The FINANCIAL — People’s Bank, HeidelbergCement, Elit Electronics, Geocell and ESM-Tbilisi have presented a joint social program. The program envisages full sponsorship of The Bachelor’s Program at European School of Management for socially vulnerable students.
According to Khatuna Bolqvadze, ESM Cooperative Education Faculty Dean & PR Manager, each company will finance one student and pay approximately GEL 21,000 for their Bachelor’s Program. Overall, the education of four students will be sponsored. “We have been carrying out this project for three years. In the first year about 40 students applied to the program. The second year the number increased to 70. Naturally this year we are expecting to receive many more application forms. 20-25 students will be selected from all applicants. They will be interviewed by the sponsors and the number be narrowed down to 10. These students will have the opportunity to go through a preparatory course at ESM for free. They will continue their second semester studies at their current universities and study at ESM in a parallel regime. After the preparatory course 4 students will be chosen and their 3-year education at ESM will be financed by these business companies.”
The special, certified preparatory course will last for 28 weeks starting from 8 January 2008. The main criteria for contestants are good results at unified national exams, high academic performance, motivation and financial need.
“Besides supporting socially deprived students this initiative is targeted at stimulating the business sector and encouraging businesses to make their corporate social responsibility approach more active and functional,” said Bolqvadze.
Established in 1992 ESM-Tbilisi is one of the leading business schools in Georgia. 98% of 630 ESM graduates have been placed in jobs with 18% being independent businessmen.
“People’s Bank tries to be distinguished for a high level of social responsibility. We have our mission, our responsibility and we do our best. Supporting education in Georgia is a priority for our bank. We think that every motivated person in Georgia should have the opportunity to study where they want, whether they can afford it or even if they don’t have enough financial resources. Through this kind of project People’s Bank will help every young person to receive the education they want,” said Giorgi Goguadze, General Director of People’s Bank.
Serving more than 1.5 million people per month, with 210 branches and service centres, 150 ATMs, 5 000 employees, and 900.000 Visa plastic cards emitted, People’s Bank is one of the leading banking institutions in Georgia.
“ESM-Tbilisi is a higher education establishment that showed this great initiative and contacted the business entities who are now acting as its partners. We supported this initiative and decided to finance one of the four students’ educations at ESM. We would like to make an example to other businesses and show that it is important and necessary to be socially responsible,” said Irma Tskitishvili, head of GeoCell Corporate Communications Department.
Established in 1996 GeoCell is one of the leading mobile communications companies in Georgia. “We hope that providing educational opportunities to young socially vulnerable people through financing their education becomes common practice for business in Georgia. I think that even one professional added to the Georgian business market is a valuable contribution to the country.”
“Though we have not been operating in Georgia for a long time, we have far-reaching plans. Preparing professional staff is very important for us. These kinds of initiatives are beneficial not only for students but businesses as well. Besides this project, we are planning to launch projects that will support the preparation of technical support staff too,” said Meinhard Thrul, HeidelbergCement Georgia, Country Director.
HeidelbergCement is the global market leader in aggregates and a prominent player in the fields of cement, concrete and other downstream activities, making it one of the world’s largest manufacturers of building materials. The company employs some 70,000 people at 2,800 locations in 50 countries. HeidelbergCement has been represented in Georgia since 2006 and owns two factories in Rustavi and Kaspi.
According to Simon G. Kadagidze, Rector of ESM-Tbilisi, 4 students is 5% of the whole student body that enters ESM each year. “Companies participating in this program have a right to put a clause in the contract which will oblige the students they have sponsored to work at their companies for at least three years,” said Kadagidze.
The annual fee at ESM will be Gel 6 900 next year.
“Encouraging educational development in Georgia and supporting young and motivated people is the main direction in our Corporate Social Responsibility policy. This project is a good example of different businesses working in alliance. We are trying to promote the idea that educating the future generation and giving them professional knowledge should be a priority. Development of the country largely depends on qualification and proficiency of the individuals,” said Ia Nadirashvili, Elit Electronics, Marketing Director.
“We are further planning to participate in the projects contributing to the educational development of Georgia. Besides providing the educational opportunity to the student we will finance, we would be happy to employ him/her at our company. We have the right to make a contractual requirement obliging this person to work with us, however we refuse to do so. We do believe that choice of work should be based on free will; accordingly working with us will be optional. We do not think that it will be a lost investment if the student sponsored by us decides to work somewhere else.”
Elit Electronics has been operating in Georgia since 1996. The company is the official distributor of BOSCH, SAMSUNG, SIEMENS, and VESTEL in Georgia. The priority activity of the company is TVs and audio/ video equipment, home appliances for homes and offices, and mobile telephones.
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