Rīgas pedagoģijas un izglīTĪbas vadības augstskola

Division of the study courses over study years and semesters can look in the appendix No.1.

The short annotations of study courses can look in Table No. 2 The spacious annotation of study courses can look in the appendix No.2.

Table No.2

Title of the study course	Credit points	Short annotation of study courses
General education study courses Part A
Business communication	2	Provides understanding of the role of communication in the organisational work. Students acquire verbal and written communication skills in compliance with the basic requirements of the legislation and resolutions.of the Republic of Latvia. Introduces students to the requirements for preparing and correct formatting of information in the informācijas nesējā, explains the use of regulating normative acts for providing, compiling and storing information.
Logics	2	Promotes students’ understanding of thinking as a purposeful and consecutive activity, a means and result of personality development. Develops thinking abilities, ommod to use rules of logics, skills to observe, analyse, evaluate and reason, furthers the autonomy of students’ personality.
Fundamentals of philosophy	2	Promotes students’ experience of their presence in the world in the context of existential and social processes. The acquisition of the general regularities of the genesis of people’s intellectual and value spheres, the skill to use the performance of ommodityal heritage and thinking abilities in the improvement of one’s professional asctivity and social communication..
Issues of the culture of the Latvian language	2	Helps the future personnel management specialists to become aware of the role of language culture in the interaction between an individual and the society by improving theoretical knowledge and the skill to use oral and written language means of expression according to the literary language norms. Improves the knowledge of language functions and means of communication, develops skills to use them in various communication situations in an enterprise (establishment, organisation, etc.). Develops the skill to edit texts, analyse and evaluate their language according to the communication situation. Business correspondence language skills.
Business etiquette	2	To know how to use the dress code of the personnel manager as a high official, be able to organise and conduct business receptions, meetings and negotiations according to the ommodityal of etiquette. To know how to apply the requirements of business etiquette to using business cards, telephone conversations, arranging meetings and job interviews
Interaction training	2	Reveals the nature of interaction training, teaches the basis of positive interaction, the skill to act in a group, reveals the types of individual interaction and communication which are characteristic to an individual, shapes students’ understanding of interaction and communication barriers, develops the skill to act and make decisions in psychologically complicated situations, as well as promotes the development of presentation skills..
Sociology	2	Provides the understanding of the soial world in different schools and approaches to sociology which broaden students’ mental outlook and allow them to use the acquired knowledge in more effective personnel management. Develops the skill to analyse professional problems from a new point of view and integrate the acquired knowledge in the sphere of professional competence.
English in the profession	6	Promotes students’ research activity for the development of the future personnel managers by using English in writing reports and term papers as well as participating in international projects. Students acquire English language skills at B1 level according to the European Standard of the Acquisition of Languages, i.e., the comprehension of the main idea and most essential details in texts of the corresponding branch, the skill to participate in business conversations. The language is acquired by using topics current in personnel management.

