Virtual classrooms and continued skills development despite COVID-19 outbreak in Georgia, thanks to EU4Youth
In spite of the lockdown, participants in an EU4Youth vocational education programme in Georgia are continuing their training online. Up to 200 young people, including IDPs and conflict-affected youth, have been offered adapted online courses for cooks, stylists, welders, pharmasists, nurses and beauticians as part of the Dual VET programme.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread, the EU4Youth project on enhancing the livelihoods of internally displaced and conflict-affected youth had been at its busiest, with up to 100 youth taking VET courses established in reponse to labour market needs in two regions of Georgia – Shida Kartli and Samegrelo – where the concentration of the conflict-affected population is the highest.
As the courses were moved online, efforts were made to reach out to beneficiaries who may have had poor internet access or technical skills, especially those confined in remote areas. Licences or access to technology such as Zoom were made available to all students, and coaches and mentors developed the approach that worked best for them and their students.
This coordinated effort allowed trainings and guidance to be provided based on the key tools that were available, and provided consistency so that students were not rushed into learning different tools. The courses were adapted in close collaboration with VET colleges and Higher Education Institutions.
In this way, the project has been able to ride out the first wave of the global crisis by adapting its educational component to virtual classroom mode, allowing young beneficiaries to continue enhancing their skills and knowledge.
The EU4Youth – Enhancing Youth Education, Employment and Participation in Conflict- affected Areas in Georgia and Ukraine project aims to enhance the livelihoods of internally displaced and conflict-affected youth, by increasing their educational, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. It provides vocational training, internships, business mentoring and start-up grants, and supports government institutions on youth employment policies.
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