Quality vocational education and training can be a pathway to success for many Georgians struggling with unemployment and poverty. Around 34 percent of Georgian youth are currently classified as not in employment, education or training (NEET) while youth unemployment exceeds 40 percent in some of the regions.

To give vocational education and training a boost, Georgia’s newly established Skills Agency, with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and UNDP, launched a Skills Week, aiming to discuss more effective educational models and greater cooperation between educational institutions and the private sector. Interactive and innovative events, presentations and discussions organised on 18-22 July, brought together decision-makers, educators, scholars and entrepreneurs.

The Week’s participants discussed how government organizations could better work with the private sector to ensure that vocational schools supply skills needed in the local labour markets, contributing to employment and economic growth. The discussion also addressed lifelong education, offering self-development opportunities at any age, and integrated training programmes aimed at unlocking ‘dead-ends’ associated with vocational education.

Representatives of the Skills Agency presented key findings of a recent study analysing public attitudes toward vocational education. They also discussed a new vision of research in vocational education and training and potential strategies for developing a so-called ‘skills ecosystem’ that balances the demand and supply of skills in the labour market.