ICT and Related Sectors Digital Skills Training Project
Project No. 2.3.1.2.i.0/2/23/A/CFLA/001
From 17 March to 4 April, Latvia hosted the “ALL Digital Weeks 2025” (#ADWeeks2025), during which “Digital Week 2025” was organized at the end of March. The focus was on future digital skills, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital skills in education. These events provide opportunities for both companies and individuals to participate in various in-person and online activities, where they can enhance existing digital skills or learn new ones.
During Digital Week 2025, several events took place, including “Focus: Skills in the Digital Decade”, covering topics such as digital skills and artificial intelligence, digital skills in education, digital security, and ICT for my future career.
Professor Signe Bāliņa, President of the Latvian Information and Communications Technology Association (LIKTA), emphasizes that these informative and educational events allow participants to improve their digital skills and understand the possibilities offered by technology, as their purpose is to promote the importance of digital skills and technology use in everyday life for individuals and organizations.
Digital Week 2025 was organized by LIKTA in cooperation with the Latvian National Radio and Television Centre, the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development, the Ministry of Education and Science, and the Cultural Information Systems Centre. At the same time, other organizations also held events as part of the campaign, including ICT sector companies, government institutions, municipalities, NGOs, libraries, digital centers, and educational institutions.
Source: eprasmes.lv
What is your experience and specialization in the IT sector?
My name is Valters Slava, and I represent the company Alsen Technologies. We are a small local company working in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), and we have been active for quite some time, even before this current “AI boom” when everyone started talking about it and showing interest. Recently, AI has become relevant for almost every company. We explain what AI is and how it works so that people understand how to use it. Once it’s clear how AI can help a company—on a larger or smaller scale—we step in to understand the real problems. In most cases, we manage to successfully integrate some AI technologies into work processes, easing employees’ daily tasks and making the company more efficient.
Why is continuous learning important for those working in the IT sector?
In our company, this is almost a rhetorical question because everyone is concerned about whether AI will take over their work. The past few years have shown that this does not happen as quickly as initially feared. When ChatGPT first appeared, many panicked, thinking it would take over everything immediately. Now, we see that this isn’t the case. Over the long term, most administrative-type roles will transform. Naturally, the biggest beneficiaries will be those who anticipate these changes and continue developing their human skills—they will become even better specialists than they are today. So education is more necessary now than ever before.
Which competencies are most important at the management level in IT?
From my conversations with managers across various companies, it’s clear that staying informed and proactive is critical—rather than just observing passively and assuming things will happen on their own. While upskilling is crucial for regular employees, it is even more essential for managers—they should be the first to do it.
Equally important is a strategic vision. Everything changes rapidly, and it is necessary to anticipate where the company will be in one, two, or five years. You can see clearly which managers operate with a long-term vision because they achieve much more in the short term.
Change management skills are also vital. Changes occur in many areas—not just AI, but also economic and political shifts. An effective manager must navigate these changes, adapt quickly, and guide their entire team in the desired direction.
What are the most relevant IT technologies being implemented in the sector, and why is it important to master them?
I believe we are working with the most relevant topic—AI technologies. These are not a “magic button” that will do all the work for me. They are diverse technologies, but this is a topic that IT companies are trying to integrate into their products, offer to clients, and master themselves because they are new technologies. Even many experienced programmers have not yet learned the latest solutions. That is why it is extremely relevant both in our industry and for our clients.
What is your vision for the future of the IT sector?
The development of AI is very noticeable. Research shows that the first professions affected are programmers—especially junior-level developers—and marketing specialists. Opportunities are increasing because, with the same number of people currently working, we can achieve two to three times more than we could 5–10 years ago. This drives development both in individual companies and across the sector as a whole.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 highlights the most important skills for the labor market, emphasizing that analytical thinking remains the primary skill for employees, followed by resilience, flexibility, agility, leadership, and social influence. The report underscores the critical importance of adaptability and collaboration alongside cognitive skills, complemented by creative thinking, motivation, and self-confidence.
The report states: “The 10 core skills are enhanced by technological literacy, empathy and active listening, curiosity and lifelong learning, talent management, service orientation, and customer care. This demonstrates that employees need to balance professional skills (hard skills) and general skills (soft skills) to succeed in today’s workplace.”
Source: https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_Report_2025.pdf
Digital Transformation of a Company
INSTRUCTORS:Artūrs Pētersons, Arvils Stikuts, Dzintars Koknēvičs
TRAINING COURSE CONTENT:
LATVIAN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION
Training Project Offer“Digital Skills Training Project for ICT and Related Sectors”Project No.: 2.3.1.2.i.0/2/23/A/CFLA/001
The project is implemented until 30 June 2026.Applications for new trainings within the project are open until 30 April 2026.Please submit your application or request for information by email: apmacibas@itnet.lv
Project Investment Objective:To provide small (micro), medium, and large enterprises registered in the Republic of Latvia with basic digital, robotics, and automation skills, digital transformation and innovations, including skills that support export promotion, high-level digital governance skills at management level, and competencies to use digital technologies in various business processes.
The project is implemented with financial support from the European Union Recovery Fund.The initial total eligible project costs amount to EUR 1,134,000, including the planned Recovery Fund support of EUR 567,000.
The opinions expressed in this publication are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission is responsible for them.