On 12 April, the UNDP in Armenia held an event aimed at introducing labour force pilot analysis for supporting the demand-driven vocational education and training system (VET). The results of the analysis will contribute to the informed decision-making while planning VET enrollments on the annual bases.
The task of reproduction of the employed labour force sets out the main direction of labour market analysis which is important for the planning of VET enrollments and delivery of professional education.
The event was organized in the framework of the UNDP “Unleashing Employment and Income Generating Opportunities for Youth in the Regions of Armenia” project. Launched in April 2022, the project aims to uncover youth’s potential in the regions of Armenia through improved education opportunities, facilitated transition from education to the world of work and fostered entrepreneurship.
“For many years UNDP in Armenia has been supporting professional education and employment sectors to ensure equal access to learning opportunities and boost youth employment. We have advanced human-centric models and policies in the field of vocational education and training. We hope this analytical work, produced in partnership with the Ministries of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, and Labour and Social Affairs, will inform policy- and decision-making processes to better bridge education programs with labor market demand,” said UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Armenia Konstantin Sokulskiy.
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During the event, participants including high-level representatives of the government bodies, stakeholder organizations, expert and donor communities, as well as policy makers and technical professionals were provided with an overview of the quantitative methodology aimed at labor market analyses based on the labor force survey (LFS) and underpinned by the relevant statistical tools derived from the best international practices with the purpose to provide recommendations for demand-driven planning of VET enrollments across different occupations.
Araksia Svajyan, the RA Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport, has stated that as per the Education Development Strategy 2030, there are plans to define the list of specialists and educational institutions that cater to the demands of the Armenian economy in the field of primary and secondary vocational education and training systems/ vocational education and training system (VET).
“It is crucial for us to have labor market demand information to ensure that the profession specification and training processes are targeted and effective. Additionally, it allows us to plan the required number of professionals. I firmly believe that the methodology employed, which has already generated some data, will serve as a benchmark for us in the near future,” she said.
The presentation aimed at enhancing the capacity of government bodies and other concerned stakeholders to review, adjust, and implement national training policies and strategies in line with the labor market demand for qualified labor force.
Victoria Aydinyan, Adviser to RA Deputy Prime Minister, expressed her gratitude to the UNDP and state agencies involved in creating the pilot study-analysis and methodology. She emphasized that in today’s rapidly changing world, the development of human capital and systems to support it are essential.
“The presence of a labor market analysis tool is crucial; one of the primary functions of labor market regulation in the changing world is to address the problem of information asymmetry by the state. The state is the most significant beneficiary of the data generated, as labor market analysis insights should be integrated into policies in the domains of economic, educational, and social protection,” said Victoria Aydinyan.
