A Series of Sessions for Young People to Help Them Successfully Decide on Their Future Profession!

Upon reaching adulthood, young people have not acquired the necessary skills and abilities to find employment and earn a living, while ensuring young people’s successful transition into the labour market is an important task of youth policy—such conclusions and definitions of the problem can be found in government planning documents. Data from a study conducted in Latvian schools show that only 32.1% of surveyed Year 12 students in general education schools have already chosen their future profession, which to some extent explains the data of the Central Statistical Bureau showing that, in the third quarter of 2014, young people seeking employment accounted for 21.4% of all economically active young people in Latvia. At the end of January this year, approximately 11% of all unemployed people in Preiļi Municipality were young people aged 15 to 25. If the aforementioned problems—young people’s inability to choose their future profession in a timely manner due to unstable values, an inability to assume responsibility, and a lack of practical examples—are not addressed, the opportunity to use young people’s potential for the development of the national economy will diminish, even though this is an important prerequisite for improving the country’s level of prosperity. Therefore, when implementing the project “Comprehensive Support Measures to Reduce Social Exclusion among Young People and Families with Children”, young people were selected as one of the target groups, since both an analysis of information in government planning documents and knowledge of the situation in municipalities have led to the conclusion that young people lack support measures for their successful integration into society and for successfully deciding on their future profession.

Upon finishing school (Year 9 or Year 12), young people face a new challenge: making the very important and also difficult decision of choosing a profession. A highly significant decision about their future. Choosing a profession is a complex and lengthy process during which it is important to get to know, understand, and critically evaluate oneself, one’s relationships with others, the world of professions, educational opportunities in various professions, and the current and projected situation in the labour market. The better informed a young person is about these and other matters, the easier it is for them to choose one of the fields of professional activity.

At the end of April, a series of sessions for young people entitled “I in the World, the World in ME” was launched. As part of the programme, three specialists, each from the perspective of their own field, will use both informative and educational methods and practical activities to encourage young people to recognise and develop their unique potential. Participants will also gain a theoretical and practical understanding of various professions.

The sessions are designed to help young people open up and relax so that, in an atmosphere where they feel comfortable and free, they can think, discuss, express their opinions, and seek answers to questions of interest to them concerning their choice of profession. The facilitators seek to help young people discover for themselves their unique abilities and qualities, as well as their strengths. Young people also learn to express and substantiate their opinions, present themselves, and build a cohesive team with the other group members. Through various activities, the group facilitators also address young people’s needs, social skills, and the organisation of everyday life. Most young people, when choosing to pursue a profession, will go to study in other cities, so this is also a challenge for them at the everyday practical level. During the “Self-Discovery” sessions, young people were motivated to explore themselves and evaluate their personal activities, and encouraged to recognise and bring into focus the interests that are important for personal development and career choice. As a result of the sessions, young people have looked at themselves from a different perspective and paid attention to their leisure activities, as these may be significant when choosing a profession. Young people have understood that their dreams for the future are very important, and that sometimes even small details can help them recognise important things in life. Self-discovery is a process of discovery that continues throughout one’s life, and these sessions are only a small part of that process. Young people will shape our future, and we must help them make important decisions in their lives.

Although summer is the time when people are least inclined to think about such serious matters as their future profession, we invite you to take the opportunity to explore yourself and gain new insights that will certainly be useful in life. As the young people who have already taken part in the sessions have acknowledged, nothing like this had been offered to them before, and activities of this kind would have been very useful during their school years, so that they could plan in good time where to study after graduating from school.  If you would like to join, let us know—tel. 29654796 (Anita).

Anita Gāga

Board Member of the “Puķuzirnis” Family Support Centre Association