Final Event - 1st Phase of Employment Shuttles Programme

On February 5^th, 2016, the final event of the 1^st Phase of the Employment Shuttles programme was organized by ACF with the attendance of representatives from public institutions, private sector, civil society, project partners and beneficiaries. The event is framed in the implementation of the Employment Shuttles component, within the LIFE Georgia project, that aims to enhance the employability and livelihoods of IDPs and vulnerable host communities and to strengthen the ability of duty bearers (Vocational Education Training Department of the MoES, Social Service Agency of MoLHSS, and MRA), service providers from private sector and CSOs to develop inclusive socioeconomic integration approaches by providing trainings, study tours, forums, and collaboration with state stakeholders.

The event was organized by ACF, lead of the consortium that implements the programme, with the support of the local partner organizations in each location (RDFG in Gori, Atinati in Zugdidi, and EfD in Tbilisi).

The programme addresses the issue of unemployment in the country through the employment shuttle’s approach that consists of 20 proactive and motivated unemployed people per shuttle, guided, empowered and encouraged by a coach to develop their personal and professional competences. One of the backbones of the program is team work and mutual support among the participants, who respect, motivate and help each other to succeed in achieving their professional goals.

Each employment shuttle operates for 5 months covering group sessions (9 hours per week), individual coaching (2 hours per month for each participant), and brokering with companies and corporate volunteering, establishing long-term relationships that result beneficial for both sides. What makes the methodology of the employment shuttles unique is its well structure methodology and its approach to unemployed people, who are perceived as an inestimable value to human capital and who possess the abilities and characteristics to succeed and lead their lives.

The first cycle started in August 2015 and ended in January 2016 where 61 beneficiaries enrolled in 3 shuttles of which 27 beneficiaries are now employed and 13 engaged further in trainings and internships.

The second phase of the programme will begin in the first week of March, 2016. The project partners are already starting the awareness and information campaigns that will lead in the selection process of the future employment shuttle beneficiaries in each location.