2024-08-08 07:45:39
Azerbaijan to Provide New Specialties for Renewable Energy Personnel
As reported by Day.Az, the director of the State Agency of Azerbaijan for Professional Education, Jeyhun Keremov, said this in an exclusive interview with Trend.
He noted that this year the plan for admission to high-tech professions was also increased, providing the opportunity to move on to higher education.
“One of the most important issues is that 9 new specialties have been created this year. This meets both the requirements of the industry and the realities of the time, keeping pace with major economic, social and political events taking place in our country. This year, two new specialties have been created in the field of alternative, “green” energy. COP29 will be held in Azerbaijan, specific priorities have been identified for the “green” economy, and this year we are working on training specialists in the technical repair of solar panels and alternative energy systems. These specialties will allow us to train technical personnel in the fields of wind and solar energy, which are currently being formed in Azerbaijan. We hope that in this way we will be able to instill theoretical, technical and practical knowledge in representatives of our youth so that they become the best experts.
One of the new things this year is that work is underway to design several of our new educational institutions,” he added.
Kerem noted that the professional education system responds to the demands of the labor market more flexibly and quickly than other levels of education.
“The most important condition for this is that vocational education institutions and the Agency must understand the requirements of employers, their needs. Usually, we begin to introduce new specialties taking into account research on the labor market in the country, as well as the priorities of economic development for the next 5-10 years. Also, in many cases, we announce the recruitment of students for new specialties based on industry data, proposals from employers.
This year we will recruit students in 9 new specialties. In the qualification classification of vocational education, there are a number of specialties that are not needed in today’s labor market. They will be excluded from the classification. Therefore, we have begun work on changing the qualification classification of vocational education. Next year, new qualification classifications of vocational education will be introduced.
Two of the nine specializations I mentioned this year are those we have created in the area of alternative energy, in connection with the transition to “green” energy. Other specializations cover both new areas and new programs in traditional fields of study. For example, this year we are offering a specialization in drone maintenance and repair for the first time. Teaching in these specializations will be implemented as a pilot project in two of our educational institutions.
Also, every year the number of electric and hybrid cars imported into the country is growing, which creates a need for specialists who can provide services in this area. Taking this into account, we will conduct a year-long training of personnel in this area at a professional level. In addition, for the first time this year, we will create a specialty for the repair and maintenance of medical equipment.
In many cases, when working with employers, we find that the trained personnel, programs or specialties do not meet their requirements. Our agency is very interested in open communication,” he added.
The issue of vocational school infrastructure
The agency director noted that the infrastructure in the field of professional education today is not at the proper level.
“Considering that interest in professional education is growing every year, the number of places in terms of admission is also growing.
During the period of Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani lands, the infrastructure in the field of education, as in many other areas, was used to accommodate our internally displaced persons. However, it should be noted that at the same time, many modern educational institutions of vocational education already differ from the previous ones in that the requirements for vocational education have changed. In our country, over the past 10 years, fairly modern educational institutions of vocational education have been created – for example, in Baku, Ganja, Gabala, Jalilabad.
We can attract 10 to 25 percent of students who have completed the 9th grade to vocational schools across the country. We have enrolled about 4,000 people in vocational schools. We can see how great the need for vocational schools is. Our calculations show that 25 institutions in this area should be built or restored in the next 5 to 10 years so that we can attract more people to vocational education,” he said.
Monitoring the activities of teachers in vocational education institutions
Jeyhun Kerem noted that improving the quality of teaching is an important process.
“This year, for the first time, we are conducting the process of accepting teachers under the new rules. In subsequent years, certification is expected. At present, it is impossible to name a specific time. Conducting certification in vocational education is a long process. We accept students in 136 specialties. That is, conducting certification for each specialty is a process that requires sufficient time and resources. But we plan to conduct certification at the upcoming stages.
In many cases, the lack of rules on the issue of hiring teachers in vocational education institutions has led to the fact that those who did not have the appropriate education or experience were hired. They cannot prepare young people, students, for entering the labor market. And this creates certain difficulties for us. In the short and medium term, we will inform the public about specific actions in this direction,” he added.
Changes in annual tuition fees
The agency director noted that in the last two years, the per capita financing method has been used in vocational education.
“The transition to per capita financing allows for a more realistic assessment of the costs required to prepare students in vocational education institutions. Let’s admit that tuition fees in vocational education institutions in Azerbaijan in fee-based faculties are very low. For example, currently the tuition fee for a welder specialty is 650 manats. In many cases, the established amounts do not allow for paying teachers’ salaries.
In organizations where we are switching to per capita financing, tuition fees already vary for a number of specialties. For example, tuition fees for the specialties of “welder”, “computer repair specialist”, “cybersecurity specialist” are different. It is clear, for example, that training a record keeping specialist and training a welder are different processes. In this regard, there is a need to review the cost of training in the field of vocational education in the coming years,” he said.
Deficiencies identified in the Agency
D. Kerem also noted that a number of problems have been identified in many vocational education institutions.
“There are problems in several areas. For example, we had institutions that had serious shortcomings in distributing the teaching load. At the same time, serious shortcomings were identified related to the management of state property and the violation of students’ rights. We conduct regular monitoring and auditing in subordinate institutions, prepare reports. If we assume that an act has a criminal element, or that it is important to involve law enforcement agencies, we, naturally, contact the relevant authorities in such cases.
Unflattering moments must be eliminated, and the agency will step up its activities in this direction in the coming years. In the first six months of this year, we fired about 10 heads of institutions, several of whom received administrative reprimands. Constant monitoring of compliance with the rules will lead to the minimization and eradication of such cases,” he emphasized.
“Green” specialties in vocational education
D. Keremov emphasized that new specialties are being created in the professional education system.
“As part of this process, a recruitment of teachers was announced to train personnel for the installation and repair of solar panels, as well as for the operation of alternative energy installations and equipment.
Since this is currently a new field in Azerbaijan, we do not think that there are many specialists in this field in our institutions, and we are trying to train new ones.
To organize training and practice, we have begun work on creating workshops and are planning close cooperation in this area with energy companies in Azerbaijan,” he added.
Application of benefits for those who will study in vocational educational institutions in Karabakh
The agency representative said that it is planned to commission 8 vocational education institutions in Karabakh.
“An educational institution designed for 850 students is being built in the city of Fizuli. At the same time, we are designing such institutions in Gubadly, Zangilan, Aghdam and Shusha. Our approach is to ensure that the vocational education institution in each district matches the potential of that region. It is already known that all our educational institutions will have specialties related to “green” energy.
The Shusha State Center for Professional Education will provide training in such specialties as restorer of stone architectural monuments, master of artistic embroidery, and master of musical instruments.
At present, no specific benefits have been approved for those who will study in vocational education institutions in Karabakh. We have made a proposal that certain benefits be applied to those who return there and receive education in vocational education institutions. But this is still at the proposal stage,” he said.
Subscribe to our WhatsApp channel and stay up to date with the latest news!