Monday, April 1 2024 15:16

ArmInfo.There is no limit to the number of beneficiaries of the Artsakh employment program in  Armenia. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia Ruben Sargsyan during a press conference on April 1.

"Yes, the program is designed for 1000 beneficiaries, but if more  people are willing to join it, there will be no problems or  restrictions, we will involve more," he assured.

Within the framework of the program 397 tripartite agreements have  already been signed between the citizen, the employer and the Unified  Social Service of the RA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

Sargsyan recalled that the program consists of 3 components, a  prerequisite for each of which is employment: vocational training,  practice, and joint vocational training and practice. Artsakh  refugees are most interested in the 2nd component of the program. As  the Deputy Minister noted, Construction and service sectors  predominate. In total, 6,792 Artsakh residents were registered with  the Unified Social Service, of which 4,418 received the status of  unemployed. 1,992 citizens of Artsakh managed to find employment. At  the same time, regarding those employed, Sargsyan clarified that this  is not about the beneficiaries of the program: "Employers often  contact us at the Unified Social Service and provide data on the  existing demand at their enterprises in terms of labor. This helps us  direct registered citizens immediately to a specific employer," he  said.

Sargsyan reminded that beneficiaries of the state program can be the  citizens of Artsakh aged 16 to 63, who were forcibly displaced to  Armenia in September 2023 as a result of Azerbaijani aggression.  The  program to stimulate the employment of Artsakh refugees was approved  by the Government of Armenia in January 2024 and consists of 3  components. The first component is vocational training followed by  compulsory employment for at least three months, the second component  is paid internship followed by compulsory employment for at least  three months, and the third component is vocational training followed  by paid internship and employment.

In the case of the first component, forcibly displaced people from  Nagorno-Karabakh will be offered vocational training lasting up to  five months. During this period, the employer must decide in which  educational institution and training center the training will be  conducted. The beneficiary of the program will be paid a scholarship  for 50 thousand drams and another 50 thousand drams for tuition fees.  Then, having presented a certificate of completion of the training  period, they will sign an employment contract with the employer for  at least 3 months and within three months the employer will be  reimbursed taxes for 50,000 drams. "At the same time, we will provide  both tuition fees and a stipend for participation days. And if the  employer does not sign the employment contract or terminates it  before the expiration of three months, then the beneficiary will be  compensated for the scholarship and tuition fees," said Minister of  Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan.  The second component  concerns gaining paid work experience and internships. A six-month  contract is concluded between the employer and the beneficiary, three  months of which are necessarily considered as paid work experience.  The authorities will provide the employer with 165,000 drams monthly  to pay the beneficiary's salary and related taxes.

After completing the internship, the employer undertakes to provide  the beneficiary with work for another three months, for which the  employer is paid a maximum of 50,000 drams per month for three months  to pay mandatory taxes. In the event of termination of the employment  contract concluded between the employer and the beneficiary before  the expiration of six months, the employer is obliged to fully return  the amount paid to the beneficiary as salary from the amount provided  to him during the internship.  The third component involves  everything together: vocational training, practice, and a mandatory  condition for employment.

To become a beneficiary of the program, please contact the Unified  Social Service, which has 49 offices throughout Armenia.