Employment programs in Armenia for refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh

Jan 11 2024
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Employment of NK refugees

The Armenian government approved another support program for refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh. Now they will be able to receive additional professional training and get jobs in Armenia. About 1,000 people are expected to benefit.


  • “The past year has resulted in losses and brought Armenia back to square one.” Opinion
  • “It is necessary to negotiate with Baku on Nagorno-Karabakh’s autonomy” – Samvel Babayan
  • Karabakhi Armenians appeal to the world. What should they expecte? Opinions

The government draft stipulates employers providing vacancies to refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh. It is specified that these should be people with certain professional knowledge and skills.

The government has also decided to help Karabakh Armenians get additional vocational training to “become more competitive in the labor market” and get stable jobs.

According to Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan, the program has already been tested. Beneficiaries of similar projects were servicemen who participated in the April 2016 war and the 44-day war in 2020.

“We have been monitoring the situation for more than a year [after the beneficiaries’ participation in the programs] and made sure that more than 70 percent of the participants who received education and training under similar programs continue to remain on the labor market.”

The country is trying to create conditions for the full integration of Karabakh Armenians. All the details about what is being done, people’s stories and the proposal of a human rights activist

According to the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, the program includes 3 areas:

  1. vocational training
  2. gaining work experience
  3. employment.

Vocational training will last 6 months. During this period the beneficiary will be paid a monthly stipend of 50,000 drams ($125) and the same amount as compensation for the tuition.

Upon completion of the training, an employment agreement between the employer and the beneficiary for at least 3 months would be concluded. The employer will be provided with an amount of 50,000 drams per month for three months as compensation for taxes and compulsory payments.

In the second stage, which entails gaining work experience, an employment contract will be concluded between the beneficiary and the employer for at least 6 months. The first 3 months will be a paid internship. Under this component of the program, the employer will be compensated for paying the beneficiary’s salary for 3 months. The monthly salary will be 165,000 drams ($412.5).

The third stage entails organization of a 6-month training, during which the beneficiary will receive compensation for training and a stipend. At the end of this stage, an employment contract will be signed with him for a minimum of 6 months, of which 3 months will be a paid internship. In this case also the employer will be provided with 3 months compensation for the beneficiary’s salary of 165,000 drams.

https://jam-news.net/employment-of-nk-refugees-in-armenia/