Division of Career development support Career support services in State employment agency

About Riga Riga, the capital of Latvia, was officially founded in 1201 The territory of Riga totals km2 The total number of inhabitants within Riga - 706,413 people, of whom 313,662 male and 392,751 female.

Nationalities in Riga

Old Riga

Career definition in the XX and XXI century Career Career – successful promotion in professional or scientific field. (1990. edition “Foreign words dictionary”) Career – lifelong personal development skills. (Cabinet of Ministers concept “Improvement of guidance development support system” approved in 2006)

Career Guidance System in Latvia Career Information Career counselling Career education Support to providers: State Employment Agency Providers: SEA Division of Career Development support Support to providers: State Education Development Agency Providers: Educational establishments of Latvia

Integration of Career Services within SEA Services Benefits ► One stop agency was created – unemployed and job seekers can receive employment and career services in one place. ► The SEA local employment offices provide customers with an opportunity to receive career services: career counseling, information about career and educational issues. ► Increased efficiency of active labour market measures (career counselors assess client’s possibilities for the successful training or education in a concrete sphere of professional activities). ► The number of unemployed and job seekers, who have received career counseling (as well as the proportion of persons at risk of unemployment), has increased. In 2007 Professional Career Counselling State Agency merged with the State Employment Agency. Objective – integration of career services within the range of other SEA services.

Availability of Career Consultations in Latvia Career counseling is offered by 28 Local Employment Offices of the State Employment agency. There are 42 career counselors working in SEA. Clients and target groups Career consultations are offered free of charge to all citizens. Career services are provided to the following target groups (in accordance with specific needs of each group): youth without work experience, persons after child-care-leave, persons released from imprisonment, persons with disabilities, persons in pre-retirement age, long-term unemployed.

Providing career services to the client Client Career counselor support client in career planning Division of career development support information and methodological support of career consulting

Information and Methodical System DATABАSEDATABАSE SELFKNOWLEDGESELFKNOWLEDGE Computer game «Me and my career» Test of interests Areas of professional activities Jobs Job descriptions Educational establishments Education programs Together with career counselors we developed effective client service system:

Career consultant Provides psychological support Helps to identify client resources Decides what consultation methods are relevant for clients Uses appropriate informative materials Provides information about labour market development and professions Assists in development of job searching strategy Provides assistance in preparation of CVs and motivation letters How a career counselor can help the clients?

Methodological Support of Career Counseling – Tool kit METHODOLOGY Personality inventories R.Kettel test Aizenk test “Communication strategy ” Assessment of cognitive processes R. Amthauer test “7 Types of Intelligence ” Landolt test Assessment of motivation youth adults Information about psychological assessment of clients Basic information about a client Interest inventories - Tests of interests John L. Holland test Questionnaire “Orientation”

Individual career consultation – study of vocational suitability of clients, development of individual career plan, analysis of client life and work values, study of personal and professional characteristics, development of job search skills including interviewing, preparation of CV and motivation letter; Individual diagnostic career consultation – definition of professional goals, personality traits, study of cognitive styles and work capacity, study of psychophysiological features and their compatability with person’s professional goals; Individual self - directed career consultation – independent work of clients with self-assessment methods (interest inventories, Holand test) and informative materials in electronic or written form; Group career consultation – can take place in the NVA local employment office or in some other premises where the career consultant meets with a group of clients. Group consultation can be informative lessons about career basics, about education and career possibilities and also diagnostic lessons about aptitudes and motivation assessment before involvement in active employment measures; Electronic – career consultations and information about professional choice and job search issues can be received also through the NVA website in its section “Clients and services", "Talks". Types of Career Consultation

Information Support of Career Counseling – Information Materials “… Provide information on educational opportunities, their connection with professions and other related information on education and career”. (EU Council Resolution on better integrating lifelong guidance into lifelong learning strategies”) A book used for individual vocational choice “Create your own career” Informative materials: “Educational opportunities following general education” “Educational opportunities following secondary education” “Educational opportunities following higher education” Video “23 professional areas of Latvia” Video “I too can do it” 5 stories about integration in the labour market Video “Discover a variety of labour environments” 5 stories about different professional areas Computer game “Me and my career”

Information Support of Career Counseling – Informative materials ► Catalog “Descriptions of occupations” (370 professions) ► Catalog “ Definitions of occupations” ► Electronic version:  linked page “Career services” ► The second part of catalog “Descriptions of occupations” (130 professions) within the project “SEA capacity building” is in progress

Regular preparation of information materials for SEA information stands placed in all general education institutions in Latvia: - actual information for pupils, - interviews with representatives of most required professions (IT, transport, management etc.) Career measures: - Career days in universities; - exhibitions related to the education and career. Information Support – Providing of Information to Society

The role of career consulting in solving employment problems In 2010, 60,3 % of unemployed and job seekers after the career consultations have found a regular job or have started diferent unemployment programs, implemented by the State Employment agency.

Career consultations (January 2010 – February 2011)

Career consultations, 2010 (vulnerable groups) In the context of the current economic crisis, special attention has therefore been given to risk groups

Career guidance challenges (there is still a lot to do) In the career guidance area many aspects have to be reviewed, for example:  to improve coordination between the responsible institutions and competitive Ministries to widen job opportunities, activate social integration and help young people get a job;  to improve guidance service to meet the labour market needs;  to include the lifelong education in all career support stages;  to target career guidance services to particular groups (target, age groups ect.).

Website for CV and Vacancies Website offer for employers: Selection of employees; Online registration of available vacancies; No need to visit a branch to register a vacancy; Website is free. Website offer for employees: Register your CV; See current vacancies; website is free.

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