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This report focuses on how 27 countries neighbouring the European Union (EU) are coping with [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 in the field of education and training, as part of the #learningconnects campaign. The report includes information about countries from South Eastern Europe and Turkey, the Eastern Partnership and Russia, the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, and Central Asia on: (1) support for teachers and trainers through multiple channels; (2) access to internet and outreach measures considering equality, opportunities and digital literacy; (3) decisions regarding examinations, certification and validation; (4) school autonomy in organising digital and online learning; and (5) addressing vocational education and training beyond general education subjects.

Some good practice examples include the continued development of teachers and trainers virtually in Ukraine and Egypt and the focus on vocational education and training (VET) through training and online support in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. In addition, civil society is spearheading initiatives in Palestine, television channels are broadening access for learners in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and emotional support is offered to students through dedicated channels in Israel.

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The European Training Foundation (ETF) has a long-standing interest in the relationship between international migration and human capital in the European Union's neighbourhood region. This key relationship is central to any consideration of migration and economic development and is of vital importance to labour markets, particularly in countries with high rates of emigration or immigration. This report provides an initial comparative overview of the data from Armenia and Georgia. It analyses the results of two countrywide surveys implemented between October 2011 and January 2012 involving interviews with 8,000 respondents (both potential migrants and returned migrants). The ETF surveys focused particularly on the connection between qualifications and labour migration. They provide data on the qualifications of both potential and returned migrants, whether these qualifications were used while working abroad, whether new qualifications were added during the stay abroad, and to what extent the qualifications of returned migrants are being used in the domestic economy and labour market. This data is used to assess the extent of brain gain, brain drain and brain circulation, three key factors in the evaluation of the overall cost and benefits of migration.

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Since independence in 1991, Georgia has faced a series of crises which have had a huge impact on the economy and migration patterns. Estimates put the unemployment rate at around one third of the population. Youth unemployment is also high and tends to be even higher among urban and better educated young people. Migration offers a solution to unemployment and underemployment. Around five per cent of households depend on remittances supplied by migrants. This survey examined both potential and returned migrants. It found that almost one third of the adult population of Georgia are potential migrants and nearly half of returned migrants expect to migrate again. A positive outcome of migration is that nearly 10 per cent of returned migrants received training whilst abroad, thus increasing the skill level. Show less

This paper presents a cross-country overview of the trends and challenges of labour markets and human capital employability in the six Eastern partners of the European Union (EU) - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova [hereafter Moldova] and Ukraine - over two decades of turbulent transition. It is based on a more extensive publication [forthcoming] and provides readers with a shorter version primarily focused on employment, education and training policies. Both publications are the outcome of the [European Training Foundation] ETF Black Sea Labour Market Reviews project implemented between 2008 and 2010. This project included six country background papers followed by a comparative regional study analysing the major developments of two decades of transition. The project aimed at improving labour market analysis and forecasting in the Eastern partners and at supporting evidence-based policy making processes in employment, education and training in the light of the New Skills for New Jobs perspective (European Commission, 2008a).

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Many countries worldwide reinforce their education and training systems’ capacity to respond to the pressures of globalisation and the challenges of the knowledge society. Closer cooperation between business and education is one of the tools for providing learners with new skills and competences for work. However, knowledge available on the current forms and modes of cooperation between the education and economic sectors, and the roles and responsibilities of the different stakeholders is limited and fragmented. For the purpose of this study, the term education includes [vocational education and training] VET, post-secondary non-tertiary and tertiary education, including public and private institutions. The term business covers any entity with economic activity regardless of its legal status. This can include multi-nationals, public and private companies and [small and medium enterprises] SMEs, micro-business and actors in the informal economy, social partners (employers’ and employee organisations, civil society organisations and their training bodies) as well as national, regional and local authorities. While the focus of the study is on identifying and reflecting on policy or strategically driven approaches to cooperation, the study considers education and business cooperation in a very broad sense, meaning any kind of relevant policy provision and/or formalised or non-formalised interaction between an education/training provider and a business organisation. The present paper is the country specific contribution for Georgia. It has been elaborated as a joint effort and follows a study design, consisting of desk research, data exchange with partner institutions, as well as focus group meetings in April 2010 and a validation workshop conducted in June 2010. During this intensive consultation process, facilitated by the ETF, the main national stakeholders (representatives from relevant ministries, social partners, the education system, businesses and the civil society) discussed the state of play and provided recommendations for its improvement. The ETF produced this final report based on the key discussion points and messages.

