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As every year, this summer too NVA offers job opportunities for young people aged 15 to 20 (inclusive) who are studying in a general, special or professional educational institution.
“We plan that it will be possible to provide jobs for approximately 10 thousand young people, if we assume that each of them works for one month. On Thursday, May 2, at 10:00 a.m., an application form will be opened on the agency’s website, and all young people who want to work in the summer can open up and fill out the questionnaire. It won’t take much time,” said Leonchika.
It is very good if the young person already shows interest and communicates with an employer. Then the young person can be completely sure that there will be a job in the summer, Leonchika pointed out. The NVA also plans to publish the first lists of available vacancies on May 2.
“Of course, the biggest offer is in Riga, in the Riga region, and of course these are very simple jobs that do not require long training and the work is easy to perform,” explained Leončika.
In cities, the largest number of job offers for young people is in retail trade, but in regions also in agriculture and cleaning and beautification of municipal territory.
When starting any job, it is important that the parents also get involved in this process – together with the child, they familiarize themselves with the employment contract, terms and conditions.
“For their part, employers are trying very hard to introduce young people to working life, at least our cooperation partners, but really parents also play an important role to make this first experience successful,” said Leončika.
The general director of the Confederation of Latvian Employers, Kaspars Gorkšs, admitted that there is currently a rather significant labor shortage in the labor market, therefore employers look at the possibility of hiring students in the summer not only from a social, but also an economic aspect.
“If we look deeper, more than one third of young people enter the labor market without the relevant skills, therefore such opportunities – to supplement their skills – are definitely supported by employers. It is very good if young people get involved and try out their options in one or another profession ,” assessed Gorks.
Zaiga Strode, the leading legal advisor of the Department of Methodical Management and Competence Development of the State Labor Inspectorate, reminded that the employer, when hiring a young person, should pay attention to the young person’s age. Adolescents between the ages of 15 and 18 have a special regulation set out in the Labor Law.
“First of all, this young person must not be hired where there are special working conditions that are harmful to the health, life, morals and development of the young person. The young person can only be hired after a preliminary medical examination, and when hiring a minor, the employer must present one of his parents with a risk assessment of the work environment and occupational safety measures at the workplace,” said Strode.
These requirements of the Labor Law must be strictly observed, because every year, unfortunately, accidents happen to young people, Strode emphasized.
“For example, last year there were 13 not so serious accidents, in 2022 there were two serious accidents, and the reason is often the carelessness of young people, the desire of a young person to do more than what is asked of him, and so on,” Strode explained.
