On December 11, the Ministry of Education and Science is organizing a high-level conference on adult skills development - "Adult Skills: A Prerequisite for Human Capital Development". The conference will take place in the Great Hall of the University of Latvia.
The first results of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) (Adult Skills Survey) for Latvia will be presented during the conference, followed by a high-level panel discussion on strategic challenges and systemic solutions for the development of human capital. The OECD Adult Skills Survey is one of the world's most important international comparative skills surveys, comparing and analyzing people's skills levels and their use in work and everyday life, including in relation to educational attainment, further education, work responsibilities and social activity. Latvia participated in the study for the first time, obtaining objective data on the results of the education system and their links to the socio-economic aspects, benefits, and risks of human capital development, for the development of relevant policies.
The conference will introduce the Individual Learning Accounts Approach and Skills Management Platform, supported by the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility, and implemented by the State Education Development Agency, which is an important solution towards a coherent and sustainable adult education system. The conference will also present the first results and conclusions of the implementation of the Individual Learning Accounts approach.
The conference will conclude with the award ceremony for the 2024 award of the adult non-formal education traveling prize "Saules laiva" (Sun Boat). The adult non-formal education award "Saules laiva" was established to honor the Ministry's significant contribution to the promotion of adult non-formal education and the provision of quality learning and support in adult non-formal education. The award ceremony will take place for the ninth time.
The conference will bring together education, economic and employment policy developers, researchers and industry professionals, including a keynote speech by Zane Petre, Head of the European Commission Representation in Latvia, and Professor Gundars Bērziņš, Rector of the University of Latvia, as well as participation of OECD experts and other international experts.
According to the World Economic Forum, 50% of the workers in the future will need reskilling, making adult learning an essential tool for human capital development and economic transformation. This is why cross-sectoral cooperation is essential in this area, by planning sectoral labour market forecasts, ordering human capital skills development and providing people with the skills they need for the labour market.
The conference is organized with the support of European Union funds.
Registration for the conference is available by filling in the form.
