New wave of reforms has being started in the country. Every day TV broadcasts inform us about the future transformations in various fields. For example, recently the vision of the state committee about the reforms in science and highest education was published, that was disapproved by the active members of scientists. In short period of time, some members of the committee spread out the fragmental vision of the reforms in high school that has not caused strong reactions. Transformations in the vocational education are a next step. What directions would be chosen for it? Would it be supported to continue building of "Potemkin villages "? Wherever or not the reforms toward the adequate system would be chosen?
To address these questions the Georgian Vocational Education Foundation provides the analysis of the current situation in the system and actual opinions of the transformations.
During the years, the state politics toward the vocational education has not been consistent. It has not been considering analytical approaches, in most case characterized by voluntarism. Therefore, it could not purchase the adequate systematic character for the current phase, and also for the strategic socio-economic interests. As a result, the vocational education has not been responding to the current and future challenges.
The stagnation of the labour market and crisis of employment were followed by the transition into the applied market economic principles. The new types of programs became actual in the institutes, corresponding to the labour market and considering the possibility of transformation.
The refuses of the enterprises to provide the job to the trained personnel, develop material-technical base of the institutes, to obtain the working place for the practical courses, negatively affect on the stability of the activities in the institutes and quality of the trainings for skilled workers.
The activities of the institutes have being focused on the learning services, according to the requirements of the people, without providing the warranted opportunities of employment.
Currently, the Georgian vocational education has to be developed through the qualitatively difficult phase of the institutional transformation: beginning from the changes in economical and socio-cultural aims, -to organizing the system. Until now, the organizational system has been based on the vertical-hierarchic model, while it is necessary to transform into the flexible functional model and decentralization, to distribute competencies, to ensure the involvement of the units of enterprises and public structures, implement target - programs and approaches.
In our opinion, considering the economic condition and future political and social changes, the politics of the vocational education should be more flexible. First of all the distinctive, systematic approaches, methods and principles should be determined, bases on the current and strategic interests of the social-economical development. We should consider the goals for the development, described in the ”Millennium Declaration” by the world community, also the recommendations by the Third International Congress toward the prospects of the vocational educational developments.
Taking into account the economical situation characterized with social injustice, also targets developed by United Nations, UNESCO, the European Union, and a number of international donor organizations, technical and vocational educational and preparation system should be recognized as a political priority. As a result, it really will help to solve the unemployment problems, satisfy the requirements of the entrepreneurs and unemployed population.