At the beginning of March 2022, Latvian Information and Communication Technology Association (LIKTA) in cooperation with the State Employment Agency (SEA) announced an application for the 3rd round of the Women4IT project training program in Latvia, under which young NEET women will develop their skills in digital job profiles and receive career guidance.
In total, more than 250 women applied for this round and 67 young women have started training. The greatest interest is still in the field of Information system testers’ profile, and by June this year, 34 young women will undergo training and career support activities to successfully start their career in the industry. No less popular fields of study - 19 and 14 young women, respectively, will study the skills needed for Digital media specialist job profile and Project coordinator job profile.
In order to better choose their field of study, women assessed their existing digital skills and suitability for different professions through specially designed tests before starting the course. The tests, which can be found on the digital platform https://digitaljobs.women4it.eu have been developed by the Women4IT consortium, which consist of nine organizations from European countries. The platform provides not only self-evaluation tests, but also infographics and descriptions of each profession, so that anyone interested can find out what job responsibilities in each profession are required, what skills they need to manage and what qualities they have. After selecting the participants, the young women embarked on a two-month training program in their chosen profession.
In parallel with the training, participants will have the opportunity to receive support in finding a job after completing the training. Throughout the training, participants will work individually with a mentor to help them better prepare for employment, as well as attend empowerment workshops where professionals will share their experiences and help young women start their digital careers. Participants will also have the opportunity to participate in Job shadowing sessions, which will be organized in cooperation with companies in the industry and will provide an opportunity to get to know the behind the scenes of the chosen profession.
