In Latvia, a tailor-made program for unemployed youth produces impressive results
Latvia faces the highest rate of youth unemployment among Baltic countries, but can count on a massive project designed to target and help NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) youth.
“I wanted to try academic drawing. Thanks to the project, I had the opportunity to try it and realized it wasn’t for me. The project covered the costs, which was great because quality equipment and courses are expensive. Being able to explore different fields for free is a fantastic idea,” says Emma Romanova, a participant in Latvia’s “Proti un Dari” (‘’Know and Do’’) initiative. This project, happening since 2014, addresses the NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) youth, aged 15-29, by offering career counseling, skill development courses, internships, and job placement support.
In Latvia, youth unemployment has been a persistent issue, with the highest rate among the Baltic countries and fluctuating around the EU average data. The “Know and Do” initiative seeks to tackle this by focusing on Latvian NEET individuals who often face significant barriers in finding career opportunities. Therefore it aims to change the negative perception associated with NEET status by providing essential resources and opportunities for personal and professional growth, ensuring that young people can successfully integrate into the labor market and society.
Raising awareness about unemployment
After the 2008 Financial Crisis, which left millions of people unemployed, the European Commission introduced the Youth Guarantee Initiative, which aimed to identify the NEET groups and analyze the situation in the Member States. In Latvia, immediately following the financial crisis, unemployment surged significantly, increasing from 79,000 in 2008 to 210,000 in 2010.
It’s important to note that these figures only represent registered unemployed individuals; the actual numbers are much higher. During the Youth Guarantee Initiative, two groups of unemployed were identified in Latvia: registered NEETs and hidden NEETs. To address these, Latvian ministries collaborated on a new approach with three main strategies.
Registered NEETs receive support from the National Employment Agency, which offers work-oriented policies and training programs. The State Education Development Agency, in partnership with educational institutions, introduced vocational training to obtain job qualifications within a year. The Agency for International Youth Programs (JSPA), along with local municipalities, launched the “Know and Do” project, providing mentorship for non-registered NEETs.
A Glimpse of Hope
The initiative concluded its first phase in 2023, but due to its beneficial effects on employment, it has been extended until 2029. The first phase of the project has engaged 5,206 NEET youth, thereby even exceeding the target set by the Ministry’s regulations. Over 70% of participants have completed their training programs and are now actively engaged in education or employment both domestically and internationally.
The project develops a personalized event program for young people, lasting up to 9 months. Participants can engage in non-formal and informal learning, specialist consultations, events (such as camps, seminars, sports, and cultural activities), voluntary work, and involvement in NGOs and youth centers. They also get to explore professions through company visits and vocational training. Each participant undergoes detailed profiling to create a personalized program based on UNESCO’s four learning pillars: personal development, social inclusion, work ethic, and lifelong learning. This support includes mentorship, learning opportunities, expert consultations, and active event participation. ’The faster we manage to help young people, the shorter the time a young person spends in NEET status. This is the goal of our project’’, says Viola Korpa, the project manager, ‘’If a person ends up in the NEET status, he should see that there is a way out.’’
Participants value the project for different reasons. One of them, Emma Romanova, who took part in the project in 2023, highlighted the opportunity to get to know different fields of work at no expense. “I wanted to try academic drawing. Thanks to the project, I had the opportunity to try it and realized it wasn’t for me. The project covered the costs, which was great because quality equipment and courses are expensive. Being able to explore different fields for free is a fantastic idea,” she said in an interview.
Zlata, another participant who currently works with the non-governmental organization “Young Folks,” emphasized the project’s role in facilitating her integration into Latvian society. She shared, “Having arrived from Ukraine without any friends here, the project provided me with the opportunity to connect with numerous ambitious individuals. During and after the program, I was able to improve my management and marketing skills. Consequently, I was so drawn to Young Folks that I decided to remain with the team even after the program finished.”
Specific activities are designed for young people with disabilities as well, ensuring inclusivity and access for all. One such example of this is the project’s collaboration with the Latvian Society of the Blind, providing opportunities for visually impaired individuals to engage in various fields. For instance, one of the participants contributes articles to the magazine “Rosme,” which specializes in producing written content in braille.
The damage of COVID-19
According to the State Employment Agency of Latvia, over 61.2 thousand people have been unemployed for the year 2023[1]. Young people (aged 15–24) accounted for 13.9 % of all unemployed people.[2] Thus, the data referenced comes from the number of individuals registered as “unemployed.” However, the actual number of people not included in these statistics is significantly larger.
The pandemic has influenced the tendency – the quality of education has decreased, considering the unpreparedness of institutions for total digitalization. On the other hand, the university/job acceptance criteria have not changed – a solid diploma and work experience are still required to qualify. On top of that, at the start of 2021, the Adolescent and Youth Psychotherapy Center released a study examining the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on Latvian adolescents and young adults. The study findings indicate that 54.5% of young individuals acknowledge experiencing a decline in their mental well-being amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with 19.8% reporting a significant deterioration[3].
The demand for mental health services surged dramatically, resulting in therapists being fully booked for extended periods. The crisis phones, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of calls, often went unanswered, leaving many in distress without immediate support. The situation was exacerbated by the online queues for free-of-charge therapy, which became notoriously lengthy, with some waiting times extending up to three years. This unprecedented strain on mental health resources highlighted the urgent need for more robust and accessible mental health care systems.
Fortunately for young unemployed in distress, ‘’Know and Do’’ continued working even during lockdown. Viola Korpa mentioned that working online wasn’t a challenge – if a person needed technical equipment, the program managed to cover it. Educational centers shipped all the equipment to the participants’ homes. There were instances when the number of participating youths exceeded pre-COVID-19 levels. “Social distancing has a painful effect on a young person. Our target audience was those young people who were already looking for an escape from home with the project, so now they were put back in that environment,” Korpa stated during the interview. She also emphasized the extension of mentorship opportunities for those in need, which aimed to address the repercussions of the pandemic.
The future of ‘’Know and Do’’
Since the project will be starting its second cycle at the end of 2024, some improvements have been carried out. This includes the addition of post-program mentoring, which involves offering personalized guidance to young individuals from the target group after the conclusion of their program. The aim is to facilitate their adjustment either in educational institutions or in the workplace as they embark on further education or employment. This support activity is designed to minimize the likelihood of participants re-entering the NEET status after program completion.
The treatment costs will also be paid within the project. Thus, if the young person needs medical support – physical or mental – ‘’Know and Do’’ will cover all the expenses, therefore shortening the waiting list for free medical appointments, which could last years.
As the project continues to evolve and adapt to the changing economic and social landscapes of Latvia, its foundational goal remains clear: to empower the youth by bridging the gap between formal education and the real-world job market. This project not only addresses the immediate challenges posed by unemployment but also equips young individuals with the skills and confidence to navigate their future careers successfully.
[1] https://stat.gov.lv/lv/statistikas-temas/darbs/bezdarbs/preses-relizes/14338-bezdarbs-2023-gada-novembri
[2] https://stat.gov.lv/en/statistics-themes/labour-market/unemployment/press-releases/14285-unemployment-3rd-quarter-2023
[3] https://www.pusaudzis.lv/p%C4%93t%C4%ABjums
This article was produced as part of The Newsroom 27 competition, organised by Slate.fr with the financial support of the European Union. The article reflects the views of the author and the European Commission cannot be held responsible for its content or use.
