This year municipal company Riga Forests plans to participate in a youth employment program organized by the State Employment Agency (NVA). The company intends to offer summer jobs to 136 youngsters, as confirmed by Riga Forests.
In June, July and August youngsters aged 15 to 19 years will be able to work in gardens and parks in Riga, as well as Riga and Tireli forestry. Youngsters are able to work in Victory, Arkadijas, Ziemelblazmas, Plavnieku and Nordeku parks, Old Riga, Ziedondarzs, Esplanade, Large and Jekaba Cemetery, Grizinkalns and Dzeguzkalns.
“I help organize the work and help differentiate decorative plants from weeds,” says ArkadijasPark and Maras Pond gardener Dagnija Kornhubere. “Summer is hot time for gardens and parks. If children come for cleanup events, this helps relieve some work from us and let us go on vacation. Some children work year after year, and some of them are children of our employees. They are knowledgeable and motivated to work in parks if their parents have a passion for it.”
The work day starts at 08:00 and ends at 16:00.
Nora, who has been working in parks in Pardaugava every summer for four years now, is happy about the option to earn her first money, receive work experience and work responsibly: “The park’s gardener Dagnija treats us like adults, shows us the ropes and trusts us to do everything right. Since I’ve started working in parks I’ve become more mindful of the work gardeners do. I also help keep the area clean and orderly. I urge park visitors to do the same.”
During their practice in gardens and parks youngsters take care of flower beds and bushes, collect fallen branches and remove wilted flowers, as well as other gardening activities.
Currently all work in Riga’s gardens and parks is organized based on the so-called Mediterranean life style: early in the morning and late in the evening. (BNN/Business World Magazine)
