Project An eInclusion success story Imants Freibergs President of LIKTA 19 April 2007

eInclusion – Issues eInclusion aims to get every member of society to use ICT as part of their everyday professional and social life in order to improve the quality of life Everyone has to become a producer and consumer of information on the Internet : Able to find and acquire information from others, Able to make intelligent use of available e-services and content Able to supply information about himself, his concerns and his milieu to others Able of multi-way interaction within a network of interested people and/or organizations Issue: Stimulate social groups interacting via the Internet to form virtual communities with common interests and strive for social cohesion and participation

eInclusion – Actions to be taken Integrate people into social processes Raise peoples level of awareness and motivation for making ICT an integral part of their lives Help people to develop their digital and Internet skills Provide convenient and affordable accessibility to ICT infrastructure (universal broadband availability) and useful e-services Enable people to create themselves meaningful and personalised e-content

eInclusion – Partnerships are essential Form partnerships for complementary roles and networking effect National and local governments to provide Universal access to cyberspace Private organizations for financial sponsorship and their special resources NGOs for sustainability and broadening of eInclusion initiatives International partners for exchange of best practices and transfer of knowledge

Initiative Project goals Diminish the digital and social gaps in Latvia Diminish the digital and social gaps in Latvia Provide opportunities to everyone for acquiring the skills needed for using computers and Internet, regardless of age or social status Provide opportunities to everyone for acquiring the skills needed for using computers and Internet, regardless of age or social status Promote the usage of existing e-services on the Internet and facilitate the creation of new and useful content Promote the usage of existing e-services on the Internet and facilitate the creation of new and useful content Build-up social networking through participation, communication and cooperation Build-up social networking through participation, communication and cooperation

eInclusion approach Provide hands-on ICT training to selected social groups (unemployed, pensioners, disabled people, people in rural regions) to motivate them to use ICT in their everyday life Provide hands-on ICT training to selected social groups (unemployed, pensioners, disabled people, people in rural regions) to motivate them to use ICT in their everyday life Provide methodologies and easy to use ICT tools for social groups that will enable them to develop networks of interest and virtual communities Provide methodologies and easy to use ICT tools for social groups that will enable them to develop networks of interest and virtual communities Form partnerships with municipalities and NGOs, to provide training centres and form local instructors for project sustainability Form partnerships with municipalities and NGOs, to provide training centres and form local instructors for project sustainability Form international partnerships for exchange of best practices Form international partnerships for exchange of best practices

Project partners LIKTA – project initiator and coordinator LIKTA – project initiator and coordinator Local municipalities – project implementation in the regions: Krāslava, Liepāja, Preiļi, Valmiera, Ventspils Local municipalities – project implementation in the regions: Krāslava, Liepāja, Preiļi, Valmiera, Ventspils Other partners: Other partners: National government institutions National government institutions Local training centres Local training centres Private sector sponsors Private sector sponsors NGOs and social partners NGOs and social partners International partners International partners

Project stages Development of motivation strategy Development of motivation strategy Development of training program and pilot study Development of training program and pilot study Expand the project to cover the whole country by forming new public and private partnerships Expand the project to cover the whole country by forming new public and private partnerships Extend the project with new ways to further social inclusion eParticipation Extend the project with new ways to further social inclusion eParticipation Extend the project through life-long learning opportunities (eLearning) Extend the project through life-long learning opportunities (eLearning) Transfer the method and best practice to other countries Transfer the method and best practice to other countries

EQUAL Project ICT and Internet training for unemployed people in Latvia Part of initiative Part of initiative Target audience Target audience Unemployed and job seekers Unemployed and job seekers Disabled persons Disabled persons People with special needs People with special needs Improve possibilities to find employment Improve possibilities to find employment Project duration 30 months (Jan. 2005June 2007) Project duration 30 months (Jan. 2005June 2007) Project budget 1 M EUR Project budget 1 M EUR

EQUAL Project activities To assess the level of computer literacy skills, interests and needs of the unemployed in rural regions To assess the level of computer literacy skills, interests and needs of the unemployed in rural regions To develop and validate training programmes according to the needs of target groups To develop and validate training programmes according to the needs of target groups To develop, test and describe methodologies and procedures for improvement and evaluation of ICT skills of the unemployed To develop, test and describe methodologies and procedures for improvement and evaluation of ICT skills of the unemployed To educate the target audience in computer and Internet usage, including searching for job opportunities To educate the target audience in computer and Internet usage, including searching for job opportunities To provide a chance to increase knowledge independently through E-studies To provide a chance to increase knowledge independently through E-studies To develop recommendations for integration of socially excluded people to join the labour market and lead active social lives, by using digital skills To develop recommendations for integration of socially excluded people to join the labour market and lead active social lives, by using digital skills To integrate the project results in national level life-long learning systems, including employment agency training To integrate the project results in national level life-long learning systems, including employment agency training

products Innovative training system in basic information society skills Innovative training system in basic information society skills Only 8 h long basic programme (2 x 4 h) Only 8 h long basic programme (2 x 4 h) Motivating – I need this! Motivating – I need this! Interactive – I can do this! Interactive – I can do this! Training co-ordination and logistics Training co-ordination and logistics Certification and real benefits to certificate holders Certification and real benefits to certificate holders Training materials (for instructors and students) in Latvian and Russian Training materials (for instructors and students) in Latvian and Russian Digital maps Digital maps Further training programmes (ECDL level): Internet, Text processing, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Web sites, Data bases, Multimedia Further training programmes (ECDL level): Internet, Text processing, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Web sites, Data bases, Multimedia

Certificate e-trained Benefits of the Certificate Basic Information Society Skills after completion of the training course: Every student gets the training material (book) Every student gets the training material (book) Free access to computer and Internet (at certain Public Internet Access Points – PIAPs, indicated in the digital map of the respective region) Free access to computer and Internet (at certain Public Internet Access Points – PIAPs, indicated in the digital map of the respective region) Free personal account Free personal account Opportunity to establish an account and use Internet banking at Hansabanka for free Opportunity to establish an account and use Internet banking at Hansabanka for free Continued link with the project through the website Continued link with the project through the website

results Participating regions and rural districts : Participating regions and rural districts : Co-operation agreements with 18 regional municipalities about implementation of the project in Latgale, Kurzeme, Vidzeme, Zemgale and Riga Co-operation agreements with 18 regional municipalities about implementation of the project in Latgale, Kurzeme, Vidzeme, Zemgale and Riga Digital maps developed: 345 PIAPs in 14 districts, 284 of them – free access (to be continued!) Digital maps developed: 345 PIAPs in 14 districts, 284 of them – free access (to be continued!) 363 instructors trained in 18 districts 363 instructors trained in 18 districts Over people trained since Over people trained since

Training Centres

Sustainability of Project The satisfaction of people trained is encouragement for continued success (98% level of satisfaction in course evaluations, 90% express the wish for more ICT instruction) A Web site is continuously updated and open to interaction with course graduates and society All course material is freely available on the Web site and in printed form (in Latvian and Russian) A digital map showing the local PIAPs is prepared for each district where the courses take place The project is continuously expanding to new districts and new partnerships Development of eCompetence Centres to offer practical support to local residents with respect to ICT and Information Society Development of eLearning programs

International recognition selected as Signpost Project for EC eGovernment Conference in Manchester, November 2005 selected as Signpost Project for EC eGovernment Conference in Manchester, November 2005 project selected as Finalist for Stockholm Challenge, May 9-11, 2006 (Competition among 1165 applicants) project selected as Finalist for Stockholm Challenge, May 9-11, 2006 (Competition among 1165 applicants) project presented at the EC Ministerial Conference ICT for an Inclusive Society, Riga, June 2006 project presented at the EC Ministerial Conference ICT for an Inclusive Society, Riga, June 2006 project selected as Finalist for Baltic Challenge, August 2006 project selected as Finalist for Baltic Challenge, August 2006 project presented at the Microsoft Global Leaders Forum in Edinburgh, UK, February 2007 project presented at the Microsoft Global Leaders Forum in Edinburgh, UK, February 2007 We are willing and ready to share and replicate our best practice for other countries and regions (in EU and elsewhere) ! We are willing and ready to share and replicate our best practice for other countries and regions (in EU and elsewhere) !

Co-operation partners Project initiator and coordinator: Project supporters: General sponsors: Sponsors:Supporters: Municipal partners:

Thank you for attention!