Basic theoretical courses of the branch and courses of information technology Part A
Personnel management	10	Introduces students to the implementation of the main functions of personnel management: personnel selection, evaluation, career planning, motivation and administration of legal labour relationships as well as the comprehension and ommoditya of corporative culture, change management and the evaluation of the effectiveness of personnel mamangement, provides information about the developmental trends of personnel management science in Latvia and in the world. Develops skills in employee selection, devising an employee motivation and evaluation system. Teaches to understand organisational management interests and integrate them in the personnel management processes of an organisation.
Legal foundations of entrepreneurship	2	Provides the future personnel managers with a general idea about rights as a social phenomenon, the origin and development of rights, introduces students to legal norms regulating entrepreneurship in Latvia, gives an insight into topical problems in the field of personnel management in such separate legal branches as criminal law, civil law and administrative law, develops the skill to use the acquired knowledge in practice. Gives a brief account of the basic concepts of the theory of rights as well as the theoretical conclusions and legislation and resolutions in the sphere of entrepreneurship by focusing on the specific character of the foundation, reorganisation and liquidation of an enterprise, liability of different types and develop students’ disposition towards the ommodity of a civil society.
Fundamentals of economics	4	Shapes students’ comprehension of the regularities and principles of economic development . Introduces students to economic theories by linking them to practical application. Provides knowledge about the functioning, causes and causations of the economic system. Develops the skill to orientate oneself in publications of economic character as well as evaluate the impact of the trends of economic development on different branches, enterprises and students’ personal opportunities. Provides knowledge of different aspects of ommodityalal activity (starting a business, strategy, financial management, marketing, international business and its regularities), teaches to understand the causation between these aspects.
Fundamentals of managementa	4	Gives an idea of management skills, develops the skill to organise and manage other employees. Gives an idea of and forms management skills, the skill to organise and manage other employees. Informa about organisational typology, organisational ommodity culture, management styles and their use. Develops the skill to put forward organisational goals and project future vision. Teaches to understand the quality system, project management as well as strategy management.
Personality psychology	2	Provides knowledge of the factors shaping personality within the framework of different personality theories by providing more detailed comprehension of personality structure, motivation, personality development, pathopsychology, psychic health, therapeutical method developed by the concrete author. Develops the skill to ommodi and prognosticate the personality and behavioural features of an employed (economically active) person.
Information technologies in personnel manager’s work	8	Familiarizes students with the opportunities of  modern information technologies and main their main application to office work as well as provides an opportunity to acquire the software used for the needs of personnel management practically. Aims to reach such a level of knowledge that students would be able use the computer in their professional activity purposefully and pursue their self-education.
Methods of research work	2	Helps the future personnel managers to acquire theoretical knowledge and experience of practical work which are necessary for the development and defence of ommodit papers, as well as encourage students to carry out ommodity research in their professional activity. Provides knowledge about the basic principles of the structure of ommodit work and writing a scientific text: a grasp of different research methods and the ability to choose them for conducting particular research; the procedure of the defence of a research paper.
Organisational and management psychology	4	Provides knowledge and comprehension of the major issues of organisational and management psychology and develops students’ skill to use the acquired knowledge in practice in the organisation of personnel management. Develops the skill to reproduce main conclusions of organisational and management psychology, distinguish and analyse psychological regularities in organisational and management processes, link the acquired knowledge to practical cases, prognosticate psychological regularities in the organisation and management processes, keep track of recent researches on the trends of organisational and management psychology.
Courses of the professional specialisation of the branch Part B
Labour psychology	4	Provides information about the basic concepts of labour psychology, tasks and methods which are necessary in the personnel manager’s professional activity. Study of professional activity, its role in personnel management, foundations of ommodityal self-determination and methods of its advancement. Psychological foundations of professional training and their use in personnel mamangement. Professional adaptation, formation of individual working style. Psychic (functional) conditions in the professional activity and the possibilities of ncreasing employees’ labour capacity. Psychological prevention of traumatism.
Fundamentals of accounting	2	Provides comprehension of the aims and tasks od accounting in an enterprise. Develops the skill in accounting economic means and processes, drawing up reports, solution of accounting problems.
Adult study methods	2	Shapes the understanding of adult education and lifelong education from the point of view of different theories and approaches. Activates students’ practical experience by critically reflecting their learning style, tactics and strategies, work forms and methods, activating one’s inductive and deductive thinking in the formation of one’s learning model.
Business English	5	Consolidates the material acquired in the previous years and builds up the English language skills in business communication,  develops the ability to analyse professional literature and use the Internet.
Statistics	2	Introduces students to the concepts of statistics and forms of statistic observation, methods of generalisation and graphic reflection, as well as provides information about modern information processing and systematization technologies, the nature and possibilities of the most common statistic methods used in company practice. Develops the future personnel manager’s analytical thinking skills.
Fundamentals of financial and management accounting	2	Provides knowledge about cost accounting and calculation of cost price, develops skills in the planning and analyses of the enterprise’s activity by paying special attention to the planning and analyses of personnel financial resources. Teaches students how to keep records, draw up the annual budget and annual report of the personnel department and impose LR taxes.
Project management	2	Provides knowledge about the project method in performing work, builds up the skill in project management and demonstrantes the use of project method in increasing the effectiveness of personnel management. Teaches how to fill in project application forms of different foundations, students acquire the skill to work with the programme Microsoft Project
Quality management	2	Develops the skill to ananlyse organisational processes related to human resources management, evaluate organisational processes related to human resources management. Provides knowledge about preventive and corrective activities in organisational processes related to human resources management.
Record keeping in the personnel manager’s work	3	Provides knowledge and skills in processing and preparing personnel documentation in compliance with accounting regulations d LR legislation, fosters the development of communicative competencies.
Personnel information systems	4	Provides knowledge about the necessity of applying the informative system in personnel management, builds up skills in devising and use of data base tables, forms, queries and reports. Students acquire the skill to use the software of data bases Microsoft and MS Access in personnel manager’s work.
Business ethics	2	Introduces students to the theoretical foundations of business ethics and its application to personnel manager’s work by developing professional skills, ethical attitude towards oneself and colleagues. Provides knowledge of how to work in personnel management observing business ethics- fairly and honestly. Encourages to review value categories towards oneself and the society.
Personnel manager’s professional ethics	2	Introduces students to the personnel manager’s ethics by considering the basic principles of ethics, competence, confidentiality and analysing different situations. Teaches to act in compliance with law and ethical standarts.
Labour legislation and labour protection	4	Provides the opportunity to familiarize oneself both with theoretical conclusions and laws and regulations in the sphere of labour legislation and labour protection by focusing on employer and employee rights and obligations as well as social guarantees, thus forming a tendency for students to strive for creation of civil society.
Public relations	2	Gives an idea about the nature of public relations, image making and its relation to marketing communication as well as the role of public relations in the personnel manager’s work. Develops the skill to analyse academic publications.
Methods of business games	2	Provides knowledge about the opportunities of using business games in the personnel manager’s work and their functions, explains the nature and structure of business games. Develops the skill to plan, organise and conduct business gaumes. Creates an understanding of the role of business games in people’s lives.
Ergonomics	2	Introduces students to the application of the conclusions of the science of ergonomics to the formation of the enterprise’s labour protection system for the retention of human resources.
Labour force situation in Latvia and the European Union	2	Familiarizes the future personnel management specialist with the situation on the labour market in Latvia and the EU. Promotes the understanding of the processes taking place on the labour market. Develops the specialist’s skill to perform employee selection according to the requirements of the enterprise, to determine their pay on the basis of the situation on the labour market, as well as considering the trends of its development.
Communication psychology	2	Deepens students’ understanding of the regularities of the communication process, mechanisms which create interpersonal interaction, improves their knowledge about productive interaction elements, fosters students’ wish to improve the growth of their personality and emotional intelligence, encourages self-analyses and self-reflection by the acquisition of the foundations of positive interaction, studying one’s characteristic ways of individual interaction and communication, forming comprehension of communication and interaction barriers. Students acquire the knowledge of successful positive interaction, empathy, tolerance as well as gain the skill to listen, discuss, speak and present in front of an audience. Evaluation of one’s abilities.
Second foreign language	6	Improves students’ competence of the language and social culture by developing their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in the Russian/German language. After successfully passing the examination students will have acquired the foundations of business Russian/German.

