Delfi Day: Foreign Workers in Lithuania and a Changing Teaching Profession

Delfi’s Thursday program opens with actor and author Juozas Gaižauskas presenting his latest book, “Lullaby of the Cobra.” The book explores pain, love, loss and the strength people reveal in life’s hardest moments.

The program then turns to Lithuania’s labor market, where businesses are speaking increasingly loudly about worker shortages. The problem concerns not only the number of employees, but also the shortage of specific skills. At the same time, more foreign workers are entering the labor market. Rita Karavaitienė of the Employment Service and Toma Stonkienė of Headex Group will discuss whether foreign workers have become essential to Lithuanian business, or whether Lithuania is still failing to use the potential of its own people.

Vilnius is also launching “The Bridge,” a new international cultural diplomacy initiative. During its first year, the project will focus on young Ukrainian fashion designers and seek to open international professional opportunities for them. Elle Lithuania executives Tadas Bruzgulis and Berta Čaikauskaitė will discuss how the initiative began and how it will operate.

The program will also examine how quickly the teaching profession is changing. Students, technology and the learning process are all changing, prompting questions about whether teachers should provide answers or help students find them independently. Vilnius Private Gymnasium is starting a program under which nearly 100 teachers will study coaching for a year and work toward certification as coaches.