The President of Georgia personally participated in the construction of a profession college in Gldani and work alongside the employed workers. Mikheil Saakashvili took part in laying concrete, creating an iron fitting web, and unloading block and construction materials.

“I said that I would personally manage this technical education center, but first I want to participate in its construction physically and then become the manager of it. This is Tbilisi’s heart because the most oppressed regions were the suburbs of the city, but the most hardworking people live here. People live in poverty in the center and the suburbs, but this place in particular. This technical education center will change the picture here. We laid concrete here today, unloaded blocks and I also took part in the welding work. Many adolescents joined us as well, and this is exemplary that everyone is working, including the President” – stated Mikheil Saakashvili.

The President of Georgia also spoke to the people employed at the construction site and noted that they are helping their multi-member families with their work and this is why construction should never stop in Georgia; not even in the conditions of crisis.

“We must learn to construct rationally. We should begin more construction and these people should have higher salaries. Of course, not everyone can work in construction, but on the other hand, this college will retrain people in the future and they will find different jobs. Our goal is to end poverty in Georgia once and for all. Our bureaucracy should think day and night about what to do for Gldanians - the people living in the micro neighborhoods of Gldani, because this place had the worst infrastructure and the most poverty in the past” – added the President of Georgia.

Mikheil Saakashvili also spoke to the young people employed at the construction. Giorgi Chikviladze is from a family of 9, which is socially unprotected. While talking to him, Mikheil Saakashvili focused attention on education, namely on the importance of profession education centers and noted that learning new professions and raising qualifications will give people more opportunities to find jobs.

“Giorgi Chikviladze’s family is renting an apartment in the 8^th micro neighborhood of Gldani and he started working here. I asked him and he responded that he is the eldest child in a 9 member family. His father has an unstable job – producing and fixing furniture. They receive several dozen GEL as aid and that’s what they live on. His mother benefited from our insurance and which aided in the birth of a child, but of course this is not enough. Giorgi is already 15 years old and he is employed at a construction site. When this college opens we have to bring him here and teach him. Here he can learn professions that will lead to him finding a 1000 GEL salary job to better help his family. This is a way in which this specific family will be able to overcome poverty. It was a great honor for me to meet Giorgi” – noted the President.

Those interested, despite their age will have a chance to learn technical subjects at the new college including heavy construction machinery. It will train operators, electricians, sewing production specialists, accountants, and etc.

The Profession College will be equipped with a modern material-technical base and inventory and qualified personnel will be selected through a competition.

The infrastructure around the center will be rehabilitated, a swimming pool and a sports arena, which will be accessible for everyone will be constructed.

The Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulave, and the Minister of Education and Science Dimitri Shashkin, participated in the construction work with the President of Georgia today. The President laid a cornerstone at the construction on December 3^rd and the college will be opened in September.