Launching of the project “Development of youth coding and tech entrepreneurial clubs network”
Ilia State University together with partner organizations is excited to announce the launch of the project “Development of youth coding and tech entrepreneurial clubs network” funded and supported by the European Union for Georgia, managed by the European Union Delegation to Georgia under the action EU Sector Reform Performance Contract (SRPC), Skills Development and Matching for Labour Market Needs. The total cost of the project is 820,000.00 EUR with the 656,020.00 EUR European Union Contribution.
Project will be implemented by the consortium: Ilia State University (ISU), Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA), Georgian ICT Cluster, and Innovative Education Foundation (IEF);
The project aims at designing and establishing School and VET institutions-based Coding and Tech Entrepreneurship Clubs in 100 locations across 8 target regions of Georgia during the next 3 years.
The value and importance of the project under the EU4G and Skills4Jobs are very high for Georgia and its sustainable development. As the project manager Nana Dikhaminjia says: “Technology education is one of the main drivers for the development of the country today. At the same time, the formal education system is too slow to go along with the speed of technology development. Therefore, the role of informal clubs for youth is crucial in equipping them with the future job market skills and knowledge. The network of clubs developed under this project will create a solid foundation for other schools to model the approach and develop the similar clubs.”
The project also addresses the needs of regional and NEET youth. As IEF Founder Merab Labadze says: “Young people in Georgian regions often lack the opportunities to learn increasingly demanded coding and technological start-up development skills. The project shall provide them with entry points to the popular IT specializations and technology entrepreneurship basics, opening a new outlook for their future employment and globally competitive careers.”
To foster long-term sustainable growth and innovation in the country we aim to support creation of new educational programs and workforce development. Georgian ICT Cluster Director Mariam Sumbadze states: “We believe that within the Youth tech clubs network project while developing partnerships with business representatives, VET and educational institutions we will be able to redesign existing and develop new ICT and entrepreneurial education programs, as well as diverse instructional methodologies in order to foster the workforce development and introduce new technologies at very early age where young generation makes decisions to plan and drive their future.”
“Keeping the momentum of Georgia’s strong reform process and robust growth rates the Government of Georgia follows the path of sustainable development where the adoption of new ideas, technologies and products, improves knowledge diffusion and encourages human capital development, what gives the country the edge it needs to transform into a modern knowledge-based economy. The skills have to be in place in order to adjust to the needs and challenges of youth. This project is the great opportunity for new generations towards industrial transformation” - Says Avtandil Kasradze, Chairman of Georgian Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA).
Functioning and development of the 100 clubs will be handled through the special web-platform developed in the framework of this action by the partnership of Ilia State University (ISU), Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA), Georgian ICT Cluster, and Innovative Education Foundation (IEF). As a result of the action, sectoral partnership will be strengthened between applicants, new partnerships will emerge, online space for matching the clubs with the interested mentors, as well as with IT and Tech Companies will be established, and about 2000 young people (mainly high-school and VET students, youth in NEET) shall acquire basic programming and tech entrepreneurship skills, whereas 10% of them shall enter apprenticeship or internship programs. Club curricula will be open for exploitation and replication by any interested stakeholder for the similar actions ensuring sustainability of the results. Regional contests, annual national conferences and jobs fairs will be organized for the club members.
For further information, please contact:
Ketevan Darakhvelidze,
Project Manager, Ilia State University
Email: development@iliauni.edu.ge