Improving work skills of Georgian packaging industry - USAID/DAI funded project

Packaging Manufacturers Association of Georgia (PMAG) has received a grant from USAID Economic Security Program and together with Georgian Technical Training Center (GTTC) of Georgian Technical University (GTU) will perform the 1-year project.

The project will address the existing problem in the packaging sector of Georgia, which was clearly demonstrated in the Value Chain Prioritization and Gaps Assessment report prepared by DAI Global within USAID Economic Security Program. The report underlines “lack of qualified machine operators and skilled packaging operations managers in the packaging value chain”. Therefore, PMAG, in cooperation with GTTC, aims to improve workforce skills and PMAG member companies’ capacities through preparation and implementation of tailor-made short-term training/retraining courses for existing and potential employees, as well as training of company’s mentors.

At the initial stage, GTTC in close cooperation with PMAG will elaborate and offer to the partner companies short-term vocational training courses in mechanical and electrical engineering. Both courses will be tailored to business needs. The curricula in parallel with essential theoretical and practical technical topics related to maintenance of production lines and relevant equipment will envisage issues like building budget for spare parts, coordination of warehouse work, preparation of technical documentations, etc. PMAG member companies and GTTC experts will sit together to finalize the content of the given courses. The courses will be carried out in the GTTC up to date equipped laboratories, though practical component will be conducted in companies. At the initial stage, these training courses will be conducted for companies’ existing personnel to improve their skills and provide additional qualification. At the same time, PMAG will be actively engaged in recruiting new staff in Tbilisi and regions.

To ensure efficient implementation of the above-mentioned mechanisms, it is also very important that there are qualified mentors within companies in charge of training-retraining courses, hosting internships, etc. Therefore, an international expert will be hired in order to provide mentors’ training to PMAG companies representatives/nominees.

Concluding component will be preparation and submission of the joint training-retraining courses to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia with the aim to get accreditation and funding.  In view of the sustainability of the project, the partners intend to avail of the opportunity offered by the State.

In general, about 95 people will be trained during the project time-life. About 50% of the trainees are expected to be existing staff members, while another 50% is newcomers that will be employed after successful completion of training. Thus, as a result of the project about 50 new members will join PMAG member companies on relevant positions. While recruiting new staff members, priority will be given to youngsters with age ranging from 18 to 25.