RIGA, July 22 (LETA) - This summer over 400 schoolchildren in the central Latvian municipality of Jelgava have been provided with jobs under the municipality's summer employment program, LETA was told at the local government. 

For most of these schoolkids the summer jobs are their first work experience, while older teenagers are trying out jobs to make sure they make the right career choices. According to local authorities, youngsters acknowledge the value of the money they have earned themselves and appreciate the opportunity to spend the summer doing something useful like earning money and learning new skills. 

This summer entrepreneurs in Jelgava offered more than 200 jobs in various professions, and 250 schoolchildren applied for 115 vacancies. A second group of youngsters have just finished three weeks of work and received their wages.

The State Employment Agency, which also organizes summer jobs for schoolchildren, informed that a total of 515 jobs were provided this summer in Jelgava and Jelgava municipality. In all, 164 youngsters aged 15 to 20 were employed in June, 183 in July and another 168 will be doing various jobs in August. The summer vacancies include auxiliary worker, shop assistant, printer operator, tailor's assistant,  warehouse worker, cleaner, product controller and others.