Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality met at Tbilisi State University with students to launch an internship program for persons – participants of the “1 + 4 educational program”.

Applicants can register on the official website of the Office of the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality at smr.gov.ge and on the HR.GOV.GE website. The purpose of the internship program is to improve the employment prospects of ethnic minorities residing in Georgia and, ultimately, to facilitate their engagement and civic integration process. Registration started on October 8 and will last for two weeks.

“This is a special program that we endorsed for ethnic minorities in early 2018. It is noteworthy that about 300 young people have successfully completed internships in the structural units of the central or local self-government of Georgia. These young people are a new generation and are outstanding members of our community, regardless of their ethnic or religious background. They have a very high qualification, a high level of proficiency in the state language, professional skills and experience.

Our task is to ensure that every citizen of Georgia, regardless of ethnic or religious background, has the best opportunity for self-realization. A strong country is a strong society. And a strong society is made up of strong citizens. The main wealth of our country, as a small country, is human capital, and of course we have no ability to lose it, and this is important for the development of the country. So their involvement, their activation, their encouragement in the political, economic, cultural or whatever direction they choose is extremely important. We are talking about 500 places in more than 20 public services or subordinate agencies – this is a great opportunity. Today we have such an opportunity and I assure you that in Georgia we have youth from Kvemo Kartli, Samtskhe-Javakheti, who are fully ready to get involved in all spheres of life and at all levels. This is a new reality that is the result of our consistent policy, which will be further intensified”, - said the State Minister.

The Public Sector Internship Program, developed by the Office of the State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality in cooperation with the United Nations Association of Georgia, is created for students participating in the Georgian language education program (“1 + 4 program”) and has been successfully implemented for the third year. The internship is announced twice a year - in the fall and spring.

Within the framework of the program, representatives of ethnic minority are given the opportunity to apply for internships through a competition. A specially created commission will provide interns with the established evaluation criteria. Successful applicants will be offered internships from one to six months in state agencies, local authorities and public law legal entities. The program is designed for 3rd and 4th year students, as well as postgraduates and graduates.

Today, the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili also delivered a public lecture at the Tbilisi State University on "Civil Equality and Integration".