Assessment of Returned Migrants Skills and Possibilities for Validation of non-formal and Informal learning in Georgia

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Assessment of Returned Migrants Skills and
Possibilities for Validation of non-formal and
Informal learning in Georgia

• PhD Natia Chelidze
• E-mail natiatschelidse_at_yahoo.com

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Chosen Respondents Location Number -59
Experts and Policy-makers in the field of Education, Migration and Labour Market Tbilisi 13 3 3
Employers (Filed of activity heavy industry, Food Industry, Communication, Hotels and Restaurants, Construction, Printing House, Banks and Insurance Sector, Tourism, Trade) Tbilisi, Rustavi 8 1
Chairperson of Employment and Consultative Agencies Tbilisi 2
Heads of Public and Private VET Colleges Tbilisi, Rustavi, Telavi, Kutaisi Kobuleti 5 1 1 1 1
10 Returned Migrants Employed and 10 Returned Migrant Unemployed Tbilisi, Kutaisi 18 2
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RESEARCH RESULTS Survey results of independent
experts, social partners and policy-makers

• Different aspects of VNFIL system
• assumption in formal educational system,
• employment in accordance with their appropriate
  competences,
• support in personal development.
• For the individuals VNFIL means definition of the
  costs for their competences.
• For the employers validation process simplifies
  human resources management process, because
  he/she identifies what competences are having
  concrete, already or possible employee.
• Furthermore, a system of recognition will help
  employers, with exclusion of repeated study
  programs, to train labor forces only in needed
  competences, which will take less time and
  financial resources.

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The Strategy for Adult Learning

• Respondents are negatively assessing the fact
  that adult learning is not officially defined and
  regulated by the legal framework. Accordingly
  subsidizing adult learning is very low on public
  level.
• Some experts interviewed for the desk research
  claimed that vocational education and training
  for youth and adult learning systems should be
  implemented by different actors.
• As a matter of fact adult learning is to be
  considered in the context of continuing learning,
  it can be supported not only in VET institutions,
  but also at universities, in training centres and
  in other educational institutions.
• For adult people should be better the provision
  of short term multi modules learning programs.
• Special attention should be given to the people
  on their middle career stage.
• Creation of effective mechanisms for VNFIL in
  practice, will encourage them to follow adult
  learning.
• Adult learning should be accessible for everyone.
  In this segment state funding should be realized.

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• VNFIL systems transparency and quality
• guarantor for systems transparency and quality
  assurance should be LEPL National Center for
  Quality Assurance under the MoES.
• Cost for VNFIL
• In spite of the fact that some of respondents
  considers necessary payment of the tuition fee
  for VET programs should be paid by applicants for
  validation, because profit taken from validation
  is very high, most of respondents think that on
  the starting stage of implementation of this
  system it should be the state funded.

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The list of the expected advantages are

• Attraction of employers having the certificate,
  which proves their competences and increased
  chance to be employed
• to be presented on international labor market.
  But to realize this, applicants for validation
  must be sure that validation certificate is
  compatible with internationally recognized
  standards.
• possibility for increased salary and
• self-esteem of individuals,
• but research of employers and labor forces showed
  that, for employers validation certificate wont
  be pre-condition for increasing the salary, and
  migrants put their dignity back, because for them
  motivating factor is attraction of employers and
  receiving working place.

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Obstacles for the progressive and successful
development of VNFIL mechanisms in Georgia

• lack of state support,
• non-comprehensive policy in educational system,
• low funding from the state,
• incomplete material technical base of VET
  institutions,
• unprepared VET teachers and lack of qualified
  teachers,
• quality assurance problems,
• lack of information provision on importance for
  LLL and its superiority,
• low activity of social partners and
• especially, lack of preconditions for societys
  motivation.

