At a joint meeting of the Economic Policy, and Education, Science and Youth Affairs Committees, members heard the 2025 Report on Employment Policy Planning and Implementation, presented by Deputy IDPs, Labour, Health and Social Affairs Minister, Giorgi Tsagareishvili.

According to the presenter, the activities of the State Employment Support Agency in 2025 were focused on several key priorities, including the geographical expansion of services and programmes, support for vulnerable groups, aligning programmes with actual labour market demands, and strengthening the institution’s capacity.

As Giorgi Tsagareishvili noted, in 2025 the Agency expanded its operations to nine additional municipalities and is now represented in all regions of the country. He also stated that mobile outreach teams have been actively working to improve communication with citizens living in rural areas. According to the Deputy Minister, the Agency’s website was fully redesigned and is now available in Armenian and Azerbaijani, which will facilitate the integration of ethnic minority representatives into the labour market.

In addition, a pilot version of the job-seeker registration portal, Worknet, was launched in 2025, and its full-scale implementation is considered one of the Agency’s key priorities for 2026.

The presenter noted that citizen engagement increased by 59 percent in 2025. More than 13,000 new job seekers registered on the platform, of whom 62 percent were women and 13.4 percent were young people.

Giorgi Tsagareishvili placed particular emphasis on vocational training and retraining programmes. According to his information, training in 58 high-demand professions was financed in 2025. The Agency cooperated with more than 30 public and private colleges, while over 3,000 people participated in the programmes. Nearly 70 percent of graduates secured employment, demonstrating the programmes’ high level of effectiveness.

The Deputy Minister further stated that the Agency actively cooperates with the private sector. In 2025, it worked with more than 800 employers, while over 14,600 vacancies were uploaded to the system. Six large-scale employment forums were also held, with the participation of more than 900 job seekers. As a result, the employment rate increased by 20 percent compared to the previous year.

During the presentation, Giorgi Tsagareishvili also spoke about cooperation with international partners. According to him, the Agency works closely with various international organizations, contributing to the development of employment policy, strengthening institutional capacity, and introducing modern labour market standards. The presenter additionally discussed reforms in the field of labour migration management.

He explained that from 2026, the Agency has fully assumed responsibility for managing labour migration processes in the country. Under the newly introduced system, nearly 29,000 foreign citizens have already been registered, enabling the state to maintain comprehensive information regarding their employment, professions, education, and other relevant data. Following the presentation, Giorgi Tsagareishvili answered questions from Members of Parliament.

At the joint committee meeting, Deputy Education, Science and Youth Minister, Baia Kvitsiani, spoke about the importance of vocational education in the employment process. She highlighted vocational colleges’ training and retraining programmes, labour-market-oriented educational offerings, and initiatives aimed at promoting employment opportunities for citizens.

The Committees took note of the report.