News & Events in Belarus

MINSK, 20 October (BelTA) – Outdated standards in the higher education system have to go away. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made the statement at the government conference held on 20 October to discuss employment and migration matters, BelTA has learned.

Many specialists, who are trained at the expense of the state budget, cannot find jobs. “Because the higher education system relies on yesterday’s requirements. It does not train those that the national economy really needs. It is surprising that the higher education system can rely on yesterday’s standards and train specialists to match yesterday’s requirements. It means that the system lacks any kind of orderliness and organization. If the education system has to train specialists to match today’s requirements, the system should get a clear and definite work order. It means there isn’t one”.

Personnel are often trained without taking into account the improvement and modernization of the production sector. Many corporations cannot determine what specialists they will need even in the short term, stressed the head of state. The President said he wanted answers as to why things happen this way and proposals regarding how the negative practice can be changed.

At the present stage of the social and economic development Belarus strives to accomplish the same goals that the majority of neighboring countries try to accomplish, including the European Union. “The preservation and multiplication of labor resources top the agenda. It is a matter of wellbeing of the present and future generations and the stability of the state,” stressed Alexander Lukashenko.

Belarus has already secured certain results in increasing the birth rate. “But it is our reserve for the future. Now we have to use options to replenish the labor resources that will produce results today,” noted the President.

“Speaking of the birth rate. We should be calmer about it. The process has yet to take root and blossom. It is not yet the time for shouting about the fact and savoring the accomplishment,” added the head of state.

Belarus is facing a number of problems in this regard today. The head of state drew attention to the fact that employable Belarusians account for nearly 60% of the total number of residents and the figure has started falling. “Belarusians are getting older and we should bear it in mind. While in 2010 we had 2.7 employable citizens per pensioner, now the indicator is close to two,” stated the Belarusian leader. “It means that the situation on the labor market will get worse. The shortage of workforce will increase. The burden on the welfare system will rise, primarily pensions and healthcare”.

Alexander Lukashenko remarked that workforce is always in demand in Belarus. Blue-collar jobs account for 76% of the total demand for workers. It is primarily true for the production sector, civil engineering industry, and transport. At the same time individual enterprises employ an excessive number of workers. “The practice indicates that we have no effective mechanism to redistribute workforce between regions and industries. The influence on the distribution of productive forces is weak. The majority of vacant positions are concentrated in major cities. People leave the countryside to work in cities,” noted the head of state. The President reminded that at the beginning of the year he gave instructions to analyze the situation on the labor market and the factors that influence it. A dedicated working group has been created and has come up with a number of proposals. Alexander Lukashenko said he would like to learn how the people, who are supposed to reimburse the money the state spends on educating and supporting their children, work and how the citizens, who are not part of the national economy, will get employed. The government has already prepared and discussed concrete measures. “I would like to learn whether these measures are effective and what results are expected,” stressed the President.