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Desk Research of returned migrants to Georgia
Indicators Respondents
Age 5- 25-30 5- 36-45 5- 31-35 5- 46-55
Gender 10- Women 10- Men
Level of education 13- Higher Education 1- Uncompleted Higher Education 3- General Secondary Education 3- VET education
Duration of migration period They are returned after 2006 and average migration period is 4-7 years.
Main recipient country Russian Federation, Greece, the USA, Turkey, Germany, Italy.
Before migration economically activeness 3 student 4-employed 13-unemployed
Economically activeness after return 10- Unemployed 10-Employed, among them 2 are informally employed
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working skills returned migrants gained abroad
are

• problem solving
• capability to take decision independently,
• to work in multicultural environment,
• to learn new work methods faster and under
  pressure in order to meet the deadlines,
• to show responsibility and creativity during the
  working process,
• to demonstrate keen interest and knowledge on
  different issues,
• be patient,
• disciplined,
• punctual,
• communicative, to improve or study foreign
  languages.

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Main occupations migrant usually cover are

• babysitters,
• cleaners,
• carers,
• waiters/waitress,
• consultants,
• workers on construction,
• service staff for restaurants and hotels,
• auto service mechanists and
• agricultural workers
• Return migrants gained only some part of
  vocational competences.
• After return more than half of respondents do not
  think about improvement of competences by
  trainings, because it is connected with financial
  matters.
• Migrants have no idea on how they can
  prove/validate the skills acquired through the
  migration experience, what institutions are
  responsible, by what certificates, etc.

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• Most of migrants have no information on VET
  system operating in hosting country neither
  during the migration nor after return. Only
  respondents returned from Germany and the USA
  mentioned that they attended short term language
  courses in host country and have relevant
  certificates.
• Large scale research proved that, 9 of returned
  migrants indicated that they attend educational
  courses and trainings for several qualifications
  in four main directions
• Accounting,
• English Language,
• Computer Office Software,
• Elementary School Pedagogy.
• They are in possession of relevant certificates,
  whose recognition is regulated by the labour
  market.

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• The cause for return is mostly involuntary
• problems with permit of stay documents,
• family problems,
• unemployment in the country of immigration,
• deportation.
• Among involuntarily returned migrants frustration
  is very common.
• Only few of them could save up and return to the
  homeland to run business here.

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• Reasons for Migration
• Among 20 returned migrants
• 18 respondent left the country for employment
  and improving financial conditions,
• 2 went for getting high education.
• Employment situation after return
• for getting high education two migrants were
  working in recipient country special students
  working places as well. Both of respondents after
  coming back home are successfully working in
  government structures.
• Among the rest 8 employed respondents 2 started
  their own business, 6 are employed in trade,
  service and healthcare fields.

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For reintegration of returned migrants some
targeted projects are realized in Georgia

• Under the ,,Mobility Partnership agreement
  between the EU and Georgia, signed in 2009, we
  should mention the project ,,targeted initiative
  for Georgia
• Professional staffs program for the returned
  migrants, CIM/GIZ
• Integration of Georgian Migrants into Labor
  Market joint initiative of the EU commission and
  UN Migration and Development,
• IOM Tbilisi missions project voluntary return
  and reintegration of migrants..

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Service offered in the framework of reintegration
projects are

• mainly to refresh working skills acquired abroad
  
• and to raise self confidence and competitiveness
  to stimulate their reinsertion in the labour
  market or
• to support them in running business locally.
• According to their needs short term training
  courses for returned migrant have been organized
  and certificates have been provided.
• They have had the opportunity to contact large
  scale business entrepreneurs
• and to conduct practical activities with
  possibility to be hired.

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In spite of fact that reintegration activities
have been implemented and in the regions
information centres have been created, as already
underlined

• returned migrants dont know nor the modalities
  to attend courses and trainings, neither the
  possibility to validate informal education.
• they know less about legal framework regulating
  Georgian educational system, because after
  finishing learning institutions they had no link
  with it.
• Returned migrants, even if they are willing to
  attend classes and be in training, due to lack of
  financial resources they prefer not to talk about
  this possibility as it is not a guarantee to find
  a job.

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Feelings of returned migrants for re-emigration

• Regrettably, current social environment and
  insufficient conditions for socio-economic
  reintegration of returned migrants constrain them
  to think about re-emigration.
• The interests shown after the provided
  information on validation of informal and non
  formal education are clear evidence of the
  fundamental importance of the recognition and
  certification of skills acquired though their
  migration experience. Moreover it seems that for
  future potential migrants, it is very important
  to have recognized certificates even at
  international level to be competitive also on the
  international labour market.

