It is well documented that Georgia's labor market is plagued by a skills mismatch: the supply of labor does not properly reflect employers demand in terms of both professional qualifications and work ethic (see, for example, the 2013 Global Competitiveness Report). This results, on the one hand, in very high unemployment (particularly among Georgian young) and low capital productivity, on the other.

If modernized, VET institutions could serve as a key mechanism for aligning workers skills/specializations with labor market needs. At present, however, the Georgian VET system is failing to perform this critical role: inadequately financed and unreformed, it is unable to provide high quality training in relevant disciplines, and hence is not an attractive option for Georgian youth. Moreover, VET training carries a social stigma, further detracting from its labor market value from the point of view of would-be-students and employers alike.The subject of the debate was what is next in store for Georgia's VET system and how it could be reformed. The expert panel will include speakers representing government, VET providers, academia, NGOs, businesses and business associations.