Competitiveness and quality of higher education: graduates' evaluation

Abstract The aim of the paper is to find the competitiveness of Latvian university graduates in Latvia and the European Union labour market concerning aspects of entrepreneurship education. To achieve the purpose of this study to determine the competitive and qualitative levels of Latvian universities and necessary improvements that need to be made, a survey of 4,909 graduates (from the years 2006-2011) representing six Latvia universities was performed between November-December, 2011. Results indicate that, in general, the graduates consider themselves competitive in the Latvian labour market. The graduates have positive opinions concerning the quality of theoretical knowledge as well as the abilities to present information and to evaluate, analyse and systematise it. At the same time, there are serious improvements that are necessary in regard to entrepreneurship education and to increase the competitiveness of Latvian universities, which can be done by improving the quality of the study process, the content of courses, teaching (learning) methods and the attitudes of academic staff to better motive students to develop their skills emphasising the practical side of the study process