Promoting a capability approach and impacting social justice through a wellbeing framework: a case study of VET reform in Georgia

Georgia is currently undergoing a VET reform, bringing together public, private, and social actors, based on the principle of solidarity. This paper aims to identify ways in which the Georgian VET reform can be a force for economic prosperity, as well as wellbeing for different communities. Results are presented through a comprehensive research methodology, mobilizing a state of the art through in-depth analysis of primary and secondary data sources, as well as seven semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with education practitioners and policymakers in Georgia. The article highlights how progress is hindered by a peculiar mix of Soviet era and neo-liberal legacies that has shaped a unidimensional human capital approach focused on economic growth. We suggest limitations to this approach, and instead propose to re-align the system towards the objective of wellbeing, employing a Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework and advocating for collectivized intelligence between actors. Through an innovative meta-theoretical framework, we emphasize the importance of historical path-dependency and lay out the context. We analyze stakeholder interviews through the SROI framework and suggest socially-minded changes, benefiting individuals and the society as a whole.