Occupational and qualification standards are a set of minimum requirements defining the content of work and working conditions that an employee must fulfil within a particular occupation or qualification.

These standards serve as a fundamental basis for organising workforce training in line with labour market needs, improving the quality of the workforce, and aligning professional competencies with international standards.

State bodies and organisations, legal and natural persons, as well as branches and representative offices of foreign legal entities, may apply to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population for the development or revision of relevant standards in accordance with labour market requirements.

Once a standard has been prepared in accordance with the established procedures and approved by the Ministry’s Board, it enters into force and is published in the Register of Occupational and Qualification Standards (https://professionstands.sosial.gov.az/ProfessionStands/).

During the first half of the current year, an additional 138 occupational and qualification standards covering priority occupations in the labour market were approved and included in the Register. As a result, the total number of standards in the Register has reached 1,700.

It should also be noted that work is currently underway on the development and revision of 332 occupational and qualification standards covering 166 occupations during the current year.