The Government of Azerbaijan is committed to diversifying the economy and strengthening the non-oil sector. The availability of a skilled and qualified workforce is critical to achieve this, and therefore, improving the quality of education is a high priority. This includes developing the vocational education and training (VET) system and the importance of this was recognised by the Government in the 2016 Strategic Roadmap.

Improving the quality of education and investing in young people’s skills and employability goes in line with the EU Eastern Partnership’s key priority of "Mobility and people-to-people contacts’’, as well as the EU-Azerbaijan Partnership Priorities. Therefore, the EU dedicated one of its annual cooperation programmes for Azerbaijan to increasing the market relevance of VET.

This EU-funded project aims to support the modernisation of VET institutions in Azerbaijan to deliver competency-based training. Project activities are delivered in 8 VET centres (4 in Baku and 4 in the regions - Ganja, Jalilabad and Sheki). The project promotes public-private cooperation and partnership in the field of work-based learning, building robust capacity of the VET institutions to offer new educational content and boosting the attractiveness of VET for youth.

The project’s main goal is to support the Government of Azerbaijan in strengthening the quality of the VET system by modernising institutions and supporting them in delivering competence-based training suited to the needs of the labour market. The specific objectives are:
• Introduction of innovation in the management, services, teaching methods and educational content of the selected VET Centres via creating development plans, providing training, supporting the creation and implementation of new educational programmes;
• Infrastructure and equipment modernisation in the selected VET Centres;
• Development of networking and coordination of VET providers in Azerbaijan by establishing the National Skills Council, and delivering training courses.

The project will also adopt the following horizontal measures designed to support the State Agency for Vocational Education in promoting VET: i) implementing a competitive financing mechanism for VET institutions with the aim to help them to test out new income generation initiatives, ii) developing and implementing a communication strategy to increase the attractiveness of VET, and iii) supporting some pilot actions, such as volunteering and international competitions, to engage youth in VET.

- The institutional & human resource capacity of selected VET Centres is strengthened through trainings, study tours and tailored meetings, and career guidance services are created;
- Infrastructure, equipment, and supplies are procured to support new educational programmes (inclusive courses, work-based learning, dual diploma, and international certification), and learning factories, workshops, and TV Studio;
- Innovative approaches (green and future skills, digitalisation and virtual reality) in VET are piloted in line with the best practices from the EU;
- The networking of national VET institutions is elevated through the National Skills Council and Advisory Boards created by the project;
- The cooperation with the private sector is enhanced, and the competitive financing mechanism is piloted to create new sources of income for VET Centres;
- Branding and prestige of VET is improved, and pilot actions are implemented to involve more youth.