Vocational Education Reform in Georgia: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Perfection of the education and science system is one of the necessary conditions for the labor force formation corresponding to the labor market requirements in Georgia, their employment and the country's sustainable economic development. Along with basic and higher education, vocational education occupies a significant place in the education system of Georgia. Vocational education represents the most favorable opportunity for professional training and retraining of the workforce in a short period with fewer costs, which in turn ensures the reduction of unemployment and social inequality in the country and decent employment.Vocational education is a significant priority of the Government of Georgia. The system is actively being reformed, the main goal of which is to modernize the vocational education system and bring it closer to the vocational education and training structures of the European Union.Based on the quantitative-statistical and qualitative research methods, the main challenges of the vocational education system are identified in the paper, the main priorities of vocational education reform and new regulatory legislation are analyzed, the development possibilities of the vocational education system have been evaluated, and recommendations have been developed to increase the effectiveness of vocational education.