Dual Education System and Its Consequences
The private sector’ engagement is a necessary precondition to ensure the successful introduction of a so-called dual education system in Georgia, because the private sector determines the labor market’s needs, Katie Camerer, Director of the Private Sector Development and Vocational Education in the South Caucasus, the Program of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), told the Business Partner TV program.
a Dual Education implies a system where a student picks up both theoretical and practical knowledge, simultaneously.
As noted by Katie Camerer, the dual vocational education system is a very successful and popular platform in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Therefore, this system is being established in Georgia with the support of the GIZ and the Education Ministry. The cooperation format places emphasis on winemaking/viticulture, and the hospitality and development sectors. In the future, the program will also cover technology, the service sector and logistics and transportation fields. Today, about 300 apprentices are attending training courses in various fields, while several days ago, 26 graduates received certificates in hospitality, she explained.
The dual education program runs in Tbilisi, Kakheti, Imereti, and Adjara. The program will cover all regions, in various stages.
The success of the dual education program mostly depends on the business sector’s engagement, because it determines the labor market’s needs and, on the other hand, business also pays salaries to students.
“We believe that the private sector plays a decisive role in dual education. This practice has worked in Germany, Switzerland and Austria for many decades. This dual model has been running in these countries for many years, and this system is managed by the private sector, because it knows best what skills are required. Therefore, companies play a decisive role, and share the responsibility. 60% of training isat companies, and only 40% are held at schools. A company selects each apprentice, and then sends the student to a school, where students receive a second education. Companies analyze salaries and expenditures. They determine what brings more benefits, because students receive both theoretical and practical knowledge simultaneously, and this factor helps to grow productivity. This practice is much easier than personnel from the street and teaching them”, Katie Camerer noted.
To quickly and effectively determine sought-after professions on the labor market, GIZ plans to launch an online platform, together with the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), she added.
“Together with the Chamber of Commerce, we plan to launch a pilot method for rapid assessment of the labor market’s needs, to quickly determine what needs may arise in the next 6 months. This is an online instrument based on feedback with companies to outline what business opportunities may appear, what new markets may emerge. This database must be updated quickly, and frequently. Long-term research projects are also required, but this platform will ensure short-term online inquiries. This is the right decision”, Camerer said.
As noted by a German expert, a similar format for information exchange runs between the tourism, hotel-restaurant business and the Education Ministry. However, it is necessary to improve information exchange mechanism, and the dual education platform will foster this process.
“The business sector should better exchange information with the public sector’s representatives about what professions they will need in the future. Dual education connects these two sectors with each other. These segments generate confidence. Colleges should trust companies that an education is going well, and the reserve: companies should also trust the schools, that they give valuable and high-quality education. This reciprocal confidence is of crucial importance. This practice was established in Germany long ago, and it has a very good reputation. A vocational education includes socially recognized and highly-paid professions. We can learn from this experience in Georgia too; for example, in the development sector. Maybe, it is unknown to a wide audience, but this is a well-paid field, and this should be promoted. There are many high schools, but their graduates cannot find job places due to their professions. Georgia should place emphasis on vocational education. The number of students should increase in the vocational educational sector. Many interesting things will take place in this field in the next few years. There is a tendency to modernize the infrastructure of vocational schools, to provide a better environment for training. The private sector has the opportunity to engage in this process. We expect the number of students to increase. GIZ is ready to support this process. We have the proper preconditions to improve and expand the scale and quality of vocational education”, Katie Camerer told the Business Partner TV program.