Rationale

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One of the principal objectives of the Latvian Information and Communications
Technology Association (LIKTA) is to popularise and promote the development of Information society in Latvia, in order to ensure that every resident in the country can benefit from the Internet technologies and thoroughly participate in the new knowledge-based economy. The aim of the project “Training in Computer and Internet Usage of Unemployed in Latvia” is to help the people of this socio-economic target group to overcome the so-called digital exclusion, thus motivating such people, who are subject to the risk of social exclusion, to join the labour market and lead active social lives.
To achieve the goals of this project, a programme of acquiring computer skills and use of Internet resources will be developed and validated initially in a pilot program. This programme will be tested in the cities and rural territories throughout Kraslava, Preili, Valmiera and Ventspils districts.
During the project, the experience gained by meeting unforeseen learning situations will be incorporated in the training programme and appropriate E-study courses developed.By using the skills acquired during such courses, the unemployed should be able to master additional skills by subsequent E-study programmes and eventually to integrate the active labour market.
The project-related experience and knowledge gained will be summarized for further training and re-training of the unemployed elsewhere.
The programme is designed for the unemployed without any knowledge and skills of IT usage, as well as for those who possess some knowledge and skills, but do not have the experience in using the Internet.
The project complies with the theme of the EQUAL programme “The Promotion of Working Capacity” since its purpose is to enable the access and return to the labour market for those who have difficulties to integrate or return to the open labour market.

Objective

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•to develop improved access to labour market for the unemployed;
•to diminish discrimination and inequality in the labour market and support the involvement of people who are subject to social exclusion in the labour market;
•to stimulate the social and individual activities of the unemployed;
•to educate the target audience in computer and Internet usage, including searching for job opportunities;
•to develop the acquisition and exchange of information;
•to provide a chance to increase knowledge independently through E-studies;
•to gather information about public Internet access points;
•to promote communication opportunities and decrease social exclusion.

Innovation

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Several innovative elements are planned within the project:
development of study methodology that will allow to acquire basic skills of computer and Internet usage within a short time;
preparation of methodology and practical training of new teachers to prepare them for the teaching process;
development and introduction of an E-study conception that will enable the unemployed and others to learn the necessary skills and acquire knowledge independently;
development of an evaluation system of study results;
The necessary methodology will comply to these basic principles:
high flexibility and variety of study formats;
easy implementation and reuse;
acquisition of quality knowledge that is prized in the labour market and provision of e-skills in demand today;
study of computer and Internet usage parallel to the development of social skills, increase of social activity and improvement of working capacity, as well as searching for a job.
The aim of the project is to develop the training for the unemployed in basic skills of computer and Internet usage in a relatively short period of time so that they can subsequently improve their knowledge and skills independently through E-study. The innovative measures comprise the development and adaptation of new study methods, based on the experience acquired by the students, and of materials that would facilitate the study process and provide educational services for a large number of people in simple and easily perceivable ways.
During the project implementation, organizational procedures for simultaneous involvement of many people in the study process and providing the training will be developed. Estonian Look@World and British “e-citizen” or other projects will be used as prototypes.

Budget Action 2

500 000 – 1 000 000 €

Beneficiaries

Empowerment

 With beneficiaries

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No specific social risk group will be singled out or limited within this project. Women and men will have equal opportunities to participate in the training. Training is meant for the unemployed people of various nationalities, ethnic minorities, religious beliefs and other groups that are capable of benefiting from study courses in Latvian and Russian. Nevertheless, according to the Estonian experience, we assume that more women than men will participate in the project. From accumulated data it is known that among trained participants 75% were women, but only 25% were men, which can be explained with higher activity and motivation level of women.
To overcome obstacles that prevent a specific population group that is subject to exclusion risk to integrate the labour market, practical training will be carried out and opportunities for seeking a job will be broadened. The specific character of population structure in each municipality plays a certain role, which a factor that influences the structure of population groups to be trained.

 Between national partners

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LIKTA will assume the responsibility for the general project management by providing a project manager who will ensure that the work (including the submission of specific internal and public project results) is done according to the project plan and timetable. The project manager will plan and supervise meetings of the Supervision Committee that will be formed to provide the project partners with a forum for regular revision of project management issues, giving consultations and making decisions concerning the issues of co-operation between the project stakeholders and execution.
Representatives of all project partners will participate in the Supervision Committee. The project manager is responsible for organising the Supervision Committee meetings at least once every three months. In this way it will be possible to follow the project’s progress and evaluate the results of the project on a regular basis.
The project manager will maintain a project documentation and information archive along with the e-mail and contact information catalogue of the project partners.
Various seminars will be organised for exchanging information and a project Web page will be created reflecting the progress and the results of the project. The necessity to inform the society at large through mass media will be evaluated and carried out.

Transnationality

 Linguistic skills

• latviešu valoda
• English
• Deutsch

 Percentage of the budget for transnational activities

• 6.0%

 Transnational Co-operation Partnerships

Background

 Involvment in previous EU programmes

• One partner involved in A&E

National Partners

Agreement Summary

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The three DP’s aim to

exchange knowledge and previous experiences about public programmes on the access to computers and internet;

exchange knowledge of working methods and implementations for de development of operational (how do I operate the computer), tactical (how do I make programs useful for me) skills;

design working procedures, educational methods and materials that can be used throughout society to stimulate the use of the Internet for social aims.

Defining of added value of ICT for motivation of individuals and of social inclusion in communities;

Stimulate the interest of different stakeholders (specially governments) in developing the social use of internet.

Differences between DP’s are to be found in the use of computers and Internet in the three countries, in the methodical level of teaching tactical, operational and strategic skills and in the social use of ICT to increase social quality in a neighbourhood. We think the differences will lead to inspiring exchange.

Latvian Information and Communications Technology Association

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LIKTA was established as professional non-governmental organisation in 1998. Its aim is to:
•stimulate the development of information society in Latvia,
•stimulate the growth and development of the IT&T sector,
•promote the export of Latvian IT&T products and services,
•consolidate the various sub-sectors of the IT&T sector.
The association has a licence to introduce European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) in Latvia. LIKTA’s member organizations employ about 80% of all employees in IT, telecommunications and electronics sectors in Latvia. In 2003 the total number of employees working in LIKTA member organizations, including employees of public and educational institutions, was 17 038. Since 2000, LIKTA has taken part regularly in several international projects. The most significant of those is the annual forum “Baltic IT&T”. During the forum of 2001 the Alliance of IT&T associations of the Baltic region was founded.
Participation in other projects:
•“Telebalt” – the European Commission Information Society Technologies (IST) programme where LIKTA was the Latvian coordinator, 2002;
•Support of the Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia to small and medium size enterprises. LIKTA was the Information Systems Cluster coordinator, 2002;
•“IST 4 Balt”. The European Commission IST programme. LIKTA was the coordinator for Latvia, 2004 – 2006;
•United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Latvia and LIKTA project “Support to the Development of Information and Communication Sector Technology Clusters” where LIKTA assumed the project management and coordination in Latvia, 2004.

Contact person(s)

Baltic Computer Academy

Contact person(s)

Datorzinību centrs (Computer Science center)

Contact person(s)

Kraslavas rajona padome ( Kraslavas district municipality)

Contact person(s)

Preiļu rajona padome ( Preiļu district municipality)

Contact person(s)

Valmieras pilsētas dome (Valmieras city municipality)

Contact person(s)

Ventspils pilsētas dome ( Ventspils city municipality)

Contact person(s)

Training in Computer and Internet Usage of Unemployed in Latvia