SUMMARY According to many Lithuanian teachers, the problem of dropouts is a social, cultural, economic and managerial problem. Unwilling to study juvenile and dropouts usually add to the ranks of unskilled labor force, unemployed individuals and even criminal groups. Analysis of the available literature showed that there have been no consistent researches carried out in connection to the problem of dropouts at vocational schools. The objective of this paper is to identify the reasons of dropping out at vocational school and preventive measures applied in this regard. In order to achieve this objective, the scope of dropouts at Lithuanian vocational schools, experience of EU countries in tackling the problem of dropping out of young individuals aged 18 - 24 from the education system were reviewed in addition to the analysis of preventive potential. The second part of the paper contains research results which reveal the reasons why students susceptible to dropping out do lease schools, what teachers and managers think about the problem of dropping out. Analysis of the opinions of students and teachers demonstrated that the basic reason for dropping out from vocational schools, as pointed out by one third of students at risk and teachers, i.e., nonattendance, is related to: - insufficient subsistence funds, i.e., will to work in Lithuania or abroad; - learning failures accompanying students from comprehensive schools; - selected profession, i.e., having experienced practical... [to full text]