Term papers Part B
Research project	1	Short research paper in personnel management in free format.  Aim – to encourage students to describe a personnel management problem and find solutions in a concise way.
Term paper I	3	It can be just a theoretical review of scientific research literature or periodicals.
Term paper II	4	Includes both theoretical substantiation and practical research in the personnel management science.
Practices
Practice in personnel record keeping	4	Creates and develops practical skills in processing and formatting personnel documentation taking into consideration the procedure of the registration, circulation and control of documents according to the legislation of Latvia and the EU.
Practice of observing and comparing personnel departaments of different organisations	12	During practice the future specialist familarizes him/herself with the personnel management strategy and policy of three organisations, aims and functions of personnel departaments in the organisation. After that he/she performs comparative analyses and makes conclusions
Qualification practice	10	The student builds up and develops skills in personnel management by using the theoretical knowledge and skills gained during all the study years in order to ensure fast and effective functioning of the organisation’s personnel management processes.
State examinations
State qualification examination	4	Oral examination consisting of three exam papers. Exam papers cover all topics acquired during the study courses over all study years. Students are examined by state examination commission.
Development and defence of diploma paper	8	The diploma paper is developed and defended in the presence of state examination commission in compliance with the regulations on the development of diploma papers worked out by RTTEMA.
Free optional courses * Part C
Fundamentals of marketing	2	Orientates students towards the application of the knowledge of marketing to the achievement of personnel management goals. Nature, strategy, mission and goals of marketing. Consumers (clients). The analyses of the interior and exterior environment and the market, segmentation, research. Organising surveys. Marketing complex. Methods of personnel budgeting, planning of promotion campaigns, complex of concrete measures. Labour force as ommodity, positioning and life cycle.
Rhetoric and dramatics	2	The rhetoric course familiarizes students with concepts and basic categories: the nature of rhetoric, oratory, characteristic features of an orator, including personnel manager. The course gives an idea of different communication issues during a public monologue and dialogue, psychological and logical barriers and how to break them down, body language during presentations. Students are provided with an outline of rhetoric in different periods and the variety of public speech in modern times. Students’ skills in public speech are developed.
Taxes and duties	2	Provides students with the knowledge of the structure of the national tax and duty system, the normative basis of state legislation, the nature of takxs and durties, calculation methods and types of taxes.
Political science	2	Develops the skill to discuss current political issues faced by the inhabitants of Latvia. Gives information about political processes, provides basic knowledge about the country, its history and the present time, political system and state administration, the role of its citizens in the political and social processes in order to use this knowledge in the further professional activity.
Third foreign language	6	Improves students’ competence of the language and social culture by developing their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in the Russian/German language. After successfully passing the examination students will have acquired the foundations of business Russian/German.

