Photo: Paula Čurkste/LETA
In the school year 2021/2022 vocational basic and vocational secondary education enrolments accounted for 28 thousand, which is by 256 enrolments more than a year ago.
From 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021, 10.6 thousand students have been enrolled in vocational education programmes, which is 317 less than in the previous period. The number of enrolments is higher among males – 5.7 thousand or 54.1 %, while the number of female enrolments is 4.9 thousand or 45.9 %. Engineering, manufacturing and construction as well as services related study programmes were among the most popular ones. These programmes enrolled 3.6 and 2.2 thousand students respectively, or 34.1 % and 20.4 % of the total enrolments, according to the latest data compiled by the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia.
Within the engineering, manufacturing and construction field, motor vehicles, ships and aircraft (28.2 %), building and civil engineering (24.5 %), as well as mechanics and metal trades (14.4 %) were the most popular programmes. Within the services field, the greatest number of entrants was recorded in the programmes of hotel, restaurant and catering (57 %) and hair and beauty services (26.9 %) programmes.
Enrolments in agriculture and natural sciences, mathematics and information technology increased by 130 and 120 students respectively compared to the previous year. Enrolments in service related programmes decreased by 314.
The majority (81.5 %) of enrolments are aged up to and including 20 years, while 10.5 % of enrolments are aged 30 years or older.
The largest share of students in vocational education programmes remains stable in engineering, manufacturing and construction (9.5 thousand) and in services (6 thousand), accounting for 33.9 % and 21.4% of the total respectively. Despite the fact that service-related programmes are still among the most popular ones, it is in this field that the biggest decrease in the number of enrolments has taken place in recent years, by 1.3 thousand or 17.4 % since the school year 2017/2018. Compared to the school year 2017/2018, the number of enrolments in the humanities and arts, as well as in natural sciences, mathematics and information technology has increased most rapidly, with 4.5 and 2.8 thousand, or 15.9 % and 10.1 % of the total number of enrolments, respectively, studying these programmes.
Agricultural programmes also saw an increase, by 28.6 % or 313 enrolments compared to the previous school year.
Three thousand or 10.9 % of the total number of enrolments study social sciences, business studies and law, while the lowest number of enrolments is still in health and social welfare programmes, with 780 or 2.8 % of the total.
Of the total number of enrolments, 24.9 thousand or 88.9 % are enrolled in vocational secondary education programmes, 3 thousand or 10.8 % in post-secondary (non-tertiary) vocational education programmes and 0.3 % in basic vocational education programmes.
The number of male enrolments in vocational education programmes is higher – 15.7 thousand or 56.2 % of the total number of enrolments, while the number of female enrolments is 12.3 thousand or 43.8 %. Although the share of female enrolments in vocational education has slightly decreased compared to previous years, it is still 4 percentage points higher than in 2010 (39.8 %).
More than a half (52.7 %) of male enrolments study engineering, manufacturing and construction, followed by natural sciences, mathematics and information technology (16.8 %). Health and social welfare programmes account for only 76 or 0.5 % of the total number of male enrolments in vocational education. In turn, the most popular programmes among female enrolments are those related to services (mainly hotels and restaurants, beauty services), which are taken up by 35 % of female enrolments. More than a quarter (25.9 %) of females study in humanities and arts programmes, while 17.5 % study social sciences, business studies and law.
Last year, 6.3 thousand entrants graduated from vocational education and training programmes, that was an increase of 5.3 % or 317 entrants compared to 2020. A third (34.3 %) or 2.2 thousand students obtained qualifications in engineering, manufacturing and construction, while 1.5 thousand or 23.2 % – in services. In 2021, the number of graduates in vocational education was 29.7 % lower than 10 years ago, significantly influenced by the 26 % fall in the number of young people aged 15-19 in the total population over the same period.
In the 2021/2022 school year, 55 educational institutions (43 vocational education institutions, 10 colleges and 2 secondary schools) offer vocational education programmes.
One third of the entrants are enrolled in the six largest educational establishments in terms of number of students: Riga State Technical School, Riga Technical School of Tourism and Creative Industry, Ogre Technical School, Daugavpils Construction Technical School, Riga Technical College and Liepaja State Technical School. In the school year 2021/2022, a new educational institution was opened – the Colonel Oskars Kalpaks Vocational Secondary School, which combines studies in general education subjects with the development of basic military skills and values.
CSP: Latvia sees slight increase of youngsters in vocational education
