Vocational Education and Training and the Labour Market in Latvia

Introduction

The main task of vocational education and training is to prepare specialists required by the labour market, thereby contributing to the welfare of the state and the individual.
In 1998 the Latvian National Observatory published the study “Analysis of the response of the VET system to the new economic objectives in Latvia”. Its purpose was to compile all the available information that would make it possible to draw conclusions about the relationship between the education system and the labour market. The purpose of this study is similar, that is, to ascertain to what extent the vocational training system is capable of training a competitive labour force, what are the difficulties and future possibilities. Data from the previous report are used for comparison to evaluate the situation.

The main methods used in this study are the compilation and analysis of information materials, documents and statistical data.

The main sources of information: data of the Central Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Latvia, the State Employment Service (SES), and the Ministry of Education and Science of the
Data have been taken from the following reports:
Labour force surveys carried out by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). During the survey carried out in May 2000, the respondents who had graduated from vocational education establishments in 1990-1999 were asked additional questions about the training they had received.
CBS professional surveys.
The Career Guidance Centre, in April and May of 1999, polled students of the ninth and twelfth form on issues regarding their career choice. A total of 1340 students from various Latvian urban and rural schools were surveyed.
In the year 2000, the Academic Information Centre and the Latvian Employers Confederation held a survey on employers’ attitudes toward the vocational education and training system.
An analysis of labour market demand has been carried out according to help wanted ads in the newspapers “Diena” and “Chas”, and the internet sites www.cv.lv and www.doska.lv.

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