Assisting Vocational Colleges to Recover from Pandemic Shocks

Aiming to help Georgia’s rural economy overcome the pandemic shock, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) are supporting the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport to resume vocational education and training for farmers that was suspended during the lockdown.

This assistance draws on over USD 400,000 support in Swiss funding and UNDP’s long-term expertise in promoting vocational education and training (VET) in agriculture.

“COVID-19 hit hard almost all sectors, including vocational education, calling on our flexibility to address emerging needs,” said Danielle Meuwly, Regional Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office for the South Caucasus. “In this regard, Switzerland has mobilized additional funds to help vocational colleges in Georgia’s regions recover from the shock and resume quality training for students.”

“As the Georgian economy emerges from the COVID-19 lockdown, it is vital to restart the engines of vocational training,” said UNDP Head Louisa Vinton. “Timely expansion of vocational training in agricultural fields will help farmers withstand the economic crisis and create new jobs in rural areas.”

With UNDP and Swiss support, up to 1,000 farmers will receive short-term training and retraining in 12 agricultural professions, including farming, bio-farming and farm management, tea production, cheese-making, horticulture, viticulture, winemaking, beekeeping, plant protection, cattle breeding and poultry farming. The assistance will cover ten agriculture VET (A-VET) colleges and training centres in nine regions and the Ajara Autonomous Republic.

In addition, UNDP and SDC will help six colleges and their branches in Batumi, Poti, Mestia, Jvari, Zugdidi and Mtskheta to prepare for the new academic year and accommodate double the normal number of students, to make up for the cancellation of enrolment for this year’s spring term. Vocational colleges will be provided with equipment and teaching supplies needed for vocational programmes in farming, beekeeping, vegetable and fruit production and forestry.

This assistance is part of a wider partnership between UNDP and SDC to help reform vocational education and training so that the educational system responds to the demands of the labour market.