Vocational education is at the core of the workforce's development and can serve as a starting point for the promotion of sustainable practices in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study explores the level of awareness and inclusion of SDGs among vocational teachers in Georgia; examine their pedagogical practices, the inclusion of principles of sustainability within teaching; and the challenges faced in the process of promoting sustainability within vocational education. It strives to provide action-level insights for advancing a more sustainable and inclusive approach to vocational training in Georgia by identifying current gaps and opportunities.

This article investigates the perceptions of vocational educators in relation to SDGs, views on the relevance of sustainability in vocational training, and strategies for connecting practical skills with sustainable development through interviews and focus group discussions conducted among vocational educators from across the state of Georgia. The qualitative approach provides insight into how vocational teachers understand and represent sustainability in their teaching.

The findings reveal varying levels of SDG awareness, depending on the level of institutional support and resources available. While many teachers responded as being somewhat aware of the importance of sustainability, there seems to be a gap in understanding how to put that into good practice. The most frequent barriers mentioned are a lack of professional development, curriculum guidance, and resources. However, some interesting practices do take place, such as integrating SDG-related projects with industry needs, fostering critical thinking about issues of sustainability, and contextualizing concepts using local examples.

The study identifies gaps in the awareness and integration by Georgian vocational teachers of SDGs in their practices, although some initiatives like the Georgian Skills Agency's institutional strengthening program have aimed at aligning vocational education with the SDGs, these efforts have been limited in scope and impact. While such initiatives have raised awareness, they are not enough to create systemic and transformative change. Among the major challenges are inadequate teacher professional development, curricular constraints, and resource insufficiency. Though, vocational teachers showed willingness in adopting sustainable practices. Such targeted professional development programs, providing practical teaching resources, and an instrument of fostering collaboration with industries are hence recommended to strengthen teachers' competencies in embedding sustainability into the vocational education stream.

Keywords: Vocational education, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), sustainability, teacher professional development, Georgia.