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From Upgraded Vocational Skills to Decent Employment

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  • From Upgraded Vocational Skills to Decent Employment

    PRESS RELEASE
    United Nations Development Programme / Armenia
    14 Petros Adamyan St., Yerevan 0010
    Contact: Mr. Hovhannes Sarajyan, Communications Associate
    Tel: +37410 566 073
    E-mail: [email protected]<mailto:hovhannes.sa [email protected]>
    Web site: http://www.undp.am


    From Upgraded Vocational Skills to Decent Employment

    Yerevan, 21 April 2010 - Today Ms. Dafina Gercheva, UN Resident
    Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia and Mr. Mkhitar
    Mnatsakanyan, RoA Minister of Labor and Social Affairs signed a Letter
    of Agreement on organization and conduct of large-scale vocational
    re-trainings with further job placement for registered unemployed
    focusing on youth unemployment in the regions of Armenia.

    UNDP "Vocational Education and Training (VET) System" Project,
    together with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, organized last
    year 2-3 month training programs for unemployed to retrain them in
    vocational specialties demanded by the labor market. At the peak of
    crisis, this initiative was aimed to address the growing level of
    unemployment in Armenia. The first series of vocational re-trainings
    with further job placement requirement were initiated in August 2009
    and proved to be very successful: 170 unemployed participated in the
    program and 75% of them are already placed at different jobs across
    the country.

    In light of this, UNDP in Armenia came forward to continue the support
    to the employment sector and initiated the second phase of the project
    with a total budget of USD 140,000 for 2010. The retraining programs
    have a strong practical component and are seen as a part of active
    labor market (ALM) policy, which is one of the remedies along with
    existing social safety instruments like public works, family benefits,
    expansion of unemployment benefits, to support the most vulnerable
    layers of the Armenian society. The project will allow to upgrade the
    skills of more than 400 unemployed people in different sectors of
    vocational occupations (artisan, services, agriculture, IT,
    construction, etc.) currently demanded in the domestic labor market to
    boost employment and income generation.

    "This is yet another example of successful partnership between the
    UNDP in Armenia and the national counterparts when targeted, rapid and
    flexible response provides the necessary remedies to development
    challenges, such as the impact of the global financial and economic
    crisis on the most vulnerable layers of the society. Poverty reduction
    and ensuring access to basic social and economic services for the most
    vulnerable layers of the society are the priority areas of the UNDP
    activities in the country. Developing national capacities is one of
    the most effective ways of fostering human development," said
    Ms. Gercheva, UN RC/UNDP RR.

    "I am sure that this type of projects representing ALM instruments
    will have positive impact and will mitigate the consequences of
    economic crisis in employment sector," stressed Minister Mnatsakanyan
    in his speech.

    A strong tripartite partnership is already in place between UNDP VET
    Project, State Employment Service Agency and vocational training
    providers, which is a strong prerequisite for the successful
    implementation of the project's second phase. This time UNDP
    assistance has tripled addressing almost all the regions of Armenia
    with the special focus on youth from remote communities. The duration
    of the professional trainings will vary from 2 up to 4 months based on
    the core content of the VET state curricula to be introduced and
    delivered.

    ###

    UNDP is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and
    connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help
    people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries,
    working with them on their own solutions to global and national
    development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on
    the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners. UNDP in Armenia was
    established in 1993 and supports the Government of Armenia to reach
    its own development priorities and the Millennium Development Goals by
    2015.
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