The reorientation of the national economy to a knowledge-based economic model with sectoral productivity and technology playing a key role is significant for Latvia’s growth in the long term. It is therefore vital to ensure the continuous development of knowledge and skills, as well as the acquisition of new knowledge and skills by the population. Measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 and the related challenges in rearranging work, education and other processes have also demonstrated the need for continuous learning of new knowledge and skills. Consequently, one of the priority areas for investment is the development of the digital skills of the population.
In Latvia, the involvement of adults in education activities is one of the lowest in the European Union (EU) and we significantly lag behind neighbouring Estonia and other highly developed EU Member States, where the level of participation of citizens in lifelong learning exceeds 20%. In 2019, only 7.4% of the population aged 25-64 years were involved in lifelong learning in Latvia.
Adult education plays a key role in reducing the disproportions of the labour market, as well as in overcoming the economic crisis caused by Covid-19, providing the relatively less affected and growing sectors with the necessary human resources. The Strategy for Latvia for Mitigation of the Consequences of the Crisis Caused by Covid-19 approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on May 26 aims to involve 165 thousand Latvian residents in adult education by 2023.
In order to promote the development of the culture of continuous education in society by promoting awareness of the importance of lifelong learning among the population and employers, as well as by motivating the population to study throughout their lives, while making companies invest in upskilling their employees, the Ministry of Economics will implement a national-level public awareness campaign. For this purpose, 300 thousand euro are earmarked from the state budget in 2020 and 2021 to education in an understandable, appealing and motivational way and to explain the importance, supply and benefits of lifelong learning for all citizens and businesses. As part of the information campaign, it is planned to carry out an audience analysis, develop a strategy to address society more effectively and, accordingly, implement measures to raise awareness among citizens and employers about education as a permanent process throughout life and the role of adult education in today’s changing economy. The acquisition of new skills and knowledge is particularly topical at the moment, with the economy reorienting after the Covid-19 crisis in order to provide export-capable industries and companies with relevant labour force.
At the same time, in order to promote the efficiency and quality of the proposed education programmes, as well as the relevance of the acquired knowledge to the rapid changes and needs of the modern labour market, this year, the Central Statistical Bureau will start monitoring of the graduates of vocational education institutions. Funding for this objective amounts to 45 thousand euro in 2020. The resulting data on the progress and income of graduates of higher education and vocational education institutions will provide all stakeholders with objective information on the quality of the education supply.
As part of the monitoring, it is intended to prepare data on at least 15,000 Latvian universities and 8,000 graduates of Latvian vocational education institutions – their employment, income, data on graduates who have been granted the status of unemployed person or job seeker, data on the emigration of graduates. For each graduate, it is planned to collect data for 10 years, which will make it possible to develop a system for monitoring the graduates’ career making progress and to obtain information for reasoned decisions in the field of education, as well as for informing the public, informing potential students and students about the opportunities of graduates from different programmes in the labour market.
Measures to inform the public, raise awareness and promote motivation, as well as to monitor the supply of education are expected to increase the efficiency and quality of education programmes.