EU4Youth: Tech4Skills ideathon encourages Georgian youth to innovate in vocational education

On 8-9 November, the Creative Development Centre (CDC) hosted the Tech4Skills Ideathon in Tbilisi, in collaboration with the ‘EU4Youth: Youth Engagement and Empowerment’ and ‘VET in Georgia Growth Sectors’ projects. The event aimed to increase youth engagement in the TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) sector, using insights and recommendations developed through Youth Policy Labs in Georgia.

The ideathon opened with key experts from the tech, youth, and TVET sectors and served as a platform to share Youth Policy Lab outcomes with a wider public. 

Over 48 hours, 100 participants joined 32 teams to brainstorm and prototype tech solutions addressing challenges in vocational education.

The winning teams were:

• Skillzy – an AI-based platform promoting knowledge sharing, gender balance, and inclusion. Users can create profiles, access workshops, lessons, and teach or learn from each other.

• Science Ambassadors – a mobile project by Curie Lab empowering girls in Georgia regions to develop STEM skills and share knowledge with peers.

• MentorAI – an AI-powered mentoring platform connecting women and youth to personalised guidance, recommending careers, colleges, scholarships, and connecting users with real mentors.

• NeuroPath – Georgia’s first neuroscience-based platform helping 15-25-year-olds explore career paths. It provides interactive maps, real-life examples, and aims to reduce gender stereotypes in career choices.
  

The Tech4Skills Ideathon showcased youth creativity and resilience, providing a space to develop solutions, build networks, and actively shape the TVET sector in line with Youth Policy Lab recommendations.

The Ideathon is organised by the Creative Development Center (CDC) in collaboration with the ‘EU4Youth: Youth Engagement and Empowerment’ and ‘VET in Georgia Growth Sectors’ projects, co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ.