USAID and Business Technology University to increase Georgia’s qualified ICT workforce
USAID and the Business Technology University announce a joint investment in Georgia’s women and their future as highly paid workers in information and communications technology. Through this partnership, 1,500 women across six regions of Georgia will be enrolled in skills training programs that align with needs requested by Georgia’s ICT companies. The partnership will also raise awareness about women's career prospects in the ICT sector nationwide. The result will be that women are more competitive in local and international ICT labor markets.
The partnership will establish eight rural training spaces to encourage participation by women in areas along the Administrative Boundary Lines and communities with sizeable ethnic minority populations. These include Telavi, Gori, Akhaltsikhe, Ozurgeti, Zugdidi, Tsalenjikha, Tkibuli, and Ambrolauri. USAID and BTU are also including long-term partnerships with 12 businesses to encourage job opportunities for graduates of the training courses. The training programs include application coding, user interface design, graphic design, software testing, and digital marketing. These skills are highly demanded by Georgia’s growing ICT sector.
USAID Mission Director John Pennell joined Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Irakli Nadareishvili, Deputy Minister of Education and Science Nunu Mitskevich, MP Nino Tsilosani, and Business and Technology University Rector Nino Enukidze to officially launch the new partnership. Said Mission Director Pennell, “We are investing in Georgia’s future economic growth and prosperity. Adding to Georgia’s ICT workforce with more talented, creative, and highly skilled workers means opportunities for Georgia’s businesses to increase their revenue. It also increases integration with international markets, including those in the EU and United States.”
USAID’s partnership with Business Technology University engages a Georgian higher education and research institution known for connecting business with modern technology and supporting the development of innovative and creative entrepreneurial markets locally and globally. In 2019, in collaboration with UN Women, Business Technology University implemented the innovative Coding School for Women project to strengthen women's role in the technology sector. 500 Women in Tech, another of Business Technology University’s large-scale retraining projects, currently unites over 50 local and international industry partners to upskill Georgian women.
