Abstract

Quality education is one of the basic conditions for the development of the individual and the country. The purpose of education in its broadest sense is to prepare an individual for life, which includes general knowledge and skills, the individual's ability to engage in social and political processes, as well as professional training - the ability to participate in economic activities as an employer or employee*. Data-driven decisions are needed, so that students can make informed choices about what to study, or government to develop educational programs and policies.
The alignment of graduates with the labour market is crucial for the socio-economic advancement of the country. The government must enhance the quality of higher and professional education, hence it is imperative to conduct regular assessments of the performance of educational programs implemented by institutions. Surveys can be used to assess the status of graduates, though more consistent and timely data can also be derived from administrative data sources through data matching.
In Latvia, comprehensive and high-quality administrative data encompassing information on graduates of educational institutions, are available. Use of a single personal identifier facilitates matching the data on graduates with their income, employment, including changes over time. Graduates monitoring - the database includes data for each year's graduates, starting from 2017, providing comprehensive account of their employment and income for ten years period after graduation.
In partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science, Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia has actively pursued the possibilities for data linking. This endeavour aims to yield an innovative statistical product tailored to the specific requirements of decision-making processes. Monitoring data are extensively used both, at policy level and by universities for their strategic planning and assessment purposes. Summary data is published as open data, and the CSB provides also access to anonymized data for researchers.

*Gingell, J., Winch, C. (2004). Philosophy and Educational Policy. London: Routledge.