30 Years, 30+ Stories: Azerbaijan, a path to a green and digital future

The strategic partnership between the European Union (EU) and Azerbaijan has strengthened in recent years, particularly in the fields of energy and sustainability. Azerbaijan has become not only a major energy supplier to Europe, but also a strategic partner in the development of green energy, reinforced by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in July 2022, aimed at integrating renewable sources into the EU-Azerbaijan energy framework.  

In March 2024, the EU and Azerbaijan announced that they would cooperate on wind energy to harness Azerbaijan's wind energy potential. This development has enhanced Azerbaijan's role in the EU's energy transition, creating opportunities to produce renewable energy for both local and European markets. Underlining the forward-looking nature of the partnership, EU Energy Commissioner, Kadri Simson said: “the EU and Azerbaijan's strategic energy cooperation has shown all its flexibility and dynamism. In 2019, there was only gas on the horizon. Not today.” 

Azerbaijan's commitment to sustainability will be in the spotlight from 11 to 22 November as Baku is hosting COP29, the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference. The ETF, with its focus on green skills and human capital development, will join other partners at COP29 in two panels. The first, on 13 November, will look at the future of skills in the green transition to a decarbonised future, and the second, on 16 November, will explore how Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) can be accelerated by integrating human-centred approaches that focus on inclusivity, equity and community engagement. 

The ETF support for reforms in Azerbaijan 

For decades, the ETF has been actively contributing to human capital and skills development in Azerbaijan, supporting the country's ongoing ambitious education transformation. With a focus on aligning vocational education and training (VET) systems with labour market needs, ETF initiatives aim today to create a skilled workforce capable of adapting to a green and digital economy. The ETF offers its help to Azerbaijan in addressing policy priorities such as lifelong learning, qualification systems, digital education, work-based learning and career guidance to ensure that citizens have equal access to learning opportunities that meet emerging industry needs. 

The ETF doesn't just focus on vocational education and training, but on all levels of education in Azerbaijan. A notable example is the EU regional programme ‘Supporting Education Reforms & Skills in the Eastern Partnership Region’ (EaP-SER), which was launched in 2024 with a budget of €2.5 million and is implemented by the ETF in five countries, including Azerbaijan. The three-year programme (2024-2026) focuses on improving the efficiency, quality and relevance of education systems.  

During the recent EaP-SER peer learning workshops on teacher professional development in Finland and Estonia last September, Vafadar Rizvanli, Chief advisor at the Education Quality Assurance Agency (TKTA), highlighted that in Azerbaijan “people's attitudes towards education are strong: you can do many reforms, but the most important thing is a society that is eager to learn and progress".  

Rizvanli also noted the usefulness of sharing perspectives in such peer learning events: "The examples of the Finnish and Estonian systems underline the long-term vision and the understanding that reforms take time: we will reap the benefits of the reforms we're doing today, and events like this workshop help us to compare our perspective and experience with European standards," he said.  

Margareta Nikolovska, ETF country liaison for Azerbaijan, underlines the ETF's commitment to Azerbaijan's education reforms: "The ETF promotes human capital development in Azerbaijan through policy advice and technical assistance, supporting ambitious reforms in both education and the labour market. Over the years, our monitoring in the Torino Process has been well received by the Azerbaijani authorities in their Education for Employment programme".  

Reflecting on the impact of the EU-funded VET for the Future project, implemented with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), she adds: "This programme is a flagship initiative of the EU, where the ETF has played a key role in shaping and supporting the work of the EU Delegation in Azerbaijan to promote the modernisation of vocational education and training institutions". 

Nigar Ismayilzada-Asgarova, Deputy Head of Department at the State Agency on Vocational Education and an observer in the ETF's Governing Board, underlines the achievements of the long-standing partnership: "I see our partnership as strategic and impactful. The partnership between the ETF and Azerbaijan, particularly in areas such as the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), lifelong career guidance, and Centres of Excellence, can be viewed as a fruitful collaboration aimed at enhancing the quality and scope of VET in Azerbaijan. For example, the adoption of the NQF has provided a structured framework for education, facilitating transparent qualifications that are recognised across Europe".  

She also notes that the ETF's involvement in digital education, particularly through the introduction of SELFIE in vocational training centres, has supported Azerbaijan's digital transition. 

