10.3 Quality Assurance in Adult Education and Training

Quality assurance in adult education and training in Georgia is primarily implemented within the framework of vocational education. It focuses on formal vocational education programmes as well as vocational training and retraining programmes aligned with the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).

The legislative foundations of quality assurance in this sector are primarily set out in the Law of Georgia on Vocational Education (2018, as amended) and the Law on Education Quality Enhancement, Ministerial Order No. 99/N (2010), and Government Decree No. 131 (2019). These regulations distinguish between:

• vocational education programmes (NQF levels 3–5), and

• vocational training and retraining programmes (NQF levels 2–5).

Quality assurance applies only to programmes whose learning outcomes are aligned with the National Qualifications Framework and lead to state-recognized certification. 

External quality assurance is carried out by the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE). Vocational education institutions are required to obtain authorization in order to operate and deliver vocational education programmes. For vocational training and retraining programmes, providers must obtain the right to implement programmes in accordance with Government Decree No. 131 (2019).

The external evaluation process includes institutional self-evaluation, expert review, and on-site visits. Evaluation is based on national standards covering institutional mission and management, teaching and learning processes, human and material resources, learner support and assessment, and cooperation with employers. Institutions are required to demonstrate that their programmes are relevant to labour market needs.

Internal evaluation is encouraged across all authorized providers and forms a critical element of the national quality assurance culture. Institutions conduct regular self-assessment based on authorization standards, involving teaching staff, learners, and social partners. The results of internal evaluation are used to support continuous improvement, inform institutional planning, and prepare for external evaluation processes. While the organisation of internal quality assurance is defined at the institutional level, methodological guidance is provided by the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth and the NCEQE.

Quality assurance in adult education and training has been further strengthened within the framework of the Unified Strategy for Education and Science 2022–2030, which recognises lifelong learning as a key policy priority. Reforms have focused on improving the relevance, flexibility, and accessibility of vocational and adult learning programmes.

Between 2022 and 2024, the NCEQE introduced updated authorization standards for vocational and adult education providers, emphasizing the integration of flexible learning pathways, modular curricula, and competence-based assessment. These reforms aim to ensure that learners can accumulate and transfer credits across different forms of education and training, contributing to lifelong learning and mobility within the National Qualifications Framework. 

Georgia has taken steps to align its vocational education quality assurance system with European approaches, including reference to the EQAVET framework. These principles are applied at the system level, particularly in monitoring and evaluation practices, rather than directly to individual providers.

Quality assurance system in adult education and training combines regulatory requirements with institutional responsibility for continuous improvement, with a strong emphasis on alignment with labour market needs and lifelong learning objectives.