Georgia

LOCAL SKILLS MATTER Georgia

A study of good practice in the application of territorial governance tools to VET in Georgia, undertaken as part of the Entrepreneurial Communities initiative.

Short description:

In 2013, as part of its work on multilevel VET governance, the ETF launched its Entrepreneurial Communities initiative to identify and acknowledge local partnerships that foster skills, entrepreneurship and job creation. The goal was to explore and learn from examples in partner countries, in order to understand how these partnerships are formed, the impact they can have on communities and how they can inform VET policy.

This study reports on an example of an entrepreneurial community in Tbilisi that is demonstrating and piloting approaches to the ‘inclusion’ of people with disabilities in VET. It shows how a local vocational education and training facility has created a positive learning environment where students with and without disabilities, from varying age groups and educational backgrounds, not only learn together, but also participate in initial and continuing vocational education and training, work-based learning and apprenticeships together.

The study focuses on the pioneering initiative of Mermisi College in Tbilisi, which delivers 34 programmes to 700 students in the form of initial and continuing vocational education and training. In 2016, 52 of the 700 students took part in the inclusive education programme, an increase of 350% compared to 2013. Tracer studies indicate that 18 months after graduation 74% of graduates were successfully integrated into the labour force, with some specialisations reaching 95%. Important factors for success include a partnership with a Norwegian school for the transfer of good practice and advice in the design and implementation of the inclusion programme, as well as cooperation with local authorities and collaborative relationships with 250 local businesses. The next step is to reproduce this in other districts so that inclusion is mainstreamed in VET throughout all regions of the country.

You may read the document below and see the video here.