023, a series of interviews were held with the teachers of Vocational Education and Training (VET) schools, one of the target groups of the TRANSVAL-EU project in Lithuania. A group of teachers coming from various schools and regions of the country, who have been involved in piloting the assessment tool for transversal skills of the learners in VET schools, shared their experiences and insights after the piloting phase.

The sample of VET learners who participated in the assessment of transversal skills represented a wide range of age groups from young adults of 18 years old with no work experience, up to adults in their fifties, who are requalifying or upgrading their qualifications in VET schools. 

The assessment of their transversal skills first started with a typical introduction of the term and concept of transversal skills. During the assessment, younger learners demonstrated more self-confidence than the experienced ones: “under self-evaluation” and “over self-evaluation” appeared to be related with age. 

In their feedback after the assessment process, learners mentioned the recognition of transversal skills to be more helpful for personal career guidance, than for formal certification. Absolute majority of learners have expressed their interest to get the updates and further consultations / assessments of their transversal skills as they think these skills reflect one’s professional capacities in a better and more objective way.