Employment program for Karabakh war participants

A new program is being launched in Armenia to provide employment for the unemployed participants of the Karabakh military actions. This includes those who participated in the so-called “April” or “four-day” war, i.e. the escalation on the line of contact in Karabakh in 2016, as well as the 44-day war of 2020. According to a study conducted by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, many of them can’t find work and need to acquire new knowledge and skills.

Under the government program, they will have the opportunity to take professional courses, receive scholarships, and even get paid for a probationary period with the employer. After that they will sign contracts for at least a year. Moreover, both the program participants and employers will receive financial support from the state budget.

The program launches as an experiment. If it proves to be effective, the government intends to continue it.

Below are the details on who can apply for the new project, how the state intends to support the military activities participants and employers.

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The government expects the following results from the project:

• unemployed participants of the “April” and 44-day war will receive a stable job,
• employers will be able to hire workers with the necessary professional knowledge and skills.

The program consists of three main components:

1. up to 5 months of professional training at the employer or in an educational institution,
2. three-month probationary period with the employer,
3. start of work (in case the employer considers that the program participant doesn’t need training or a probationary period).

If a participant enrolls in the first component of the program, they will:

• receive compensation of tuition fees in the amount of 50 thousand drams ($120 at the current exchange rate) per month,
• receive a scholarship in the amount of 50% of the minimum monthly salary (currently at 34 thousand drams, or $82),
• after graduation, sign an employment contract for a period of at least a year (during this year, the employer will receive state support in the amount of no more than 50 thousand drams per month, or $120).

If the second, probationary period of the program, is deemed necessary, the employer will receive a compensation:

• for three months, in the amount of the minimum monthly wage (to pay the salary of the project participant),
• for three months, in the amount of no more than 25,000 drams ($60), and for nine months, in the amount of no more than 50 thousand drams (to pay income tax and other payments).

In the event that a war participant is immediately hired (at least for a year) without training or probation, the employer will receive a lump sum payment from the state budget in the amount of 300,000 drams ($730).

Employers will provide information about vacancies and professional skills required to be hired to the Unified Social Service under the Ministry of Labor.

The service will make a list of unemployed, from which the employer will select the most suitable candidates for themselves.

Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan said that a tripartite agreement would be signed between the service, the employer, and the program participant.

This program of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is a pilot and will be implemented in the third and fourth quarters of 2022.

According to the project, up to 200 participants will be involved in it by the end of the year.

After monitoring the results of the pilot for this employment program, the government will decide whether to continue it next year or not.