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Desk research on employers demand on certified
graduates of VET colleges
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EFFICIENCY ON LABOR FORCES

• Business companies are trying to satisfy their
  specific technical needs by
• organizing professional training on the working
  place
• and in case of sufficient financial resources, by
  paying for trainings in foreign partner countries
  or asking for trainers from international
  training centres for short term study courses
• Big companies have usually their own training
  centres, where trainings for internal staff are
  periodically conducting.
• Small companies usually recruit needed personal
  through private contacts and only in the last
  resort they address to the employment agencies
  databases.

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Support of employers toward VNFL system

• Validation of informal education will be
  supported by the employers depending on strict
  and realistic connection to the quality of
  working resources, the confidence in the
  validating organ and in the fair decision making
  processes. But in reality, legislative obligation
  will be main reason, which will increase the
  demand on certified workers.
• According to education and labour experts, the
  responsibility on quality assurance should be
  taken also by professional educational
  institutions. The qualification of graduate
  candidates and the issue of Diploma/graduation
  certificate should be a further mean of prestige
  for the educational institution.

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Legal Basis for Validation of Non-formal and
Informal Education in Georgia

• Article 10 of Georgian law concerning vocational
  education that has just come into force, aims to
  assess and validate the knowledge, skills and
  values of people with vocational education. This
  implies that the institutions entitled to
  validate this specific type of education are
  recognized by the law.
• On the basis of the Georgian law concerning VET,
  whether VET institutions pass the accreditation
  process based on self-assessment questionaire,
  they are authorized to implement validation
  exams.
• Validation of informal education is already
  available for all qualifications on stages I-III
  (besides regulated qualifications), where the
  responsible institutions can be private and
  public VET colleges.
• On the bases of above mentioned law, in February
  2011 was adopted The Ministerial Order 8 on
  approval of the conditions and rules of
  validation on informal vocational education.

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• According to the above mentioned Order, article
  3
• the institutions are entitled by the law to
  approve validation procedures for application
  (process should not exceed one month)
• rules for validation of qualifications by
  certificates or other documents as proof of the
  acquired competences,
• the admission deadline and
• admission board.

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• The Order 8 of the Minister of Education and
  Science of Georgia entitles VET institutions to
  be independent
• in composition of the assessment board,
• in formulation of assessment methodology
• and in formulation of assessment criteria.

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VET colleges Directors Command on the rules for
Validation of non-formal and informal education

• In the framework of different VET study
  programs, separate commissions are established
  for each study program.
• The commissioners should be not less than 5
• the College director (Head of the commission,
  with casting vote),
• the manager of study process and study practice,
• the teacher of that particular VET program on
  that defined stage,
• the Program and Quality Assurance manager
• and teachers
• The exams modalities can vary from the
  assessment of the theoretical knowledge to
  demonstration of practical skills.

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Gaps in existing documents

• In case of taken decision on VNFIL registration
  in the center, neither in this document nor in
  the Order of the Minister 8 is not indicated,
  when and who should give Validation diploma or
  certificate proving the validate competences.
• In the document is not indicated how many years
  of work experience should have member of the exam
  commission-teacher of appropriate stages for VET
  programs.
• Also representation of employers and professional
  associations in Validation Commission is missing
  in this document. But agreement about social
  partnership is reached and each party realizes
  their role for development of VET education.

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Gaps in existing documents

• The documents show that for validation of
  informal education the applicant can address to
  the dedicated Commission any times during the
  calendar year. According to experts assessment
  validation process should be defined within a
  precise time schedule (e.g twice a year) in order
  to allow authorized institutions to use resources
  more effectively. Other suggestion is that
  institutions proceed the assessment of informal
  and formal education at the same time, in order
  to reduce expenses and time for validation.
• Certification cost is not mentioned. On the one
  hand even it represents a potential prestige
  tools for the VET institutions, responsible on
  validation, on the other hand certification costs
  are one of the most serious obstacle for
  validation practitioners. According to the social
  partners vision, at least before active
  implementation of the validation process in
  practice, validation procedures should be funded
  by state budget.
• Ineffectiveness of variety of institutions
  responsible for validation.

