EU4Youth: Youth Engagement and Empowerment project launches Youth Policy Labs in Georgia

On 4 April, the ‘EU4Youth: Youth Engagement and Empowerment’ project launched the Youth Policy Lab (YPL) cycles in Georgia. The YPLs are being implemented in three municipalities: Zugdidi, Jvari, and Akhaltsikhe, bringing together a total of 50 participants.

The diverse working group within the YPLs, including representatives from VET institutions, academia, experts, youth workers, youth organisations, schools, universities, and local businesses, aims to address key questions:

• What participation mechanisms should be established within VET colleges to ensure that youth voices are heard?
• How can youth participation and engagement enhance the quality and attractiveness of VET schools and colleges?
• What are the gaps between VET education, youth needs, and labor market demands?

Youth Policy Labs provide a multi-stakeholder dialogue platform, enabling young people to be proactive, gain insights into policy developments, and connect with key stakeholders: experts, academia representatives, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector – who work with or create opportunities for youth.

The Youth Policy Labs in Georgia will consist of four stages and two cycles across the three municipalities. The initiative will conclude by August 2025, resulting in a recommendations document that identifies policy challenges and proposes concrete measures to strengthen youth engagement within VET centers.

Youth Policy Labs are organised within the ‘EU4Youth: Youth Engagement and Empowerment’ project, co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by GIZ.