Georgian PM: labour market needs must be studied in advance to ensure graduates find jobs in their field

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Thursday highlighted the need for a systematic approach to align higher education priorities with labour market demands, noting a significant gap between the two.

Speaking at the presentation of the Government’s new education reform, Kobakhidze said that the current mismatch between the number of graduates in specific fields and actual market needs was often substantial.

“There is a weak connection between higher education priorities and the requirements of the labour market - this calls for a systematic approach,” Kobakhidze said.

He added the Government’s analysis revealed that the discrepancy between market demand and the number of graduates in certain specialties was sometimes twofold, threefold, or even fivefold.

“No one currently conducts in-depth research on how many lawyers, economists, or engineers are actually needed. Quotas are distributed among universities without any real analysis, and as a result, graduates often end up working outside their field of study,” he stated.

Kobakhidze stressed that the reform aims to change this pattern, saying “we must study labor market needs in advance so that every student can continue working and build a career in their chosen specialty”.