The Second Annual TVET Conference and Fair, "Skills for Future” was held on October 31st at the Biltmore Hotel, in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The overall goal of the event was to improve the image of vocational education in the country by showcasing new opportunities that are becoming available in Georgia’s TVET sector and demonstrating that the shortest path to address unemployment and skills shortages is to equip young people and adults with demanded skills and professions. An exhibition of new TVET programs funded under the ISWD project was also took place during the Conference.
The conference brought together at least 200 senior participants drawn from politics, the business community, international agencies and civil society to boost the image of vocational education in the country among youth, adults and industry representatives.
Jason Gregory, the key-note speaker from Pearson UK, presented the latest research conducted by Pearson together with NESTA and Oxford Martin School on the future skills and analysing the skills required for future employment and what implication it might have for education. Much of the current conversation about the future of work revolves around fears of technology making workers obsolete. It imagines a world where people are relegated to unemployment or meaningless work by technological advances. Pearson worked with NESTA and Oxford Martin School to conduct the most comprehensive research project on this topic to date, and to help better predict how major societal and economic trends—and the interactions between them will affect the future of work. Findings of this research were presented at the Conference.
The key-note presentation was followed by three panel discussions on TVET policy for employment, the role of private sector and branding of TVET.
National TVET Awards ceremony was also held on October 31st and winners and runner-ups in the four categories were revealed. Detailed information about TVET Awards is available at www.awardtvet.ge