"The ETF has also supported Azerbaijan in developing and building cooperation within the ENE network, which is important for cooperation and learning about international practices of centres of excellence, including participation in ERASMUS+ projects, where we expect the level of participation to increase in the future," says Ismayilzada-Asgarova, although she acknowledges that the capacities of the centres of excellence “need ongoing enhancement to better serve education and employment needs”.  

Ismayilzada-Asgarova concludes by highlighting that significant progress has been made through projects such as 'Establishing Dual-Like VET Pilots in Agriculture and Tourism in Gabala, Ismayilli and Gakh districts’ (ED VET) and the aforementioned 'VET for the Future', laying the groundwork for further ETF support in areas such as digital education and sustainable VET practices, in line with Azerbaijan's green economic transition and its role as host of COP29 in Baku. 

“In the light of Azerbaijan's evolving VET needs, future support from the ETF could potentially focus on integrating cutting-edge technology and digital skills into the VET curriculum,” she said. 

Setting priorities for education development 

Azerbaijan is deeply committed to strengthening human capital through an evolving education system in line with national and global priorities. The government has implemented various programmes and established new institutions focused on improving access, equity and quality in education.  

As part of the "Socio-Economic Development Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022-2026", the government is working to increase enrolment in preschool education to 50% for children aged one to five and aims to improve performance in general education through competency-based curricula and resource allocation for standardised tests such as PISA. 

In the 2023-2024 school year, Azerbaijan advanced digital education by connecting more than 4,305 educational institutions to the Azerbaijan Education Network (AEN) and the Internet, with some 1,824 schools now using fibre-optic connections. Reflecting the needs of a modern workforce, the country has expanded its vocational education offering to include nine new specialisations for the 2024-2025 academic year. 

Youth employment remains a key focus, as evidenced by the 2018 Education and Employment Strategy and subsequent action plans, which aim to reduce the NEET (young people not in employment, education or training) rate to 15% by 2030.  

The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population has embarked on a digital transformation programme, with over 90% of its services now available online. This streamlined approach processes millions of transactions and connects data across nearly 80 agencies, providing comprehensive support for citizens' workforce and education needs. The recent amendments to the 2024 Employment Act introduced a targeted employment programme to improve employment opportunities for vulnerable groups. 

To further strengthen Azerbaijan's workforce, VET has become a focal point of national policy. Efforts are underway to improve the relevance and quality of VET through digital learning initiatives, expanded VET specialisations and international cooperation. Jeyhun Karamov, Director of the State Agency for Vocational Education and Training under the Ministry of Science and Education, shared his perspective on these advances: 

"Azerbaijan's recent VET reforms are closely aligned with the country's digital and economic needs, ensuring that our workforce is equipped with essential skills for the future. Through the establishment of modern VET centres, improved digital admissions systems and targeted skills development programmes, we aim to develop a skilled workforce ready for Industry 4.0. Our participation in initiatives such as WorldSkills allows us to benchmark the skills of our students internationally, helping us to integrate best practices into our curriculum," he said. 

Karamov also highlighted the importance of vocational education and training in promoting resilience across sectors, especially in underdeveloped regions. He emphasised how ETF support could strengthen capacity in these areas, enabling critical advances in skills, governance and quality assurance mechanisms, which in turn will create pathways to employment in key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, hospitality and ICT. 

"With the ETF's support, we can further strengthen the capacity of VET institutions. The ETF could play a crucial role in facilitating reforms in modernising qualifications and setting up qualification systems, providing quality assurance and governance mechanisms,” said Karamov. “Through excellence in teaching and learning in VET and lifelong learning policies, the ETF would directly contribute to increasing the accessibility and attractiveness of vocational education and training, thereby supporting Azerbaijan's long-term goals of diversifying its economy and boosting employment”. 

During the ETF's recent mission to Azerbaijan, Margareta Nikolovska highlighted the importance of these partnerships in promoting human capital development and alignment with EU projects. Her reflections highlighted how the ETF is strengthening its role in country’s education reform, including in light of Azerbaijan's role as host of COP29: 

"Our last mission underlined our commitment to advancing human capital initiatives in Azerbaijan, particularly in VET, digital education and green agenda,” Nikolovska explained. “We're working closely with our partners to ensure that reforms meet the needs of both the economy and climate change goals. As we move forward, the ETF is well placed to support Azerbaijan's aspirations for a greener, more digitally integrated future workforce".