AmCham is a place to meet representatives of other industries and understand the business environment.
Signe Velina, Market Access Manager Latvia of Johnson & Johnson
2023
On May 18, 2023, AmCham met with Anda Caksa, Minister of Education and Science to discuss the Minister’s priorities and the government’s plans with regard to upskilling or reskilling the existing workforce and ways to promote a culture of cooperation between universities and the industry to lessen the mismatch between the quality of education received and labor market demands.
On March 21, AmCham met with Liga Mengelsone, Minister of Health to discuss healthcare issues as well as the human capital, being the top priorities for AmCham, including proactively supporting healthcare and human capital policy improvements as the basis for further economic growth.
2022
In 2022, AmCham contributed to OECD project on supporting employers to promote skills development in Latvia. At the beginning of 2022 AmCham also meet with Anita Muizniece, Minister of Education and Science to discuss the upcoming changes in the education system of Latvia as well as the necessity of advancing digital skills and life-long learning to adapt to the changing labor market needs.
At the end of 2022, AmCham launched recommendations for increasing the nation’s competitiveness, proactive investment attraction, and targeted investments in Latvian human capital. On November 3, the recommendations were sent to the parties represented in the Saeima, inviting them to prioritize investment attraction and human capital development. In the field of human capital development, AmCham proposed the revision of state employment policy, attracting and retaining talent, upskilling and reskilling based on the labor market needs, increasing state investments in science, research and education as well as implementing strategic investments in healthcare, introducing more effective healthcare organizational model based on value-based healthcare and health digitalization.
2021
On February 17, AmCham sent a letter and recommendations to stakeholders calling to invest in upskilling and reskilling programs with an aim at improving digital literacy among citizens.
View the Recommendations in ENG and LV.
According to the survey conducted by AmCham at the end of 2020 and at the beginning of 2021, members revealed top skills required and ways how they are upskilling their employees. The survey also included assessment of the government-subsidized upskilling programs if they have been used by member companies.
The results showed that additional training is necessary in the following skill areas: leadership, digital, project management, English and Russian language and data. The results of the survey are available HERE
2020
On April 27, AmCham sent a letter to stakeholders calling to revise the existing programs and courses available for upskilling and retraining based on the real demand in the labor market at present and following the crisis.
AmCham proposed to identify various solutions and technologies already available for use free of charge that can contribute to the skills needed and to introduce a new model of how skills are acquired - relevant for a digital society and economy.
Proposals to improve the quality and content of upskilling and retraining programs are based on four stages: foundational skills, critical soft skills, technical skills and continued learning. To view them in ENG and LV.
2019
Attracting international talent - Latvia as a career destination continues to be one of the top key policy priorities of the Chamber throughout 2020.
The Chamber raised topical issues of Latvia's labor market by:
1) Conducting Members' the survey on talent attraction;
2) Introducing AmCham recommendations "Latvia - international career destination".
Held discussions with stakeholders to address our recommendations:
1) Held a panel discussion "Is Latvia a place for talent to flourish?" on June 21, 2019;
2) Held a public discussion "Latvia - a career and study destination" in cooperation with members Spire Baltic and ERDA on August 14, 2019;
In addition, the Cabinet of Ministers supported the removal of several bureaucratic obstacles to hiring international talent on December 10, 2019. Find out more information HERE
The survey and position paper are available below:
Survey on talent attraction
Executive summary
Position paper on talent attraction
Viedokļa ziņojuma kopsavilkums
Viedokļa ziņojums par talantu piesaisti
Being part of AmCham is a great way to maintain business contacts with entrepreneurs and professionals.
Normunds Bergs, Chief Executive Officer, SAF Tehnika