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The use of digital technologies is becoming increasingly relevant in vocational education and training (VET). Not only is it key to preparing learners for an increasingly digitalised workplace, but also, when successfully deployed, it can contribute to the quality and inclusiveness of learning in all environments, including the workplace. These facts were starkly outlined at the beginning of 2020, when the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] Covid-19 pandemic forced schools across the world to adopt digital methods of teaching and learning, ready or not. However, education and training systems need the right tools and processes to plan and develop their digital capacity. [Self-reflection on Effective Learning by Fostering the use of Innovative Educational technologies] SELFIE for work-based learning (SELFIE WBL) provides one such tool. A self-reflection tool for vocational schools that use WBL in their programmes, it is designed to assess digital readiness, to encourage a practice of collective reflection on the use of digital technologies for teaching and learning, and to use this reflection to make informed and collective decisions about strategy and practices at all levels. SELFIE WBL has the added dimension of including in-company trainers in the self-reflection process, and thus responds to the growth in dual-learning systems in VET. It aims to bring VET institutions and the private sector closer in order to embed digital technology that both benefits learners and narrows the skills gap. Using anonymised aggregated data, it also has a system-wide dimension, helping policymakers take action towards developing the digital capacity of education and training systems, taking into account the views and needs of school leaders, teachers, students and in-company trainers.

During 2020, SELFIE WBL was piloted in nine countries. The European Training Foundation (ETF) coordinated the pilots in the EU neighbourhood countries of Georgia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. This report presents key data and user experiences from the pilots and summarises the findings from these four ETF partner countries and their recommendations for the scaling up of SELFIE WBL.

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This report provides an overview of key policy developments in education, training and employment in Georgia. In late 2017 and mid-2018, Georgia went through two rounds of government restructuring. The government is in the process of developing a new Labour Market Strategy, which is expected to be approved by the end of 2018. It is also discussing the draft Employment Service Act, which is expected to be adopted in 2019. In September 2018, the parliament adopted a new Law on Vocational Education and Training (VET), which is an important milestone for skills development and VET in Georgia. The VET law is a framework law that allows the government to develop the VET system with a lifelong learning perspective, giving it the flexibility to adjust the legal provisions to the needs of the labour market, economic development and learners. The law will also help better connect VET qualifications with higher education qualifications by ending the 'dead-end' perception of the current VET system.

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This report belongs to a series of country analyses developed by the European Training Foundation (ETF). It covers: Socioeconomic background; Key policy issues and strategies in human resource development; EU (European Union) and other donor policies and interventions; Mid-term perspective ETF intervention strategies contributing to added value in national, EU and donor reform-support policies; The qualifications system and labour market intelligence; Social dialogue on VET (vocational education and training); Work Programme 2007: objectives and indicators. The ETF objectives for Georgia 2007 are: To support implementation of EU policies and interventions and to strengthen national capacities for VET reform particularly in the area of national qualifications.

In 2006, VET legislation was drafted, whose text was under discussion by the parliament in early 2007. The draft law suggests how the VET system will receive an impulse from approval of the new legislation. There are references to the continuity of VET with other branches of education, with different levels of qualifications and with formal and informal learning. There appears to be a clear intention to promote the role and place of the VET system in the world of work and in society. The draft law encourages openness and provides for the participation of other actors in VET governance (e.g., employers, unions, professional associations, regional entities and families). The draft law envisages the establishment of a National Qualifications Framework (NQF), alignment with European standards, and the concept of guidance. At the same time it has to be noted that explicit public-private partnerships should be considered as a necessary pre-condition for a functioning NQF and effective standards. The establishment of an NQF needs to include the concept of different modalities of learning in both formal and informal settings. Despite the recent policy developments acknowledging the role of lifelong and adult learning in education reform, further steps are required, such as: the development of a regulatory framework, the enabling of conditions for the development and supply of adult learning options, the development of mechanisms for the recognition and validation of prior learning and the outcomes of non-formal learning, the provision of lifelong information and guidance, the development of quality assurance systems, improved linkages with the education system at various levels, and the development of learning methods and financing.

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The series of reports is indexed from TD/TNC 90.820 to TD/TNC 90.844. Show less

The European Training Foundation (ETF), with the intentions of producing accurate up-to-date, objective and reliable information to be an important element in assisting and monitoring the reform of vocational education and training (VET) in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan), launched a project to identify a set of key indicators in the field of VET and in the labour market. The collection and analysis of data from the New Independent States and Mongolia began in 1998, from a variety of national information sources. In this report, chapter one provides an overview of the educational attainment levels of the population and the relationship between these and unemployment. Chapter two examines the role of VET in the education systems of the countries concerned: the participation of young people in VET compared to their participation in general education; recent statistical trends in VET at the upper secondary level; the incidence of dropping out of VET courses and general education programs at upper secondary level; and the relative levels of expenditure on VET. Show less

The European Training Foundation established a project for the New Independent States and Mongolia to facilitate discussion on the topic of lifelong learning among participating countries. The following countries participated in this project: Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, The Russian Federation, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The main element of the project was an international seminar to discuss the conceptual aspects of lifelong learning and to present the current state of its development in participating countries as well as in the European Union Member States. Each country prepared a national report outlining the current situation, based on a background paper providing the conceptual platform. This report aims to: (a) to present and explain the concept of lifelong learning to experts from the education, training and labour market sectors in the New Independent States and Mongolia; and (b) to explain the current situation and relevance of lifelong learning in these countries. The report is based on the conclusion from the seminar that took place in Nykoping in Sweden from 3-5 February 2002. It outlines the conceptual aspects of lifelong learning and summarises the national reports. Show less