THE WORLD BANK
Jobs Challenge Azerbaijan
Skilled Labor Force
In Azerbaijan, access to basic education - grades 1 to 9 - is almost universal and equitable. However, the country has not yet seen a visible improvement in terms of student performance at the general education level. For example, in the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) test for 15-year olds, Azerbaijan did very poorly: out of 65 countries, it ranked 64 in reading, 63 in science, and 45 in mathematics.
With regard to tertiary education, Azerbaijan’s government has initiated limited reforms, resulting in limited access and quality. The enrollment rate in university and college education is around 20 percent, which is low for an upper-middle income country, especially when when compared with 25.5 percent for middle income countries and 33.4 percent for upper middle income countries.
Access to tertiary education is not only limited, but also inequitable. In terms of quality, 54 percent of business firms indicated that lack of adequate skills and education of workers is a major obstacle, according to the latest Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS). An “inadequately educated workforce” is considered the third most problematic factor for doing business, after corruption and tax rates.
Although Azerbaijan’s overall ranking in the 2014-2015 Global Competitiveness Index is 38th place, the country’s ranking for the higher education and training pillar is only 90th, while the health and primary education pillar is ranked even lower at 104th.
Skilled Labor Force
In Azerbaijan, access to basic education - grades 1 to 9 - is almost universal and equitable. However, the country has not yet seen a visible improvement in terms of student performance at the general education level. For example, in the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) test for 15-year olds, Azerbaijan did very poorly: out of 65 countries, it ranked 64 in reading, 63 in science, and 45 in mathematics.
With regard to tertiary education, Azerbaijan’s government has initiated limited reforms, resulting in limited access and quality. The enrollment rate in university and college education is around 20 percent, which is low for an upper-middle income country, especially when when compared with 25.5 percent for middle income countries and 33.4 percent for upper middle income countries.
Access to tertiary education is not only limited, but also inequitable. In terms of quality, 54 percent of business firms indicated that lack of adequate skills and education of workers is a major obstacle, according to the latest Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS). An “inadequately educated workforce” is considered the third most problematic factor for doing business, after corruption and tax rates.
Although Azerbaijan’s overall ranking in the 2014-2015 Global Competitiveness Index is 38th place, the country’s ranking for the higher education and training pillar is only 90th, while the health and primary education pillar is ranked even lower at 104th.