Cooperation between employers and vocational education institutions is today’s demand.

A conference concerning the cooperation between the vocational education institutions and employers was held with joint organizational support of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Economy and the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of Azerbaijan Republic at the State Vocational Education Center in Gabala. The purpose of this conference is to involve the employers co-operating with the vocational education institutions within the framework of state-private partnership, and to promote this process. First the video on the reforms carried out in the field of vocational education in our country was shown at the conference. Opening the event, the Head of the Gabala Region Executive Power Sabuhi Abdullayev made an extensive statement about the socio-economic development of the region and the actions implemented. Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sahib Mammadov stressed in his speech the development of the private sector being one of the priorities of the Azerbaijan’s economy, the importance of the development of entrepreneurship in the economic policy of state, and the necessity of recruting the qualified labor force for the newly established workplaces. Director of the State Vocational Education Agency under the Ministry of Education Famil Mustafayev made a speech and stated that the employer’s involvement in the vocational education system, the conduct of the staff training in conformity with the employers’ requirements, and the application of the system on state-private partnership in the education are important according to “the Strategic Road Map for the development of vocational education and training in the Republic of Azerbaijan” approved under the Decree of the head of state Mr. Ilham Aliyev. Mentioning that it is today’s demand to establish the co-operation at various levels between the vocational education institutions and the employers functioning in different sectors of the economy, Famil Mustafayev stated that the qualified and skilled staff training will substantially contribute to the process. Representatives of the international organizations such as the European Union's Baku office, United Nations Development Programme, British Petrolium (BP), British Council and Germany International Cooperation Society (GIZ), as well as the large business subjects, and local businessmen attended the event and expressed their views. For the purpose of identifying the interests and responsibilities of the employers with the vocational education institutions in the field of the state-private partnership, a survey was conducted among entrepreneurs at the conference. In the end, the conference attendees got acquainted closely with the condition created at the State Vocational Education Center in Gabala.