4.4. Terms of matriculation

Matriculation requirements comply with the Higher Education Law, MOES Instruction No.8 on the Entry Requirements to Latvian Institutions of Higher Education issued by MOES on November 27, 2003, Entry Requirements and Matriculation Procedure adopted at the meeting of RTTEMA Senate on October 31, 2005 (See Appendix No.3). This regulation envisages that students who wish to study in the professional study programme Personnel management have to pass the compulsory state secondary education examinations (the Latvian language, literature and foreign language) and do well in such study subjects as mathematics, informatics and economics. Entering the Academy the applicant has an interview with the programme director the aim of which is to discover the applicant’s motivation for studies and his/her understanding of the personnel manager’s profession. If the applicant has poor computer skills, he/she additionally has to acquire the course Basics of Informatics in Semester 1.

4.5. Requirements for the acquisition of qualification

Study programme Personnel management is a second level professional higher education programme after the acquisition of which students receive Level 5 qualification Personnel manager , education classifier code – 42 43519.

The qualification is granted on the bases of a completed study plan and Regulations No.481, Paragraph 15 issued by LR Cabinet of Ministers on November 20, 2001; Professional Education Law (10.06.1999) Higher Education Law (02.11.1995). The requirements for the acquisition of qualification have been worked out to satisfy the specific professional, common and general requirements provided by the professional standards.

The student has to receive satisfactory assessment (not less than 4 points) and acquire the following:

● General education study courses amounting to 20 CP

● Theoretical courses of the branch and courses of information technology amounting to 36 CP

● Professional specialisation courses of the branch amounting to 60 CP

● Free optional courses amounting to 6 CP

● Practice amounting to 26 CP

The student has to receive satisfactory assessment (not less than 5 points) in state examinations:

● Diploma paper 8 CP and qualification examination 4 CP.

After the acquisition of the programme graduates are awarded a second level professional education diploma and the qualification Personnel manager.

6. 
   Contents and organisation of the study programme
   

The study process is organised over 4,3 years of part-time studies amounting to 160 credit points. On successful completion of the study programme, RTTEMA graduates are awarded second level higher professional education diploma and granted the qualification Personnel manager.

Professional practices last for 26 weeks (26 CP), and are divided as follows: in semesters 1 and 3 Practice in personnel record keeping (6 CP), in semesters 4, 6 and 7 - Practice of observing and comparing personnel departaments of different organisations (12 CP), in semester 8– Qualification practice (10 CP).The study programme has the traditional structure of RTTEMA:

General education study courses – 20 CP, Theoretical courses of the branch and courses of information technologies – 36 CP, altogether 56 CP.

Professional specialisation courses of the branch amounting to 60 CP.

Free optional courses amounting to 14 CP, out of which students have to opt for 6 CP.

Practice –in Years 1, 2, 3 and 4. Total amount – 26 CP.

State examinations – diploma paper 8 CP and qualification examination 4 CP.

One credit point of 40 academic lessons comprises 8 contact lessons and 32 lessons for student autonomous study. In the process of the realisation of the study programme during contact lessons different study methods and forms of work are used. Studens are given various independent assignments and instructions on how to perform them. Precise information regarding the implementation of the study courses and detailed course descriptions can be found in Appendix No.2.

4.7. Assessment of study achievements

The choice and use of study methods and form of organisation are determined by the specificity and contents of the subject, amount of contact lessons and the number of students in a group.

The criteria of the assessment of student achievements and the corresponding indices comply with the assessment regulations on a 10-point scale designed by LR MOES. Each RTTEMA lecturer works out concrete criteria for the assessment of student achievements, defines them in concrete assignments in course descriptions and uses in the evaluation process. The issues of student assessment are reviewed at departmental meetings and proposals for the improvement of the system are discussed. Student study achievements are assessed in compliance with RTTEMA requirements – RTTEMA Regulation on Examinations adopted at the meeting of RTTEMA Senate on January 29, 2001, Proceedings No. 12 (See Appendix No. 4).

Students acquire professional skills during seminars and practicals, especially completing practie assignments. Durung the practice students are given an assignment to develop a particular skill, for example, personnel record keeping or interviewing skill. The professional skills gained by the student are also assessed on the 10-point scale and the assessment is given both by practice location (potential or present employer) and practice supervisor.

The state examinations – qualification examination and diploma paper- are assessed on the 10-point scale by the Qualification Commission. The Commission is formed in compliance with the Regulations on Second Level Professional Higher Education State Standard No. 481 issued by LR Cabinet of Ministers on November 20, 2001. Participation of independent eksperts in state examinations is a must, and the lowest positive assessment in state examinations is not less than 5 points.

In the qualification examination the student has to demonstrante his/her knowledge of the theoretical and special courses of the branch. When studying for the qualification examination the student is informed about all the requirements for state examinations and at least two tutorials are provided. The qualification examination takes place in the presence of the Qualification Commission and students’ knowledge is assessed on the 10-point scale.

