Participants of the training course for cooks
in Gori are undergoing paid internships at local hotels, restaurants and cafés.

Nikoloz Maisuradze and two of his classmates
are assisting the chef at Hotel “Laqi”; “I was working in a café preparing doner
kebabs when I realized that cook would be an interesting profession for me. Especially
the vocational course and not only the internship gave me the opportunity to
gain knowledge and experience” says the young man.

In addition to Nikoloz’ employer, the internship
program is supported by the hotels “Viktoria”, the restaurant “Chineburi” and the
café “Zhoze”.

The manager of Chineburi, Zurab lazarashvili,
says, that the project is a good opportunity for employers: “It is not easy to
find good staff. I am planning to open other facilities soon and now, I luckily
will not have to look for new employees. Three participants are undergoing the
internship in our restaurant and they have a great chance to become employed
here. Anyway, they and I have the same desire.”

In total, twelve graduates of the training
course are currently involved in the internship process. After completion, they
increased their employability and opportunities significantly.

The cooks’ program is implemented as part
of the EU-funded project “EU4Youth – Enhancing Youth Education, Employment and
Participation in Conflict-affected Areas in Georgia and Ukraine.” The
initiative aims to widen education, employment, and entrepreneurial
opportunities for internally displaced persons and conflict-affected youth and
encourages their significant participation in the community. In Georgia, it is
implemented by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and the Education Development
and Employment Center (EDEC).