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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
Guidance and counselling in a lifelong learning approach

Latvia

12.Educational support and guidance

12.8Guidance and counselling in a lifelong learning approach

Last update: 27 November 2023
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Guidance in Latvia is shared between the Education and Labour sectors. While the Education sector has main role in careers guidance provision in formal general and vocational schools education, the Labour sector provides career guidance advice and counselling to persons starting from the age of 15.

Academic Guidance 

Academic guidance in a Lifelong-Learning perspective is offered by general and vocational schools, and higher education institutions. Every public higher education institution has a Lifelong Learning Centre as a structural unit. Such a centre explores further education needs of the population and offers possibilities to acquire knowledge and skills for the labour market, irrespective of people’s age and current professional qualification. For instance, Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences Knowledge and Technology Center, where the Lifelong Learning Centre is located too, is also a cooperation partner of the European Association for University Lifelong Learning.

Psychological Counselling

Unemployed persons and job-seekers registered with the State Employment Agency (an institution under the authority of the Ministry of Welfare) can choose group or individual career and/or psychological counselling, career guidance, identification of suitable work goals, information and help when searching for a job, job retraining and work trials. Individuals are offered interest, aptitude, personality and psychometric testing.

Career Guidance

The State Employment Agency deals with vocational training for the unemployed and job seekers for changing qualification and improvement of professional skills. It provides also guidance and counselling services for the unemployed including such aspects as psychological consultations, vocational guidance, legal advice etc.

Guidance and counselling services are also provided by Euroguidance Latvia - National Resource Centre for Career Guidance. Euroguidance Latvia provides a regular information exchange with vocational guidance institutions and other National Ressource Centres in Europe about the education system, vocational qualifications and labour market in Latvia, and collects, produces and disseminates information about education and training opportunities in Latvia, EU, EEA member states and associated CEE countries at different levels and types of education.