The compound crisis has a critical impact on the economic resilience and labour market in the country and in target regions. Both community residents and displaced persons prioritize among others initial support to engage in income-generating activities, cover cost of trainings and job placement to build stability and lay a foundation for resilient economies.

To go hand in hand with the country’s needs, UNDP in Armenia keeps taking targeted interventions in the fields of employment and income generation for the hardest hit groups, notably women and youth residing in the bordering communities of Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik and Syunik regions.

Starting from 1 October 2021, about 135 direct beneficiaries, including unemployed women and newly graduates, have been provided with employment opportunities through 3-month on-job training and internship schemes at the premises of the regional employers across Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik and Syunik regions.   

The initiative is implemented within the framework of “Strengthening Stability and Resilience of the Bordering Communities in Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik and Syunik Regions” project (3rd phase) funded by the UK Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF). The goal of the project is to unpack actionable solutions to contribute to the building of safe and resilient bordering communities across the three target regions.     

During the compound crisis skills and employment are considered among the major building blocks to achieve stability, reintegration and socio-economic resilience of the  bordering communities. Therefore, the intervention, in close cooperation with the RA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, is considered to be urgent to mitigate negative consequences of the crisis contributing to the better livelihoods, skills development and building of social cohesion targeting the most vulnerable segments of population, with the strong focus on unemployed women and fresh graduates who want to enter the regional labor markets for the first time.