The Latvian Information and Communication Technology Association (LIKTA) has agreed on cooperation with “Microsoft” in the amount of 90,000 US dollars, which allows continuing the education and qualification improvement program “Virtual practices in the Baltics” in 2023 as well, informed LIKTA president Professor Signe Bāliņa.
This will be the third round of the “Virtual internships in the Baltics” program. LIKTA implements this project together with the Innovation Center of the University of Latvia LUMIC and cooperation partners in Lithuania and Estonia.
According to LIKTA’s president, the project offers free courses to all interested parties in the Baltics on current digital tools and programs that help simplify and improve work and are applicable in everyday life. In case of a deeper interest, these studies can open the way to a career in information and communication technology (ICT). Participants acquire practical knowledge in the courses, then participate in virtual internships, where they test the acquired skills in conditions identical to the real work environment, learning practical skills in various Baltic organizations.
“Our goals are quite specific – virtual internships address the overall economic demand for ICT specialists and for professionals with high-level digital skills,” stressed Professor Bāliņa.
This training allows you to increase your qualifications and thus improve your position on the labor market. It is important that this activity is not only aimed at young people and students, but at professionals of all ages who are looking for new career opportunities or who want to improve their competitiveness in the labor market.
Currently, the website www.balticinternships.eu has records of previous courses. In the new round of the project, interested parties will be offered free courses on artificial intelligence, a basic course in Python programming, as well as a course on data analysis and visualization tool Microsoft Power BI. You can apply for the courses from April this year.
It is planned that at least 7,500 participants will graduate from the courses this year, 2,500 people will participate in internships and events with industry employers, at least 1,500 project participants will get a new job or a promotion in their current job or significantly improve their qualifications, increasing their competitiveness in the labor market and thus also their income. In the previous round, more than 12 thousand participants took part in the courses, 4,325 people improved their practical skills in virtual practice.
“Countries where people have better acquired digital competences and where various technologies and digital services are widely used have better quality of life indicators,” says Vaida Sapole, head of Microsoft in the Baltics. People in these countries are more productive and earn more, and as the Microsoft Digital Future Index shows, digital skills drive the kind of innovation that allows the economy to grow, creating new jobs with higher added value.
The lack of specialists with digital skills is also addressed by LIKTA with other tools
This project implemented with the financial support of “Microsoft Philanthropies” is by no means the only tool by which LIKTA continues to implement its mission – to improve the digital skills of Latvian citizens and entrepreneurs.
According to the World Economic Forum, only 33% of technology-related jobs around the world have employees with the necessary competencies. In addition, the forum forecasts that at least 150 million new technology-related jobs will be created by 2030, 77% of which will require digital skills.
The medium- and long-term labor market forecasts published by the Ministry of Economy also confirm that there is a shortage in the Latvian labor market and there will be an even greater shortage of specialists with certain qualifications in the coming years. By 2030 and 2040, the demand for ICT and health care fields, as well as science and engineering specialists will increase in the labor market, at the same time, these are also fields where a significant shortage of workers is predicted.
Professor Bāliņa emphasizes that specialists with digital competences are also lacking in other sectors and will potentially be even more so in the future, therefore entrepreneurs are invited to use the opportunities for qualification improvement offered by LIKTA and its partners.
For example, training co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for micro and small entrepreneurs, as well as the self-employed in the MMU.lv project is available until December of this year – from accounting, data analysis and digital security, to Excel, social network marketing tools and creating websites. By choosing any of MMU.lv’s courses in the digital field, you have the opportunity to learn skills and gain knowledge in the Latvian language both online and in person. ERDF co-financing covers 70% of the course price.
Also, until the end of this year, all companies can still receive co-financing from EU funds in the amount of 30-70% for the necessary training of employees in the project “Training of ICT professionals organized in partnership for the promotion of innovation and development of the industry” implemented by LIKTA. Many industry companies have already been actively involved in the project, taking advantage of the opportunity to raise the qualifications of their employees with ERDF support.
Very soon, from April 24 to 28, LIKTA together with its partners will implement an informative and educational campaign – European Digital Week 2023 in Latvia. During this time, citizens and entrepreneurs will have access to various activities to improve and strengthen their digital skills.
The third stage of the “Smart Latvia” project is also currently underway, and with the “Digital Maturity Test” tool developed by LIKTA, every company can quickly determine its digital maturity, thereby identifying what additional knowledge and skills are still needed for successful growth.
