Labor market research in the tourism industry in Imereti.

One of the contributing factors to the development of tourism is the training of qualified staff in this field. Many higher education institutions in Georgia train specialists of different levels for the dynamic and growing tourism industry. Akaki Tsereteli State University trains specialists in the field of tourism in Western Georgia and in particular in Imereti. Undergraduate and graduate programs in tourism are implemented here. The aim of the research presented in this paper is: to identify the demand of employers for human capital skills in the tourism industry, the consideration of which in educational programs will facilitate the employment of graduates. The object of research is the study of the professional skills required by the employer and which are necessary for the employment of the individual in the tourism industry. The research was conducted in Imereti in the sectors of the tourism industry where mainly graduates work (travel agency and hotel). A survey of respondents was conducted using a pre-designed questionnaire. As a result of the analysis of the obtained data, conclusions were made and recommendations were developed: 1) Foreign language teaching in all levels of tourism programs should be improved; 2) More attention should be paid to developing the ability to relate to clients and colleagues in relevant training courses; 3) The ability to work with IT systems can be developed by increasing the number of working hours in the Travel Information Systems Laboratory as part of relevant courses. Problems in this area will also be addressed by developing and implementing the following training modules at the Continuing Education Center: Service Basics - Guest service standards for all hotel services, reception and accommodation service standards, hotel management and information systems. Tab. 2, Ref. 4.