Education and corporate partnerships benefit staff development

To build what Latvia has created since independence in 1991 has been impressive.

It is easy for foreigners to complain about the remnants of Soviet-style bureaucracy and corruption; it is harder to point to ways that lead forward.

Let's look at one significant factor affecting development in a newly-born society - education and training.

Most people agree that to compete in the market place a country needs a skilled workforce, ready to meet the challenges of a changing world.

How does Latvia compare with other emerging economies?

Naturally, the answer to this is to be found in the action taken by the state.

In the last 10 years successive governments have taken serious steps to examine and change the system of secondary and higher education in the country.

With the help of European and other funding, the education system has been pushed in new directions; Latvia has joined EU education and training programs such as Socrates and Leonardo da Vinci.

More and more Latvian workers and students are going to foreign climes to learn the intricacies of technology, quality systems and micro-engineering.

So that's the good news. And the bad news?

Many schools are inadequately staffed, teachers are poorly paid, and higher education institutions still tend to cling to the "teacher is supreme" notion.

The consequence of this is that students are often under-motivated and over-taught.

Latvia has had a great tradition in the area of science - things which can be measured, tested and proved.

In our new millennium it is possible that different skills are needed - skills to enable the country to become more creative in its approach to the market economy.

There is evidence to suggest that when some Latvian students study abroad they are well-equipped with the scientific and quantitative areas of study but less well-equipped to deal with the ideas of independent study.

The skills of independent learning are often associated with creativity and personal growth. It is possible that Latvia is in need of these particular skills right now.

The emphasis of various EU-funded programs is on changing styles and methods of teaching in schools, but these programs can work effectively only with the support of individual companies who employ the product of the higher education system.

It seems that many companies are not entirely happy with the product of higher education, but equally few companies join the debate on how to change the product.

Latvian and foreign-based companies need to cooperate with educational institutions to promote change.

There are many opportunities to develop and influence the courses of study provided. It is possible that individual companies need to do more in this area.

Education and training are often linked, but a culture of training in organizations does not seem to be well developed in Latvia.

Until, and unless, the need for the training and development of staff is recognized, it is difficult to see how ideas of organizational development can be introduced.

The opportunities for cooperation and influence in these areas are many - from schools to higher education to municipalities, government ministries and companies.

Maybe now is the time to seize the day!