Inclusive Plug Episode 7: Enhancing Economic Opportunities Through Non-Formal Skills Development

Skills development determines success in the labor market. It’s a strong predictor of stable and quality jobs among young people, women and other vulnerable and marginalized groups. Skills development goes beyond formal vocational education and training.

A lot has been done in the formal education system of Armenia. Despite a steady supply of an educated workforce, employers complain that they can’t find people with the right skills. Hence the vacant positions remain open or filled with unqualified staff. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the main employers in Armenia. They constitute 98% of all registered and functioning legal entities. They still need to enhance their own capacities to absorb new entrants to labor market. Conversely, not much attention has been given in the country to non-formal skills development.

Here is the seventh episode of the Inclusive Plug series. We have interviewed:

• Mkrtich Ayvazyan, Chairman of the Strategic Development Agency, RECONOMY's partner in Armenia;
• Alexander Gogoberidze, Regional Manager for the region of South Caucasus at RECONOMY;
• Katharina Walker, Senior Advisor for vocational skills development at Helvetas;
• Hovsep Patvakanyan, an Economist-Consultant of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Founder and CEO of the platform Invest in Armenia.

For the episode's intermission, we have invited a special guest from the Education for Employment project in North Macedonia (E4E@mk) of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, project manager Kurt Wüthrich, to speak about what they do in non-formal skills development.

Please send us your feedback about the episode in the comment section.

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