Listen to the latest episode of PESPod – the podcast of the European PES Network – to discover how the Latvian Public Employment Service (PES) has been working to better understand the future of work and to make sure workers have the skills they – and employers – need.
Would you be surprised to know that in Latvia, 90% of survey respondents (of large companies) felt they needed more digital skills, 17% of graduates who becomes clients of PES after graduating undertake additional training in the two years after graduation, whilst one-third of the recent arrivals from the conflict in Ukraine are already in work?
Find out more by listening to the latest episode of PESPod in which Evita Simsone, head of the Latvian PES (NVA), and HR expert Pārsla Baško tell us about their recent efforts to understand and meet the needs of the future labour market in Latvia.
Learn about the findings of the Latvian Future of Jobs Conference 2022 on “Trends That Will Shape the Work of Tomorrow”. A key takeaway for Evita Simsone was the importance of personal autonomy. “We all must be motivated, flexible and passionate with new skills. Learning has become a part of our daily life.”
In this context, check out expert Pārsla Baško’s views on the value of online learning platforms and the importance of “blended learning where you have to mix and match different learning methods together”.
Find out also how employers’ surveys in Latvia have revealed a mix picture. Evita Simsone highlights concerns that “not enough employers focus on upskilling their employees now,” particularly amongst small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Hear also her views on which sector is performing best – and which not so well - at providing training programmes for their workers.
Underpinning all these reflections is the challenge of accurate labour market forecasting. Both guests highlight that it is impossible to predict exactly what jobs will look like in the future. Meanwhile, whilst the need for digital skills is well known, it is hard to keep up with the pace of digital change. In this context, hear the views of both speakers on the value of developing transferable ‘soft’ skills in areas such as communication, autonomy and leadership.
Find out more about all these topics and the latest initiatives of the PES and its partners to foster upskilling and reskilling of clients by downloading the episode wherever you listen to your podcasts or listen online.
Any comments about PESPod or relevant topics for future episodes? Write to us at: EMPL-PES-SECRETARIAT@ec.europa.eu.
