Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC)
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Email: iesc@iesc.org
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Nurses play a vital role in patient care. However, health care companies across Georgia are facing a significant shortage of qualified nursing staff, particularly in rural areas. This challenge is compounded by a lack of accredited courses for nurse…
read moreTo tackle unemployment in Georgia and meet the growing demand for digital skills, the USAID Industry-led Skills Development Program is collaborating with industry to train up to 2,100 information and communication technology professionals.
In partnership with TBC, one of the biggest technology-driven…
read moreGeorgia’s agricultural sector is facing a shortage of skilled labor, while farmers in rural communities struggle to secure high-value employment opportunities. A collaboration between the USAID Industry-led Skills Development Program and…
read moreLiana Charkviani, the 66-year-old Director of the Rustavi Center for Democratic Engagement in Georgia, recently completed Kutaisi International University’s cybersecurity training program. Her motivation for joining the program stemmed from her fervent interest in…
read moreProviding new career opportunities in the civil aviation sector
“Being the first female certified aviation maintenance technician in independent Georgia’s civil aviation sector is both an honor and a disappointment—there should have been others before me, says Ia Paichadze, a…
read moreProviding new career opportunities in the vehicle inspections sector
Salome Mikiashvili, graduate of the USAID-supported Greenway Academy
In an effort to enhance vehicle safety, Georgia is reforming vehicle technical inspections. This reform is outlined in the EU Association Agreement, which aims to increase market access between the EU and Georgia through…
read moreAddressing new career opportunities in the veterinary industry
Hayat the cat with her prosthetic paw
A cat named Hayat received a hind limb prosthesis six months ago at the veterinary clinic of the Agricultural University of Georgia. This is the first time an animal received a prosthetic limb in Georgia. The artificial rear leg is an intraosseous transcutaneous…
read moreProviding new career opportunities in Georgia’s creative industries
Photo: USAID Industry-led Skills Development ProgramMariam Dieser, graduate of Postred Academy
Twenty-five-year-old Mariam Dieser is one of the outstanding employees of the Georgian sound production studio, POSTRED. She was 20 when she was hired as a composer’s assistant, and has since played multiple…
read moreAna Ishkhanova, a 28-year-old from Tbilisi, has always had great interest in the culinary arts, but ended up studying math as a college…
read moreSetting the stage for greater private sector-led approaches to workforce skills development
Life has changed for Ana Zarandia, a 22-year-old from Jikhashkari village in Zugdidi municipality. After graduating from the Construction Faculty of Georgian Technical University, she could not find work in her field. After completing a vocational training program at Construct2 College in Zestaponi, however, her fortunes improved. Now a well-paid steel…
Businesswomen Learn to Get “Real”
By Carrol McCarren
Photo: World Bank/Flickr
Women entrepreneurs are often motivated by different factors than men when they create a business. For many women, the decision to start a business venture is borne out of financial need, rather than a consciously chosen career path. Without enough income to support the family, a woman might begin by sewing clothes, growing tomatoes, or selling…
read moreMy assignment was to provide assistance to business associations in order to help them develop advocacy skills as part of IESC’s Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Support Project in the Republic of Georgia. I met with the officials in Tbilisi and then went to the regions outside the capital.
Volunteer Jeff Rogo (left), translator Maya Kharebashvili, and Zugdidi Chamber President Yuri Tsotseria
Before my arrival, Mr….
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