In their diploma paper students have to demonstrante their professional knowledge and research work skills. The student develops his/her diploma paper on a topical subject which he/she choses from the thematic fields of diploma papers adopted by the Council of the Department of Management and Economics. Initially the scientific advisor advises the student on the diploma paper and gives his/her assessment, but on the completion of work the assessment is given by the reviewer. The defence of the diploma paper takes place in the presence of the Qualification Commission.

After successfully passing all the state examinations (not less than 5 points), having good results in all study subjects (not less than 4 points), defending practice accounts and three scientific papers- two term papers and one scientific project, students are awarded the second level professional higher education diploma.

4.8.Comparison of the study programme with the programmes of other higher education institutions
Comparison of the professional study programme Personnel Management with Riga Technical University professional bachelor programme Human Resources Management

Table No.3

Higher education institutions Similarities and differences	RTTEMA	Riga Technical University
Education	professional	professional
Length of studies	Part-time studies 4,5 years	Full-time studies 4 years
Requirements for the acquisition of qualification	Qualification examination Diploma paper	Diploma project
Qualification obtained	Personnel manager	Personnel manager
Aim of the study programme	To train personnel managers in line with LR Professional Standard who would ensure human resources management according to the enterprise’s aims and complying with LR and international laws and regulations.	To acquire knowledge and skills in order to determine and formulate the personnel management strategy and policy of governmental and municipal institutions, establishments, commercial enterprises, non-governmental, international and transnational organisations, plan and manage work according to the organisational goals in compliance with LR and international laws and regulations under direct subordination of the organisation’s administration and in cooperation with the managers of other divisions. On completion of studies students are awarded professional bachelor’s degree in the organisation and management of office work which entitles them to professional/academic post-graduate studies.

Higher education institutions Similarities and differences	RTTEMA		Riga Technical University
Comparison of sudy subjects	Study subjects to be acquired	CP	Study subjects to be acquired	CP
The common and the similar in the study programmes	General education study courses: Business communication Communication psychology Business etiquette Interaction training English for Special Purposes	2 2 2 2 6	General education study courses Introduction to speciality Fundamentals of communication Statistics	14 1 2 3
	Basic theoretical courses of the branch and courses of information technology: Personnel management Fundamentals of entrepreneurial law Fundamentals of economics Fundamentals of management Information technologies in personnel manager’s work Methods of research work Organisational and management psychology	10 2 4 4 2 8 2 4	Basic theoretical courses of the branch and courses of information technology: Microeconomics Macroeconomics Computer studies (basic course) Economic information systems Marketing Entrepreneurial economics Entrepreneurial management Strategic management Business communication Employment and social rights Taxes in entrepreneurship	36 3 3 3 3 3 2 4 3 2 3 3
	Professional specialisation courses of the branch: Labour psychology Business ethics Adult study methods Business English Fundamentals of accounting Second foreign language Statistics Fundamentals of management and financial accounting Fundamentals of accounting Project management Quality management Record keeping in personnel manager’s work Personnel information systems Labour legislation and labour protection Methods of business games Ergonomics Situation of labour force in Latvia and the European Union Communication psychology	4 2 2 5 2 6 2 2 2 2 2 3 4 4 2 2 2 2	Professional specialisation courses of the branch: Ergonomics Personnel files Personnel management Organisation of production and services Accounting Project management Quality management in production Fundamentals of finances Labour protection Communication psychology (for economists) Labour sociology International economic relations Management psychology	66 2 3 5 4 3 2 3 4 2 2 3 3
	Free optional courses: Fundamentals of marketing Political science Rhetoric and dramatics Taxes and duties Third foreign language	2 2 2 2 6	Free optional courses: Humanities/social and management subjects: General sociology Politoloģija Fundamentals of ethics Business etiquette Organisational psychology English German	6 2 2 2 2 2 4 4
The different in the study programmes	General education study courses: Logics Fundamentals of philosophy Issues of the culture of the Latvian language Sociology	2 2 2 2	General education study courses: Mathematics Quantitative methods in economics Civil defence	4 3 1
	Basic theoretical courses of the branch and courses of information technology: Personality psychology	2	Basic theoretical courses of the branch and courses of information technology: Mathematics for economists	4 3
	Professional specialisation courses of the branch: Personnel manager’s professional ethics Public relations	2 2	Professional specialisation courses of the branch: Management system analyses	4

Comparing the tables one can conclude that both programmes include study courses ensuring the acquisition of the qualification Personnel manager. The most essential diference is that RTU programme places a greater emphasis on the acquisition of exact sciences (mathematics, statistics), whereas in RTTEMA programme knowledge and skills are acquired in basically equal proportions in four big interconnected modules: law, economics, entrepreneurship and management, communication and psychology. The division of courses over the modules is different, a number of study subjects which are similar in terms of contents or title are placed in different modules.

.

