International Mobility as a Perspective for Young Graduates from Georgia: Analysing Employability for the German Job Market
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52340/ggj.2023.03.02.13Keywords:
Youth Unemployment in Georgia, employability, skills and competences, social and cultural fit of skills expectations, international labour market, access to the German labour marketAbstract
This paper examines youth unemployment in Georgia and opportunities for graduates in the international labour market, with a special focus on Germany. It aims to address the challenges faced by young individuals in Georgia in accessing employment opportunities and their implications within the global job market context. Drawing upon the employability concept and the future skills approach, this study investigates the fit of labour market skills of Georgian graduates with competence expectations of companies in Germany. Methodologically, this paper relies on a literature review and statistical data analysis, while the empirical portion employs a mixed methods approach. Building on exploratory qualitative peer-group interviews, a quantitative survey was conducted among students and graduates in Georgia. The results of the data analysis show that Georgia also experiences alarmingly high rates of youth unemployment among graduates. The depopulation process is further exacerbated by substantial migration of the youth population from Georgia, often referred to as the "brain drain”. Simultaneously, European countries are witnessing a growing shortage of skilled workers, necessitating well-trained labour to navigate economic transformations. Studies project that Germany, for instance, may face a deficit of up to one million skilled workers by 2030. The results of the empirical research demonstrate that Georgian students and graduates reflect on different skills discourses between their national and international labour markets. They situate these in the specific traditional, historical and cultural contexts of the country and derive specific challenges for themselves. Respondents in the quantitative approach answered that they take measures to improve their knowledge and skills in different ways to be more competitive not only for the regional but also for the global market. Ultimately, the study concludes by discussing potential recommendations to alleviate youth unemployment in Georgia and enhance their prospects in the international job market, focusing on the case of Germany.
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