In Latvia, about 30,000 young people are not working and not studying, and it is they, not students or workers, who should be primarily attracted to the National Defense Service, believes Saeima deputy from the National Alliance Arturs Butāns.
In the broadcast of the program "Preses klubs" on TV24, the chairman of the Saeima subcommittee on export and competitiveness, Arturs Butāns, spoke about the problems of youth employment, opportunities for internships, and the National Defense Service. According to the politician, there are about 30,000 young people in Latvia who "are not working and not studying." It is this category, in his opinion, that the state should pay special attention to.
"In my opinion, they should be the ones we first — I am now talking about men — call to the National Defense Service. Not pulling someone out of education or work, but starting with those who are not working and not studying," said Butāns.
"Women who want to serve can do so voluntarily, but without mandatory conscription," the deputy noted.
Butāns believes that the issue of youth falling out of the education and labor market is relevant for all of Europe. Although, according to him, Latvia looks relatively good in this context, the figure of 30,000 young people remains alarming.
The politician also touched upon the topic of labor migration. In his opinion, the state should first seek ways to engage its own youth in the labor market, rather than compensating for the shortage of workers with newcomers. "If we are now bringing in 20,000 migrants, it would be better to replace them with our young people, to give them the opportunity," Butāns said.
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