Georgian PM pledges to “devote particular attention” to youth policy

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Saturday pledged to “devote particular attention” to youth policy and noted his Government had both short and long-term plans to further develop the country in this regard, at the meeting with students of the state universities discussing the introduction of internship programmes for graduates.

Kobakhidze said the four-year programme of the Government, to be presented in autumn, would include the development of education, sports and other related issues, adding “a lot can be improved and developed, and this will be part of our [Government’s] medium-term plans”.

While discussing the new internship programme, the PM noted that the programme, adopted by the Parliament with the relevant bill and set to be introduced this year, would give university graduates and students the opportunity to “easily engage in professional life both in public and private structures”.

He said the Government desired to communicate with students regarding the programme before finalising it, highlighting the importance of communication and engagement for “making every decision right” and announcing the upcoming meeting with the students of private and regional universities.

The programme will be launched in a pilot mode to discover problems and further refine the programme before having its final version, Kobakhidze emphasised.

The Head of the Government also pointed out various problems for graduates, such as the absence of work experience and thus inability to compete for a particular position or job, requiring employment experience. As he explained, the “main advantage” of the new internship programme would be the opportunity for students to obtain a “unique experience” to further develop their professional careers.