As part of the P4ELECS project, we are pleased to invite you to participate in the Latvian stakeholders workshop "Skills ecosystem co-creation for the energy transition in Latvia", taking place on Thursday 26 November 2026 at Riga Technical University, Āzenes street 1/1, Room 306, Riga, Latvia.

The electrification and energy transition sectors are facing unprecedented challenges in attracting, developing and retaining the skilled workforce needed for the future. Through this interactive workshop, P4ELECS brings together around 20 representatives from industry, education and the public sector to jointly explore how Latvia can build a stronger skills ecosystem for electrification, with a particular focus on DC grids, public lighting and photovoltaics (PV) with storage.

Please register HERE

Who should join

Industry leaders • University and VET leaders • Municipalities and grid operators • Policy officers • Talent and innovation strategists. Participation is by invitation. Seats are limited to about 20 participants.

Why participate?

This hands-on Systems Innovation Workshop brings together leaders from industry, education and public institutions to tackle the systemic talent and training gaps in electrification in Latvia. Together we will:

• Explore the challenges that matter most for the Latvian skills ecosystem, from attracting young talent to sharing infrastructure and equipment
• Work in small groups on concrete "How might we" challenge questions
• Develop radical but feasible ideas and select one to take forward
• Lay the foundations for a Latvian steering committee that will carry the chosen idea forward

Your expertise and perspective will contribute directly to shaping future actions and recommendations within the P4ELECS ecosystem.

Programme

09:00 – 10:15 | Welcome and Introduction to P4ELECS

Welcome and P4ELECS in a Nutshell
The purpose of the day, followed by an introduction to the P4ELECS project, its objectives and its role in supporting Europe’s electrification transition through skills development.

The Spider and the Building Blocks Platform
The “spider”, the big-picture visual of how the P4ELECS building blocks fit together, followed by two Building Block examples and an introduction to the Building Blocks Platform.

Latvia in the European Picture
Key findings from the stakeholder interviews in Latvia, the challenges chosen in the other P4ELECS ecosystems (the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Belgium) and how Latvia’s ideas connect to the wider picture.

Stakeholders for Electrification in Europe
A look at the P4ELECS stakeholder map built with Kumu.io.

10:15 – 10:30 | Coffee break

10:30 – 12:30 | Workshop Part 1: Challenge Tables

Participants work in small groups at four tables, each tackling one challenge question in a hands-on, participatory format with A1 canvases. The session also includes a brief look at the Kumu ecosystem mapping tool.

 Challenge questions:

Attracting young talent: How might we encourage students and young professionals in Latvia to choose careers in electrical energy, so the sector has the talent it needs for the transition?

Shared infrastructure: How might we improve the way universities, VET schools and industry share infrastructure and equipment, so learners get regular hands-on experience with industry-grade technology?

• Anticipating skills needs in PV and storage: How might we empower universities, VET schools and industry to spot and develop emerging skills needs in storage and PV early, from design and installation to IT integration, so new courses and micro-credentials are ready before demand peaks?
• Rethinking public lighting infrastructure: 4. How might we empower universities, grid operators, municipalities and industry to reimagine underused public lighting infrastructure, develop future public lighting grids (AC, DC, hybrid or dual-use) as well as anticipate the skills needed as storage, grids and public lighting evolve, so Latvia's existing infrastructure can be upgraded and put to new uses?

12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch

13:30 – 15:15 | Workshop Part 2: From Ideas to Action

Building on the morning’s work, each table will:

• Develop radical but feasible ideas
• Select one idea and take it toward a more practical level
• Present its results to the wider group

The session closes with the next steps: forming a Latvian steering committee to carry the chosen idea forward, meeting online over the next year.

15:15 – 15:30 | Networking and Close

Practical Information

Date: Thursday 26 November 2026, 09:00 – 15:30
Location: Riga Technical University, Āzenes street 1/1, Room 306, Riga, Latvia
Audience: About 20 stakeholders from industry, education and the public sector working on DC grids, public lighting and PV with storage

Please register HERE
When registering, you will be asked which challenge you would most like to work on, and what else matters to you.

We hope you will join us for this collaborative day and contribute to shaping the future skills ecosystem for electrification in Latvia.

The Latvia Skills Ecosystem Workshop on 26 November is only the starting point. After the workshop, P4ELECS will form a Latvian steering committee to carry the chosen idea forward, meeting online over the next year. 

Members will:

✓ Turn the selected idea into a concrete solution for the Latvian skills ecosystem
✓ Exchange with the other P4ELECS ecosystems in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Belgium
✓ Help shape local agreements for collaboration and the use of P4ELECS results

Participants of the workshop are warmly invited to join the steering committee. Interested? Simply indicate your interest when registering for the workshop.