Comparison of the professional study programme Personnel Management with the study programme Human Resource Management of Kingston University (Great Britain)

(Internet address:http://www.kingston.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/index.htm)

Table No.4

Higher education institutions Similarities and differences	Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy	Kingston University
Education	Professional bachelor	Professional
Length of studies	Part-time studies 4,5 years	Full-time studies 3 years
Title of the programme	Personnel management		Human Resource Management
Similarities in the study courses	Personne management Fundamentals of management Information technologies in personnel manager’s work Personnel information systems Fundamentals of marketing English for Special Purposes Business English Second foreign language Organisational and management psychology Statistics Fundamentals of accounting Fundamentals of financial and management accounting Fundamentals of entrepreneurial law Labour legislation and labour protection Work psychology Ergonomics Situation of labour force in Latvia and the European Union Practice 26 weeks		Human Resource Management; Personal and Professional Development. Management Science. Business Information Systems I; Business Information Systems II; Internet Systems Tehnologies. Marketing Menagement Modern Eiropean Language Organisational Behaviour. Business Quantitative Methods and Statistics. Business Environment. Business Accounting. Aoounting for Business Performance. Law; Employment Law for Business; Employment Relations International Business. Professional Practicum 1 year.
Differences in the study courses	Record keeping in personnel manager’s Personality psychology Fundamentals of economics Logic Fundamentals of philisiphy Sociology Communication psychology and interaction training Methods of business games Adult study methods Business communication Business etiquette Business ethics Project management Quality management		Culture and International Business. Strategic management Introductions to Comupter Graphics

Comparing the tables one can conclude that both programmes include the necessay courses for the acquisition of the programme– personnel maangement, management, marketing, entrepreneurship, economics, foreign languages, information technology, psychology, legislation. There are diferences in the amount of practices and in the general education study module: RTTEMA study programme Personnel Management has a larger amount of general education study courses, which broaden students’ mental outlook and develop communicative skills.

5. Advertising and informative literature
To inform and attract the future students to the study programme Personnel Management, RTTEMA implements a number of advertising events:

1. 
   Open Door Days are organised both in Riga and RTTEMA regional study branches throughout Latvia aimed at acquainting the potential students with the study programmes, their contents and the organisation of the study process.
   
2. 
   Informative visits to Latvia’s schools are organised during spring with the aim to inform school leavers about the study programmes offered by the Academy and attract the potential students; the students of the study programme Personnel Management took an active part in the advertising campaign, too.
   
3. 
   Information on the study programmes offered by RTTEMA is inserted in the central Latvian newspapers and magazines (Diena, Dienas Bizness, Lauku Avīze, Santa, Ieva) as well as in the major regional newspapers. TV and radio commercials are broadcast on Radio SWH, Latvian Radio 2, Latvian television channel LNT.
   
4. 
   The Academy regularly takes part in the educational fair Skola (School), where the future students can familiarise themselves with the study programmēs offered by RTTEMA and receive extended information from experts on the programme they are interested in (See the promotional booklet of the programme in Appendix No. 5).
   
5. 
   RTTEMA home page (www.rpiva.lv) displays not only the study programmes but also the history of the Academy, lecturers, cooperation partners, etc.
   
6. 
   Updated Academy’s booklets, posters and other promotional materials are designed on regular basis.
   
7. 
   The programme is popularised in Latvia’s secondary schools in cooperation with the International Information and Employment Centre, which publishes the magazine Citadele. The magazine publishes bulletins and newsletters.
   
8. 
   In the towns and cities where the branches of the Academy are located seminars for the major city and regional employers are organised on the subject Functions and role of personnel management for ensuring the enterprise’s competitiveness, thus popularising the profession of the personnel manager and encouraging employers to attract professional personnel managers to their enterprises.
   
9. 
   Lecturers involved in the study programme participate in courses organised by Distance Learning Centre on personnel management issues. The participants of the course are encouraged to acquire relevant professional and academic education.
   

6. Prospective evaluation of the study programme from the standpoint of the interests of the Republic of Latvia

Personnel management as an independent branch of management science started to develop in Latvia just in 1990s. Alongside with the collapse of the Soviet system and the formation of market relationships man stood out in the centre of the national economic development. Employees became the strategic resource of the organisation, so the skill to manage people became the basis of contemporary business. Rapid changes in personnel management were introduced by Latvia’s accession to the European Union since on the joint labour market of the European Union managers’ tasks in the fields of devising the selection criteria, evaluation and motivation of employees undergo radical changes, too.

