The article is published with the financial support of the Creative Development Center.
The EU4Youth Tech4Skills Ideathon, held in Tbilisi on 8-9 November, brought together over 90 young innovators from across Georgia to design practical solutions that make vocational and tech education more accessible — especially for women and girls. With 56% female participation, the event became a space where young women not only took part but helped shape the future of VET.
The Challenges: Why Girls Struggle to Access VET and Tech Careers?
Georgia’s VET landscape is improving, yet significant obstacles continue to limit girls’ and young women’s participation — especially in high-demand technical fields.
According to Tech4Skills research and Youth Policy Lab findings, several challenges stand out:
- Urban–rural inequality: VET opportunities remain concentrated in major cities, while girls in regions face limited program diversity and weaker access to training facilities.
- Gendered pathways in VET: Although enrollment numbers between men and women are nearly equal, women remain clustered in lower-paid fields, reflecting persistent stereotypes and unequal access to technical programs.
- Information and guidance gaps: Many young women lack clear, relatable career guidance. Career consulting systems are not fully developed, and transitions from school to VET are poorly supported.
The Ideathon was designed specifically to address these barriers, asking participants:
How do we make VET attractive? How do we bring more girls into high-paying fields? And how do we turn youth-driven recommendations into real digital tools?
Four Winning Ideas Leading Change
Despite these challenges, the Ideathon showcased powerful, youth-led solutions that have the potential to reshape accessibility and inclusion in VET.
After forming 32 teams, presenting 27 ideas 4 winning teams were selected by the jury:
Skillzy — Women Teaching, Learning, and Leading
An AI-powered learning ecosystem where young women can teach skills, attend workshops, and build digital confidence through peer-to-peer learning. By elevating women’s expertise visibly, Skillzy helps break stereotypes and encourages girls to explore tech pathways.
Science Ambassadors — STEM Access for Regional Girls
Curie Lab’s mobile STEM program brings hands-on scientific experiments and workshops directly to rural communities, giving girls practical exposure to science. Graduates become ambassadors, inspiring younger peers and creating sustained local interest in STEM.
MentorAI — Gender-Sensitive Career Navigation
MentorAI offers personalised career guidance, mentorship, and access to VET information—including programs in regional colleges. It addresses the lack of reliable career counseling and helps girls build confidence in choosing technical fields.
NeuroPath – Breaking Stereotypes Through Cognitive Science
Using neuroscience-based tests, NeuroPath helps girls discover their strengths beyond traditional gender expectations. By offering evidence-based insights, it supports girls in choosing STEM pathways aligned with their natural abilities.
A Step Toward an Inclusive VET Ecosystem
These youth-led innovations directly respond to the systemic challenges identified by both Tech4Skills and the Youth Policy Labs—urban/rural divides, gender stereotyping, weak career guidance systems, and limited youth participation in decision-making. With mobile labs, AI mentoring, digital platforms, and science-based tools, the winning ideas make VET more accessible, inspiring, and achievable for girls across Georgia.
The message from the Ideathon is clear: When young women are empowered to innovate, they don’t just enter the system—they transform it for everyone.
The Ideathon was organized by the Creative Development Center (CDC) in collaboration with the EU4Youth: Youth Engagement and Empowerment and “VET in Georgia’s Growth Sectors” projects, co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ.