NATIONAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT SYSTEM IN AZERBAIJAN

NATIONAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT SYSTEM IN AZERBAIJAN

In the context of changing labour markets and more frequent requirements for skills development and transitions over a lifetime, ETF initiated in 2021 reviewing the state of the national career development support system in Azerbaijan. During the review process desk research and individual consultation interviews were conducted, national consultation meeting was organized that involved all relevant stakeholders to clarify open questions from desk research. In the review the existing capacities and development potentials of career development support system was presented, as well as country priorities for further system development and future planning were defined.

Key findings from the review

Main actors in the field of the career guidance and counselling are the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population (namely, State Employment Agency, Regional Employment Centres, DOST centres and Regional Vocational Training Centres) and Ministry of Education (namely, State Agency on Vocational Education and General Education and Higher Education departments including general, vocational and higher education institutions).

Collaboration of Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population and Ministry of Education is best represented in general education where trained professionals provide career guidance services for the pupils. At the same time the Ministry of Education has established vocational-oriented classes in general education schools. Pupils attending to these classes receive certificates of completion of relevant courses on given vocations.

Vocational education institutions carry out career guidance and counselling services for potential candidates, students and graduates. Thus, Open door days organises in vocational education centres for potential students and State Agency on Vocational Education organises job-fairs in cooperation with State Employment Agency.

Higher education institutions have established career centres to provide career-counselling, assistance in job-seeking, CV development, interview preparation.

Even though collaboration between the key actors exists, but it is not systematic and needs to be improved. At the same time, definition of “career guidance and counselling” missing in the Employment Law and the roles of guidance and counselling activities are not highlighted in local employment programmes. 

Training of career guidance practitioners in general education is carried out by the Education Institute under the Ministry of Education in line with the newly developed methodological tool. Skills of career guidance professionals from the State Employment Agency are upgraded through short-term courses. A qualification standard, occupational standard, curricula and assessment standard for Career Guidance Counsellor was developed within the European Union funded project in 2020. This kind of standards should be used for training of career guidance practitioners both by the State Employment Agency and Education İnstitute.

There are good initiatives of digitalization of career guidance services, such as ‘Alo career’ and ‘Bacar’. But considering current developments in regards with pandemics and also for the purpose of increasing wider access to services strengthening of digitalization is needed. 

Based on the above-mentioned findings the following reform areas have been identified for future development:

1. Strengthening cooperation and collaboration (focus on joint understanding of career guidance and counselling), as well as strengthening “career guidance and counselling” definition in the legislation
2. Developing training resources on career guidance and counselling, strengthening professionalization of practitioners in this field
3. Ensuring access to career guidance and counselling services in general, VET and higher education through strengthening digitalization

The review report marks the starting point of future cooperation on system development and enhancement.