According to a report on Joinup, the EU’s public sector open source news site, LATA – Latvian Open Technology Association – is calling on the Ministry of Economy to make open standards and open technologies one of the core themes of the ministry’s business education efforts. LATA published a statement (Latvian) on Wednesday, pleading continued funding of ICT training for Latvian companies. Earlier this week the ministry announced a four-fold reduction in the training budget.
“Businesses get the maximum effect from the right skills to use open technologies and open standards.” LATA argues that open technologies and standards make companies more efficient, as well as improving interoperability.
Latvia’s Ministry of Economy is currently preparing its 2014-2020 plans for using European Social Fund monies. It has announced that it intends to reduce the ICT training budget to 5.25 mn. lats (about €7.51 mn.) and to restrict funding to SMEs. Between 2007 and 2013, over 20 mn. lats (about €29 mn.) was available in employee training grants.
According to LATA, many Latvian ICT companies are using European funding to improve ICT skills and gain knowledge of new technologies.