A memorandum was signed to increase the accessibility of vocational education for persons with special educational needs
To increase the accessibility of vocational education for persons with special educational needs, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Administration of the Government of Georgia, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the South Caucasus.
The memorandum aims to increase the accessibility and engagement of persons with special educational needs in vocational education, on the one hand, through the creation and adaptation of new vocational training courses, and on the other hand, by strengthening inclusive education.
Along with the signing of the memorandum, registration was announced for three new vocational training courses for persons with special educational needs. These are: Social Media Management, Service Sector, and Office Management. The short-term courses will begin in September, will be conducted remotely, and will be fully adapted to the participants' needs. Short-term English language courses are also planned to be offered in the near future.
The cooperation was established with vocational colleges – "Akhali Talga", "Gldani Vocational Training Center", and "Railway Transport College", as a result of which registration for the programs is possible over the next two weeks.
Program graduates will receive a bilingual state certificate, which will facilitate their future employment.
According to Tamar Kitiashvili, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, inclusiveness is one of the main cornerstones of the vocational education reform.
"We are glad that we have been given the opportunity to offer training and retraining programs to persons with special educational needs. This will provide them with employment opportunities, and at the same time, it is important that professions are offered which represent the professions of the future, taking into account the prospect of remote employment without leaving home. In the near future, a sharp increase in the number of these offered slots is planned so that our citizens are given the opportunity to master modern professions and subsequently be employed with dignity in these professions," noted Tamar Kitiashvili.
The signing of the memorandum is welcomed by Lela Akiashvili, the Prime Minister's Adviser on Human Rights and Gender Equality Issues. According to her, strengthening the protection of the rights of persons with special educational needs is a priority of the Human Rights Council of the Prime Minister of Georgia.
The signing of the memorandum is welcomed by Lela Akiashvili, the Prime Minister's Adviser on Human Rights and Gender Equality Issues. According to her, strengthening the protection of the rights of persons with special educational needs is a priority of the Human Rights Council of the Prime Minister of Georgia.
"Strengthening the protection of the rights of persons with special educational needs is a priority of the Human Rights Council of the Prime Minister of Georgia, both in terms of mitigating the socio-economic consequences caused by COVID-19 and improving their rights situation. Access of persons with special educational needs to high-quality and needs-tailored vocational education is important both from a rights perspective and in terms of employment. It is of utmost importance that in the process of decision-making regarding these and other programs, we ensure the involvement of persons with special educational needs themselves. In this particular case, the community of persons with special educational needs decided for themselves which vocational course would be a priority for them," stated Lela Akiashvili.
On behalf of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the memorandum was signed by Senior Adviser Vladimir Shkolnikov.
"It is important that by signing this memorandum, we are helping persons with special educational needs to have the opportunity to strengthen themselves in professional activities and thereby empower them to have the opportunity in the future to be employed in any business, both in the private sector and in the public service," noted Vladimir Shkolnikov.
