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In August 2019, representatives of local governments, adult education coordinators and programme providers discussed the development of adult education policy and its implementation in the Latgale region, which has the highest unemployment rate in the country. This was the first round of the four planned regional discussions.
Since 2014, the situation in the labour market for young people aged 15 to 29 has improved as more NEETs (not in employment, education and training) have become economically active.
Validation of non-formal and informal learning outcomes was introduced in 2011 (for professional qualifications at EQF levels 2-4) and in 2012 (for higher education at EQF levels 5-7).
In October 2018, the government approved a common list of occupational standards (EQF levels 2-7). The list comprises occupations required by the labour market and identified in sectoral qualifications frameworks.
Around 75% of the economically active population are above 45 in Latvia. In the next 20 years, due to this ageing workforce, there will be a shortage of employees with medium-level vocational education and training (VET) qualifications, especially in engineering, manufacturing and construction.
In April 2018, 15 sectoral qualifications frameworks were officially approved, marking agreement between educators and employers on qualifications required by the labour market.
Development of work-based learning (WBL) in initial vocational education (VET) is a national policy priority. It started in 2013/14 as a pilot project addressing the incomplete legal framework, insufficient offer in traditionally school-based VET, and low involvement of employers, who, nevertheless, demanded improved VET quality and labour market relevance.
Employer interest in providing in-company training (work placements) for vocational education (VET) learners has increased from 33% in 2014 to 39% in 2017, according to an Employers’ Confederation of Latvia (LDDK) survey.