Personnel management is a field where changes happen every moment, it is closely connected with one of the most essential enterprise’s strategic resources- employees. Under the conditions of contemporary competition it is important to maintain the enterprise’ s’ stability. Today the situation on the labour market in Latvia determines that the enterprise’ s’ management have to work hard to retain qualified and not so qualified employees. According to several studies and analytical articles in the Latvian press, („Karjeras Diena”, „Dienas Bizness” 10.2005), compared to Latvia of the 1990s when the employer played a decisive role in the selection of the employee, today the employee dictates terms to the employer both determining the level of his/her pay and demanding ergonomic working environment, attractive bonus system and high social guarantees. In the current situation an employer who wants to maintain and develop his/her business is compelled to think about professional personnel management in his/her enterprise. Therefore the demand for professional personnel managers on the labour market has consifderably grown. It is proved by the fact that the number of job advertisements in the press and on the Internet requiring personnel managers and personnel specialists is increasing. Some years ago such advertisements appeared quite rarely and most employers’ idea of a personnel manager was restricted to a personnel filing clerk without special education. The facts indicating to the necessity of the study programme are the graduates’ competitiveness on the labour market, graduates and employees’ opinion polls and the lack of professional personnel managers with a special education in Latvia. One must admit that in correspondence with the situation on the labour market, the prestige of the profession of the personnel manager and personnel specialist has considerably increased during the last year. Nowadays the role of human resources management is growing and investments in human capital are rapidly increasing. Managers make sure of the significance of human resources for the enterprise’s successful development, therefore the need for qualified personnel managers has dramatically increased. Personnel management consists of three parts:

• 
  personnel planning, selection, evaluation, adaptation, organisation of education, inservice training and personnel rotation, improvement of motivation;
  
• 
  improvement of the organisational structure, drawing up rules and regulations, creation of the necessary working environment, devising timetables, job descriptions and types of requirements;
  
• 
  regulation of social relationships.
  

Considering the fact that competition and new requirements on the labour market increase with every year, study programmes must respond flexibly to the recent changes on the national scale in order to ensure wholesome competitiveness in Latvia and the European Union. Today such changes have affected also the personnel management of establishments and organisations.

At the moment only three institutions of higher education train personnel managers in Latvia and it does not satisfy the current demand of the labour market. Vacancies for the personnel manager or specialist’s positions are advertised in mass media on a regular basis and relevant education is a must.

The contents of RTTEMA professional study programme Personnel Management includes all the above-mentioned market requirements.
6.1. Compliance of the study programme with Higher Professional Education Standard and Professional Standard
Keeping track with educational tendencies, market demand and based on Paragraph 5 of Regulation No.481 issued by the Cabinet of Ministers on November 20, 2001 which defines the requirements of the contents and amount of second level higher professional education, changes have been made to the contents of the programme by supplementing the programme with courses which ensure the acquisition of competencies in compliance with the Professional Standard. The present professional higher education study programme Personnel Management has been improved in compliance with the Professional Standard of the Personnel Manager (See Appendix No.6.), which was developed, submitted to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia and approved by LR MOES on September 8, 2003 (Instruction No. 424). The contents of the study course and the study programme have been devised on the basis of the Professional Standard of the Republic of Latvia and foster the acquisition of the knowledge and skills in compliance with the Professional Standard of the Personnel Manager. The programme complies with LR Professional Classifier Group 2412 03 as well as the programmes of higher educational establishments of the same type and employees’ evaluation (See Pictures in Chapter 6.2.).

The LR Personnel Manager’s Professional Standard states that a professional personnel manager has to be able to understand the regularities and principles of current economic development, processes taking place on the labour market and take decisions corresponding to the changes in the situation, use the acquired theoretical and practical knowledge in effective management of the enterprise’s structural units, work in psychologically complicated situations, take decisions. The personnel manager has to acquire specific skills in the profession – he must be able to:

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  formulate the enterprise’s (establishment, organisation, etc.) personnel management goals, draw up the strategic plan of personnel development;
  
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  understand the employees’ behaviour;
  
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  devise and organise measures of increasing personell motivation;
  
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  organise and manage the work of the personnel of subordinate structural units;
  
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  use management information systems for the provision of the enterprise’s (establishment, organisation, etc.) personnel management process;
  
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  introduce progressive solutions to the enterprise’s (establishment, organisation, etc.) personnel management systems;
  
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  understand the proprietors’ interests and integrate them in the enterprise’s (establishment, organisation, etc.)personnel development plan;
  
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  use the latest forms of work organisation and information technologies;
  
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  prepare documents;
  
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  conduct job interviews;
  
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  devise and use personnel assessment system;
  
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  keep track of documents regulating the enterprise’s (establishment, organisation, etc.) work, LR laws and regulations regulating employment relationships and labour protection.
  

The basic elements of this programme are the understanding of the economic processes and mutual relations of people of a democratic society, the understanding of the role of the personnel manager in the achievement of organisational goals, the acquisition of the responsibilities of the personnel manager, the skill to use languages and modern means of information technology for successful personnel management.

1. 
   The goals and tasks of the programme Personnel Management were advanced and the contents formed on the basis of the personnel manager’s skills and necessary knowledge defined in the professional standard.
   

