This report is part of a series of country projects within the OECD programme of work on “Building Effective National Skills Strategies”.
The OECD is grateful to the Latvian National Project Team for its invaluable guidance and input throughout the project, and its help in convening and organising stakeholder workshops. We are particularly grateful to the National Project Leader, Gunta Arāja, and the National Project Co-ordinator, Jeļena Muhina, both from the Latvian Ministry of Education and Science, for their strong leadership and co-ordination of the National Project Team, which included: Elina Petrovska (Cross-Sectoral Co-ordination Centre); Gatis Silovs and Jānis Salmiņš (Ministry of Economics); Inese Stepiņa and Ruta Porniece (Latvian Employers Confederation); Inga Vanaga (Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees); Linda Romele (Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia); Raimonds Brīdaks (Ministry of Welfare). The National Project support included: Larisa Pekša, Inta Jaunzeme, Lelde Zemberga, Laura Vikšere, Viktors Kravčenko, Guntis Meisters (Ministry Education and Science); Ļaisana Šakirova (National Centre for Education); Jana Veinberga and Dace Saleniece (State Education Quality Service).
The OECD team wishes to thank current Minister of Education and Science, Ilga Šuplinska, and former Minister of Education and Science Kārlis Šadurskis for their commitment to this project. We are grateful to State Secretary Liga Lejiņa from the Ministry of Education and Science for her strategic guidance in this project. We also thank Laura Treimane, Counsellor for Education and Science at the Permanent Representation of the Latvian Government to the OECD, for her insightful advice and continuous support during the project.
Our warm thanks go to the many representatives of ministries, government agencies, education and training institutions, businesses and business associations, unions and community associations, think tanks and other organisations, and adult learners who generously shared their insights during focus groups and bilateral interviews with the OECD team in Riga, and for their written input and good practices. During the missions, the OECD team met around 500 stakeholders representing different sectors and institutions, including practitioners and experts from all levels of education, policy makers, employers, trade unions, local authorities, education and labour market researchers. We would also like to take the opportunity to thank the staff of the Ministry of Education and Science for their excellent organisation of the stakeholder workshops and for their hospitality in hosting these events. We also thank the experts that supported the national project team and the moderators and note-takers in the workshop, whose names are featured in Annex A.
We are grateful to the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion and the Directorate-General for Education and Culture of the European Commission for contributing both financial support and expertise throughout the project. We are especially grateful to Alison Crabb and Michael Horgan as well as Denis Crowley and Mārtiņš Zemītis.
While the report draws upon data and analysis from the OECD, Latvian authorities and other published sources, any errors or misinterpretations remain the responsibility of the OECD team.
Samuel Kim was the OECD project leader responsible for co-ordinating this OECD National Skills Strategy project in Latvia. The main authors of this report were: Chapter 1. Key insights and recommendations, Bart Staats, (Centre for Skills); Chapter 2. Strengthening the skills student outcomes of students, Pierre Gouëdard, (Directorate for Education and Skills), with Helena van Langenhove, (Centre for Skills); Chapter 3. Fostering a culture of lifelong learning, Samuel Kim, (Centre for Skills); Chapter 4. Reducing skills imbalances, Katharine Mullock, (Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs); and Chapter 5. Strengthening the governance of the skills system, Ben Game, (Centre for Skills). Cuauhtémoc Rebolledo-Gómez (Centre for Skills) provided statistical support and Helena van Langenhove and Laura Dimante (Centre for Skills) provided background research. Zane Varpina (local Latvian consultant) provided input and feedback.
As Head of the OECD National Skills Strategy projects, Andrew Bell (Centre for Skills) provided analytical guidance, comments on chapters and supervision. Montserrat Gomendio (Head of the OECD Centre for Skills) provided guidance, oversight and comments, while Stefano Scarpetta (OECD Director for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs) provided strategic oversight for the project as well as comments.
Véronique Quénehen, Jennifer Cannon (Centre for Skills) and Lauren Thwaites (Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs) provided invaluable support for mission organisation, report layout and design and publication planning, while Elizabeth Zachary provided proofreading and editorial support.