EU launches nine new projects in Georgia to support vocational education and labor market development
By Khatia Bzhalava
Thursday, December 10
The European Union supports vocational education and labor market development in Georgia by commencing nine new projects. According to EU to Georgia, new grant projects, which are funded by the EU’s second phase of the Skills4Jobs program in Georgia, were introduced during an online event under the auspices of Skills Week Georgia. The grants have been allocated to private and public sector and civil society organisations to further enhance employment opportunities, especially in regions.
The Skills Week Georgia is an online four-day conference organized by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Georgia with the support of the EU’s Skills4Jobs Technical Assistance Project. According to the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia, the conference offers a platform to discuss new challenges and solutions for vocational education. The conference was opened by the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport – Mikheil Chkhenkeli, the Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia – Sigrid Brettel, Ambassador of Germany – Hubert Knirsch, and the Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development- Ekaterine Mikabadze.
The EU has allocated a total of Euro7 million to fund nine projects.
“The nine projects, with a total EU contribution of EUR 7 million (approx. GEL 27 million), will focus on ensuring that relevant skills matching services and education opportunities in vocational education, training and entrepreneurship are available throughout Georgia, particularly for youth, women and vulnerable populations,” reads the EU’s statement.
The program has 3 key goals: relevant skills-matching services to be accessible in selected regions of Georgia; relevant lifelong learning skills provision to be accessible in selected regions with a focus on youth; entrepreneurial learning and training opportunities to be accessible in selected regions.
Tamar Kitiashvili, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Georgia stated that Georgia thanks the EU for the support, "Especially at this time when the coronavirus is testing Georgia’s VET system to its limits.” Kitiashvili remarked that the EU’s financial and technical support has been invaluable in helping Georgia to modernize its system.
"We are happy to launch the new grant projects as part of the second phase of the EU’s Skills4Jobs 5-year program in Georgia. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to support Georgia in its efforts to improve professional skills, enhance entrepreneurship, and adapt the labor and employment strategies to the current needs. With the start of these new projects we contribute directly to the improvement of the employability of women, men, youth, and vulnerable people in Tbilisi and regions of Georgia,” Catalin Gherman, Deputy Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Georgia stated.
The 2nd phase of the EU’s Skills4Jobs programme was launched in 2018 to increase the employment of women, men, youth, and vulnerable people in Tbilisi and other regions of Georgia. The total budget of the program is Euro48,85 million (approximately GEL190 million).
