The local Investments in Networks for Knowledge and Skill-share (LINKS)

The local Investments in Networks for Knowledge and Skill-share (LINKS) project, funded through the larger EU's Skills4Jobs Programme, is implemented by the United Nations Association of Georgia (UNAG) and the Open Society Foundation Georgia (OSGF). The project aims to contribute to increased quality and accessibility of skills anticipation, skills development and skills matching services and to their improved alignment with demands of the local labour markets in the four target regions of Georgia: Adjara, Guria, Kvemo Kartli, and Shida Kartli.

The project brings together local public and private stakeholders in the four regions of Georgia to make it easier for people to join or rejoin the labor market and to stay in and advance at work. The project does so by inclusive, collaborative, and participatory investments in improved skills anticipation, skills matching and development, entrepreneurial studies, civic education, and lifelong learning. 

Project Objectives: 

  • Skills anticipation and matching are improved through platforms, partnerships, insights, and access to relevant data.
  • Young women and men improve employability through increased supply and quality of career guidance and skills development services.
  • Young women and men benefit from entrepreneurial and lifelong learning and actively contribute to local social and economic development.

Our Focus:

Skills anticipation: the project generates sustainable data, labour market insights, tools and platforms to improve the quality and relevance of skills development, training and re-training, career guidance, internships, apprenticeships, and other employment support services. Human capital development workgroups, stakeholder exchanges, study tours, job forums and other networking opportunities lead to discussion of information and trends for better partnerships and cooperation. 

Skills development: the project develops handbooks, curricula, and teaching manuals in key competencies to empower teachers, career counsellors, VETs, and CSOs to deliver more market-relevant skills development services. The project also delivers relevant, accessible, and engaging skills development opportunities in key competencies, including citizenship education, professional secondments, career counselling, foreign language proficiency and other skills matching and development activities. 

Entrepreneurial & lifelong learning: the project enables young entrepreneurs with relevant tools, skills, knowledge, and motivation to increase local activism, social troubleshooting, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The project will merge online e-learning and offline approaches to reach the most underserved women and men in rural communities with a full-scale lifelong learning opportunity.