Abstract:

Changing learning environment and demand in labour market skills for graduates’ employability and competitiveness highlights the importance data usage for education quality assessment and evidence – based policymaking. The data on graduates` employment is important for policy-making at national and at the European Union level, notably for strengthening career guidance provisions and for the curricula improvement to ensure students skills and the development of competences.

Higher education graduates tracking which is based on national administrative data has been introduced in Latvia in 2017. It gives an opportunity to assess the employability of graduates within 10 years after graduation. The aim of this study is to analyse the early career and employability of graduates of International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) 5, 6 and 7 level study programs in the following years: 2017, 2018 and 2019. The data will be analysed based on the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) and the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities (NACE). Graduates in health care, education, STEM will be analysed in depth. Particular attention will be paid to the assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic impact on graduates` employment and their career development. There are some limitation of data analysis, data on graduates who have emigrated is not available.

The initial graduate tracking data shows that in a first year after graduation, the overall employment rate of graduates reaches 88% and 80% of the graduates are employed in highly qualified positions. The trend of the following years' evaluations shows that the number of graduates employed in highly qualified positions is consistently increasing, for example reaching 84% in a third year after graduation.

National level graduates tracking results are used in the framework of higher education quality monitoring system to assess learning outcomes, as well as to develop indicators and to provide information for public, including, prospective students, career counsellors, media and others.

Keywords:

Higher education, employment, employability, labour market, early career, higher education quality monitoring, evidence – based policy.