Supporting the Information and Communications Technology Sector
On February 23, PMC Research organized the final event of the project “Piloting a New Public and Private Sector Collaboration Mechanism for VET Training Program Development.”
The project was implemented with the support of the USAID Economic Governance Program in cooperation with the Skills Agency Georgia, and it aimed to create a public-private partnership (PPP) platform for the ICT sector and pilot and evaluate a public-private sector cooperation model within this platform. Its ultimate goal was to tackle the mismatch between the demand and supply of human resources in the ICT sector in Georgia. For this purpose, during one of the project stages, several pairs of ICT companies and colleges mutually developed ideas for educational programs designed to promote ICT skills in demand on the labor market. Subsequently, one cybersecurity training program idea was selected, and the curriculum for the program was developed jointly with the help of VET and cybersecurity experts.
At the event, PMC Research Researchers Nika Kapanadze and Anastasia Chkhenkeli talked about the findings of the assessment of the institutional framework and a workable model of private sector engagement in the VET system. The study was presented through the PPP platform created within the project, consisting of representatives of the ICT sector, public sector, and education sector.
The presentation mentioned how the development of the PPP platform had contributed positively to the sector’s development, as partially evidenced by the establishment of a working group to create a formal sectoral skills organization (SSO) in the ICT sector. Researchers also described challenges to have hindered the development of a workable model of private sector engagement in the Georgian VET system, followed by a presentation of SWOT analysis and corresponding recommendations.
Afterwards, guests engaged in discussion on the topics raised during the presentation and recommendations issued to improve the workable model of private sector engagement in the VET system in Georgia. The discussion was moderated by PMC Research Director, Giorgi Khishtovani.
“While both the private and public sectors are working to address the skills mismatch issue in Georgia, there remains a lack of cooperation between them, which would allow them to explore synergies and tackle this common problem together. In this context, it is crucial to assess the situation and provide recommendations on how best to address this lack of cooperation, and ensure effective public-private cooperation, which would allow more efficient steps to be taken towards resolving the skills mismatch in Georgia,”
said Kapanadze.
“Within a new institutional framework, the state offers the private sector a diverse spectrum of tools for engaging in skills development. Most importantly, the state has introduced training and retraining programs, which allow private companies to formalize their training programs by satisfying the minimum requirements needed to receive state authorization and financing,”
said Tamar Kitiashvili, General Director at the Skills Agency Georgia.
