Launched: April 2026
The challenge
Located in the southeast of Latvia at the eastern border of the EU, the Latgale region accounts for 25 % of the country’s area. The region is suffering from severe brain drain, with 77% of young people planning to leave the region in search of a higher standard of living and better job prospects, population decline (an expected reduced population of 40%(OECD (2025) Rethinking Regional Attractiveness in the Latvian region of Latgale; Eurostat (2024).) by 2051), a low rate of higher education attainment and acute labour shortages.
The ambition
Considering these challenges, the new Regional Skills Partnership aims to make Latgale a centre of productivity by fostering a vibrant, data-informed education system. This approach will support a strong workforce ready to shift from traditional, low-tech industries toward a more sustainable, high-tech economy.
The RSP seeks to overcome the talent development trap by matching skills training with business demands, positioning Latgale as a skills region and moving away from its reputation as a low-cost labour area toward a centre for knowledge-intensive industries.
The commitments
The partnership emphasises early and sustained engagement in skills development, especially for in-demand digital, green, STEM and transversal skills.
To support this vision, the RSP will:
- Establish a Regional Talent Development Community of Practice to support strategic, long-term development for greater productivity and economic resilience. This will inspire local talent through clear career pathways.
- Develop Latgale’s modular retraining programmes to improve workers’ skills through micro-qualifications while adapting to evolving market demands.
- Create a regional talent retention plan, linking education with high-skilled job opportunities, whilst working with the Regional Talent development community of practice and students.
The impact
The Regional Talent development community will use automated tools for real-time forecasting to align educational supply with Latgale region's technical needs.
Additionally, the partnership is committed to developing micro-qualifications and retraining programmes that allow workers to adapt to evolving market demands, moving regional cooperation toward the active delivery of productivity-based solutions.
Furthermore, the RSP plans for 20 organisations to join the Partnership by 2030.
