Locations
Creating Better Life-Long Learning Opportunities through Local Partnerships
Summary
The project contributes to the improvement of accessible, high-quality skills provision for life-long learning and the enhancement of employment opportunities for youth and vulnerable groups. It creates access to new vocational education and training (VET) services, ensuring sustainable and inclusive development of the VET system and the labour market. The project is focused on Georgia's six target regions - Ajara Autonomous Republic, Tbilisi, Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, and Racha-Lechkhumi. It supports further institutionalization and replication of the models and approaches nationwide.
The project draws on financial support from the European Union and cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, the private sector (hospitality, healthcare, personal services and other sectors), and educational institutions (schools, colleges, training centres).
The project is implemented through a partnership with the Non-Formal Education Youth Centre “Sunny House” and Georgia’s Skills Agency.
what we do
- Strengthening secondary school capacities for provision of integrated VET programs, training and retraining in municipalities that do not have VET colleges.
- Development of the catch-up courses for early school leavers (Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) and other disadvantaged groups) and those who face difficulties to enroll and participate in VET courses.
- Introducing digital learning and blended learning in a selected VET institution.
- Creation of distance or home-based work opportunities for vulnerable and special target groups (PWDs, youth, ethnic minorities).
- Introducing entrepreneurial VET college model and support with the coaching scheme.
- Strengthening institutional and human capacities of stakeholders, including local government, NGOs, youth organizations, formal and non-formal educational institutions, to provide targeted services to youth and vulnerable groups.
- Introducing sector-based colleges networking models and piloting in two sectors (personal services and health).
- Transforming VET providers and/or other knowledge centres into local skills hubs and improve their access to resources.
- Designing targeted action framework for every target region to include long-term interventions based on needs assessment and situation analyses of NEETs, vulnerable groups and youth in selected regions.
- Introducing extra-curricular activities in general and VET colleges, including clubs, projects, arts, sports and healthy lifestyle, also in other youth centres to develop key competencies, including entrepreneurial competence among beneficiaries.
- Introducing entrepreneurial and digital learning based on EntreComp and DigiComp including Project-Based Learning (PBL) and support of VET students and graduates, in prototyping the business ideas including social entrepreneurship ideas.
- Development and introduction of a special Career Education and Orientation Program to support schoolchildren, their parents and youth including vulnerable youth and NEETs.
- Development of learning materials/digital platform with digital resources on entrepreneurial education.
- Organizing youth fora and creating youth network/platform for social entrepreneurship to support networking, generation of ideas and fundraising.
results (2021 - 2023)
- Institutional Strengthening of Vocational Educational Institutions: Seven colleges in targeted regions – Ajara Autonomous Republic, Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, and Racha-Lechkhumi, received institutional support aimed at raising the quality of their programmes and services. This assistance provided included the introduction of an entrepreneurial college model through technical resources and capacity-building activities for administrative and teaching staff.
- Institutional Strengthening of Public Schools: Ten public schools in targeted regions – Ajara Autonomous Republic, Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Racha-Lechkhumi, and Kvemo Svaneti, received support to launch vocational education programmes expanding access to vocational training for high school students and community members.
- Empowering NEET Youth: Catch-up courses focusing on finance and digital literacy were developed by the Skills Agency to create learning and employment opportunities for NEET youth. These courses, blended with capacity-building activities, were successfully piloted in two public schools and two colleges. Furthermore, NEET youth were encouraged to participate in youth clubs and other networking and extracurricular learning opportunities created by the Non-Formal Education Youth Centre “Sunny House”.
- New Vocational Programmes: Innovative vocational education programmes were introduced in the tourism and wellness sectors.
- Vocational Ecosystems and Networking Models: Networking models for sector-based colleges were successfully piloted in the personal services and health sectors. Sectoral Skills Organizations received support to make their work more effective.
- Career Management Services: The Career Education and Orientation Programme was launched to improve employment opportunities for vocational students, schoolchildren, and youth, including NEET youth and young people from disadvantaged communities.
- Career Orientation Services to Support Persons with Disabilities: A new Career Orientation Service for Persons with Disabilities was piloted in partner colleges, fostering an inclusive environment for learning and employment.
- Holistic Extracurricular Approach: Extra-curricular activities, focusing on entrepreneurial activities, art, sports, healthy lifestyle, and social inclusion, were introduced in VET colleges. Capacity-building activities for schools and colleges were implemented in partnership with the Non-Formal Education Youth Centre "Sunny House."
- Partnerships: The project helped build partnerships between colleges, schools, municipal authorities, and the private sector aiming to foster collaboration on youth employment and NEET youth engagement.
- Digital Tools for Entrepreneurial and Digital Learning: The successful pilot of EntreComp and DigiComp tools in nine educational institutions paved the way for further enhancement. Gamification of modules was introduced to boost the effectiveness of teaching and self-paced entrepreneurship learning. The Skills Agency has successfully transformed key learning resources into digital content accessible via the Learning Management System (LMS) for students and interested individuals.
Contact information
Contact person
Giorgi Nanobashvili
UNDP Economic Development Team Leader
george.nanobashvili@undp.org
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