Strategic focus on enhancing employment
On August 27, our colleagues – Senior Employment Specialist Olga Koulaeva and Chief Technical Adviser of the ILO project “Partnerships for youth employment in the CIS” Mikhail Pouchkin – arrived in Azerbaijan for a three-day visit to discuss with partners cooperation in employment, particularly in such an important area as youth employment.
First of all, the International Labour Organization helps the republic to shape its policy. ILO experts met with Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Population Metin Kerimli, Secretary-General of the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) of Azerbaijan Natavan Mammadova, head of the State Employment Service’s International Relations Department Heydar Jafarli and head of the State Employment Service’s Department of Living Conditions Analysis Azad Tagizade. They discussed preparation of a new employment strategy as a part of the Azerbaijan 2020 development concept.
Aside from providing assistance in elaborating the strategy the ILO implements in Azerbaijan two pilot projects to showcase advanced methods and best practices in enhancing youth employment.
The first project is being implemented in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital. It partially subsidizes wages to young men and women who face difficulties while entering the labour market and thus creates incentives for employers.
The second pilot project will be soon launched in Azerbaijan’s Geokchay District. Its purpose is to support youth entrepreneurship in rural areas. Certified Master Trainer of the ILO’s Start and Improve Your Business Programme Azad Rakhimov will be actively involved in the project. The ILO-developed programme has now been translated into more than 40 languages and introduced in more than 100 countries.
At the meeting with the ILO experts Metin Kerimli emphasized Azerbaijan’s commitment to stronger cooperation with the International Labour Organization, noting that this cooperation had already been getting concrete content in such fields as employment and social dialogue.
In case of effective implementation of the pilot projects the ministry would propose the government and the parliament to include wage subsidies and support for youth entrepreneurship into regular labour market programmes of Azerbaijan’s State Employment Service and the employment strategy for 2016-2025.
“We are satisfied with our mission’s results,” said Olga Koulaeva. “Among our plans for the near future are the ILO expert’s visit to assess the pilot project’s implementation, a roundtable meeting on employment issues and a conference on social dialogue. The ILO is also ready to provide support to Azerbaijan in drafting the employment strategy for 2016-2025.”
Aside from providing assistance in elaborating the strategy the ILO implements in Azerbaijan two pilot projects to showcase advanced methods and best practices in enhancing youth employment.
The first project is being implemented in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital. It partially subsidizes wages to young men and women who face difficulties while entering the labour market and thus creates incentives for employers.
The second pilot project will be soon launched in Azerbaijan’s Geokchay District. Its purpose is to support youth entrepreneurship in rural areas. Certified Master Trainer of the ILO’s Start and Improve Your Business Programme Azad Rakhimov will be actively involved in the project. The ILO-developed programme has now been translated into more than 40 languages and introduced in more than 100 countries.
At the meeting with the ILO experts Metin Kerimli emphasized Azerbaijan’s commitment to stronger cooperation with the International Labour Organization, noting that this cooperation had already been getting concrete content in such fields as employment and social dialogue.
In case of effective implementation of the pilot projects the ministry would propose the government and the parliament to include wage subsidies and support for youth entrepreneurship into regular labour market programmes of Azerbaijan’s State Employment Service and the employment strategy for 2016-2025.
“We are satisfied with our mission’s results,” said Olga Koulaeva. “Among our plans for the near future are the ILO expert’s visit to assess the pilot project’s implementation, a roundtable meeting on employment issues and a conference on social dialogue. The ILO is also ready to provide support to Azerbaijan in drafting the employment strategy for 2016-2025.”