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Importance of Motivation and need of information
campaign

• Government should foresee information campaigns
  by TV, newspapers and radio
• Carry out informative meetings with successful
  employees who have validated skills and
  competences in order to collect best-practices.
• To motivate individuals is influenced
• by free mobility in labour market and
• by validation of certificates proving their
  competences in international arena
• also by high salaries,
• by self-esteem.

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Important Achievements Weak Points
Improvement of Professional Legal Framework Frequent amendments and supplements to the laws and inconsistency in educational policy.
Successful reform on every stage of educational system Surplus of higher educational professionals. Incorrect approach toward some competences and qualifications has been pointed out.
Elaboration of NQF and professional standards Needs further improvement
Creation of legal framework for validation of informal educations Validation on Non-formal education is not facing yet, (no single aplication has been received for validation).
Creation of legal framework for validation of informal educations No common guideline for Validation of informal learning.
Creation of legal framework for validation of informal educations Existing legislation is not covering all levels of non-formal education, validation occures only for I, II and III levels vocational education
Creation of legal framework for validation of informal educations Government is not lobbying the implementation of validation of vocational education.
Proposal of different learning programs Because of lack of current labour market research, it is difficult to affirm whether those proposed educational programs reflect or not the demand of the local or regional labour markets.
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Support for funding in VET institutions. The state grant only for priority educational programs is not enough. High request from the applicants for state funded training courses.
Teachers professional development learning programs exists according to the standards established for professional institutions teachers Teachers Training for professional and sector competences are not continuous and lack of qualified teachers in some professional sectors.
Rehabilitation of equipment and improvement of guidelines Rehabilitation of VET institutions material technical equipment and guidelines provision is not sufficient.
Working on vocational institutions prestige, active PR and Informative campaign Lack of motivation for young people to be in vocational trainings.
Designing of VET institutions database (will be completed in October, 2011) It is not working at the moment. Improvement and access to the database are main topic for future development.
Presence of VET graduates on labour market in the near future Graduates of VET institutions are under unemployment danger in the nearest future, because of lack of working places.
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Agreement in the framework of social partnership In spite of agreement reached between social partners, VET colleges and business organizations still exists week cooperation.
Agreement in the framework of social partnership Internships and practical learning should be increased up to 40 of entire studying process. At the moment low quality of learning is pointed out.
Agreement in the framework of social partnership Business companies have no taxation privileges, no cheap credits and etc. to organize internships for students
Tbilisi and Batumi City Hall in cooperation with other international organizations started programs about adult training and learning to stimulate employment, (IOM implements Job counseling and placement project, beneficiaries of this programs are job seekers, IDPs, socially disabled population, graduate students of VET institutions) Adult learning is not a component of state policy The system has not been formulated yet. Is a lack of state funding.
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Information and Consultation Centres are created, and radio and TV programs exist for job seekers. Increase the possibilities for job seekers and employers to match skills with labour market needs. Creation of employment agencies association to design unified database for employement. Labor markets infrastructure is not developed yet.
Information and Consultation Centres are created, and radio and TV programs exist for job seekers. Increase the possibilities for job seekers and employers to match skills with labour market needs. Creation of employment agencies association to design unified database for employement. Big amount of people are working out of their primary competences/education.
Activities directed to the migrants reintegration Information, consultation and vocational training, helping creation business plans and providing with the initial capital In spite of intensification of returned migrants programs number of beneficiaries are still not much.
Activities directed to the migrants reintegration Information, consultation and vocational training, helping creation business plans and providing with the initial capital Level of education and professional skills of returned migrants are not registered anywhere.
Activities directed to the migrants reintegration Information, consultation and vocational training, helping creation business plans and providing with the initial capital Re-integrated migrants are attracted to re-emigrate abroad.
Liberalization of procedures and visa facilitation with EU and support for circular migration. On starting stage we have agreed on liberalization of movement with EU. the negotiations with France on the agreement on qualified workers residence permit and circular migration issues continue. Main points of the agreement are creation of legal employment possibilities, according to annual quotas and demand of professions/qualification on France Labor Market for Georgian Citizens, young professionals exchange program and improvement of qualification.
Starting of local and national labour market research Local and Regional researches on labor market are fragmental.
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Thank you for your attention!