6.2. Results of the employers’ opinion poll

In order to improve the study programme employers’ opinion polls are conducted, which enhances the compliance of the programme with the requirements of the labour market. The most recent employers’ poll was conducted in October, 2005. The poll was aimed to find out the opinion of the employers of the present and potential students about the level of students’ skills and knowledge and the compliance of the content of the programme with the employers’ requirements. The results of the poll were obtained by summarizing data from 55 employers’ questionnaires. Enterprises and organisations of different type participated in the poll- both public and municipal institutions and private enterprises: Latvian Post, town and regional municipal authorities, out patient clinics and health care centres, branches of banks, Department of National Fire Prevention Service, Baltic Sea Port, etc. ( (See employers’ questionnaires in Appendix No. 7)

The questionnaire consisted of 11 questions which aimed to find out the compliance of the contents and implementation of the study programme with the requirements of the labour market, evaluate the level of students’ skills and knowledge as well as to obtain proposals for the improvement of the programme.

The evaluation of students’ competencies and professionalism in RTTEMA professional study programme Personnel Management– results of the employers’ questionnaires.

Most of the respondents admit that the determining factor in the selection of the employee is the employee’s level of skills, relevant education in the speciality and the employee’s s motivation.

Figure1

What are the determining factors in the selection of the employee?

Most respondents have explained that students’ adequacy for performing job responsibilities is very good or even outstanding; just a small part of the respondents have mentioned that it is satisfactory.

Figure 2


How do you evaluate the student’ s adequacy for performing job responsibilities?

85% of the respondents have emphasized that the employees’ ability to use the theoretical knowledge and practical skills acquired at the Academy can be assessed as good and excellent, only two of the respondents emphasized that it is quite poor.

Figure 3


The employee’ s ability to use the theoretical knowledge and practical skills acquired at the Academy

Asked about the employees’ communication skills, more than half of the employers have mentioned that it is on an excellent level, just 11% consider them to be on a satisfactory level. Figure 4

The employee’ s communication skills

94% of the respondents have indicated that the employees’ skill to perform work independently by planning and setting their own deadlines is on a good and excellent level. Figure 5

The employee’ s skill to perform work independently

Almost 90% of the respondents have evaluated the employees’ skill of organisational culture and management as good and excellent; just a small number of respondents have emphasized that it could be called satisfactory and poor.

Figure 6


The employee’ s skill of organisational culture and management

Looking at the employee’s skill to work in a team, the ability to delegate, ensure the performance of duties, one can see that it has been assessed as good and excellent.

Figure 7


The employee’ s skill to work in a team, the ability to delegate, ensure the performance of duties


More than half of the respondents have mentioned that the employees’ skill to plan and organise their work efficiently can be evaluated as excellent. No-one has described this skill as unsatisfactory or poor. Figure 8


The employee’ s skill to plan and organise his/her work

The employees’ skill to acquire knowledge has been assessed as excellent and good.

Figure 9


The employee’ s skill to acquire knowledge

Employers’ recommendations:

- to organise seminars on topical issues in legislation and computer science regularly,

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  to attract lecturers- practitioners,
  
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  to ensure practical classes,
  
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  to organise an exchange process with experienced personnel managers,
  
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  to link theoretical and practical knowledge.
  

Law and personnel management have been mentioned regarding professional studies, whereas personnel management, psychology and public relations have been dealt with regarding Master’s programme.

7. Evaluation of the study programme

7.1. Aim and tasks of the study programme

Aim of the programme

To train personnel managers in conformity with the Profesional Standard of the Republic of Latvia who would provide human resources management corresponding to the enterprise’s goal in compliance with LR and international laws and regulations.

Tasks of the programme:

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  to improve students’ understanding of the economic processes both in an enterprise, Latvia and the world at large;
  
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  to develop the future professionals’ skill to analyse and forecast labour market trends;
  
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  to gain the skill to devise personnel policy, project personnel resources according to the enterprise’s strategy; to introduce, manage, analyse, evaluate and improve the enterprise’s personnel management system; (planning, selection, training, assessment, motivation).
  
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  to gain the skill to monitor the observation of laws and regulations regarding employment relationships which are in effect in the Republic of Latvia, to have a good knowledge of personnel record keeping, monitor the improvement and functioning of the labour protection system;
  
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  to develop the skill to improve the enterprise’s organisational structure and organise the management of changes in the enterprise in the field of human resources in cooperation with the administration of the enterprise and other divisions;
  
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  to stimulate students’ wish to continuously improve their professional skills and knowledge (career development), so that they can compete freely on the labour market in Latvia and the markets of other European Union;
  
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  to develop students’ business communication skills for interaction with the staff and clients speaking at least two foreign languages fluently.