The FINANCIAL — Georgia, for the first time, will join the initiative of employee volunteering run in conjunction with the European Year of Volunteering 2011 across 23 European countries. The programme is aimed at different (small, large, newcomer, most innovative) companies in Georgia to present the best employee volunteering schemes that can help people facing barriers to work increase their employability skills.
There is also an incentive for companies behind this dazzling programme, that is, winners in each category will receive a prize and special certificate during the celebration event in Tbilisi. Thereafter they have a chance to compete with European counterparts from 22 countries and participate in a celebration event in London.
Employee Volunteering Awards-Georgia is initiated by Eurasia Partnership Foundation (EPF), in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce, The FINANCIAL and TBC Bank.
Closing date for receiving entries for this award is 6pm December 25, 2010. (The application form is available at epfound.ge)
“There are already 3 large companies KPMG, BP, and Radisson, showing interest in participation in the programme,” Project Manager on Economic Development Programs at EPF, Viktor Baramia told us.
“There are also dozens of other small-medium size companies with eligibility criteria willing to participate and we expect a majority of companies in Georgia to join the initiative. Already in February winners will be announced and in March the award ceremony will take place in Tbilisi,” said Baramia.
“This programme envisages volunteering not only for company employees to be involved in different social activities but also to create programmes within the organization (sort of employment schemes) hence to provide training or voluntary employment to people.
There will be four categories for the companies to be nominated in. We’re also planning to have the same initiative next year,” said Baramia.
David Lee also outlined the importance of the programme as unemployment is still a major challenge in Georgia.
“We’ve cooperated with the programme in order to support people gaining skills that the market requires in Georgia.
In order to get companies interested in the programme we use competition on a local level first and then on an international one,” said David Lee, head of the Supervisory Board of EPF and Executive Director at the American Chamber of Commerce.
As Badri Japaridze, TBC Bank Supervisory Board Vice President told us, “TBC bank already initiated similar employment schemes in Tserovani which 30 different organizations were involved in.”
“It’s often the case when people don’t possess skills that are required for current jobs in Georgia. In this regard we’ll help those people by giving them professional training. TBC Bank in Tserovani took the responsibility for all graduates of the schools there to be employed in 30 different organizations where they’ll acquire those skills.
Hence I’m also calling for other companies to take similar initiatives and participate in this programme. In addition they’ll have an incentive to do so (awards),” noted Japaridze.
According to the UK Commission Report on Employability Challenge published in July 2010, without employability skills it will be more challenging for economies to achieve their productivity goals; individuals will find it harder to get and progress in rewarding work, and several important strands in global employment and skills policy may be unachievable.
Ketevan Vashakidze, Country Director at Eurasia Partnership Foundation points out: “There is a huge interest/potential among companies in Georgia to participate and hereafter put all their efforts in to winning this race.”
“Companies can participate either with their employees (for instance they can plant trees, etc) or by getting unemployed people involved in their companies (latter may include training).
Thereby it is up to companies to create a scheme of employment in which they’ll be able to employ or volunteer to win the contest.
Finally the winner company in Georgia will participate in the global initiative where companies have similar projects presented in London,” noted Vashakidze.
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