Latvia’s new welfare minister Reinis Uzulnieks from the Latvian Alliance of the Green Party and Farmers Union said during an interview on Latvian Television on Tuesday, that he hopes to focus more attention on employment issues in the country.

Asked about ongoing labour shortages, Uzulnieks said that the State Employment Agency had several good programmes on offer, adding that the focus must be on mobility problems, as well as jobs for people with various kinds of disabilities.

The new minister also wants to develop a system in which companies which need employees with specific skills can inform the employment agency, which will then ensure training for the specialists whom the company requires.

There is a lot of talk about migration, but we must put Latvia’s own workforce to maximal use, Mr Uzulnieks declared.

Asked about return migration, the minister said that the level will increase once people get the sense that they will find a well-paying job back home so that they can send their children to school and ensure good health care and education.

Source: BNS

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