Hosted by British Council in partnership with Junior Achievement Azerbaijan the national finals of Skills@Work Challenge competition took place on 27 January at the Grand Hotel Europe.

The event started at 10 am in the Baku Room and brought together 100 students from 11 vocational and technical colleges to compete on providing the best solution to a proposed business challenge.

Skills@Work is a project that promotes internationalism within the vocational education and training sector across 18 countries in South East Europe and the UK. Conducted as a joint initiative between British Council and Junior Achievement Young Enterprise, the Skills@Work Challenge is a national and international competition to encourage young people to use their skills in enterprising and innovative ways, ultimately increasing their employability and entrepreneurial flair. This year competition was held simultaneously in nine countries in South East Europe and the UK.

In Azerbaijan the contest started in October 2008, involving more than 300 students from Baku, Sumgayit, Ganja, Guba, Mingechevir and Lenkaran to examine entrepreneurial and teamwork skills. 20 teams progressed to the finals on 27 January, where they developed business ideas and presented their solutions to a jury. The jury panel consisting of business representatives evaluated the proposed ideas according to their feasibility, innovativeness and team’s presentation skills. British Council would like to thank Microsoft for sponsorship of the Skills@Work Challenge in Azerbaijan.

Six top scoring teams presented their ideas on "What product can be invented to minimize the negative effect of sedentary working?" at the grand final and the jury panel selected the winner teams:

1. Baku Bul-Bul Vocational Musical School, Team 'JAZZeri'
2. Guba Vocational Lyceum, Team ‘Citizen’
3. Azerbaijan State Railway Lyceum, Team ‘SOONG’

The first place winners - Mehran Ismayılzadeh, Sattar Orujov, Javid Orujov, Nijat Abdullayev and Arzuman Allahverdiyev got an opportunity to participate at the Regional Skills@Work Challenge competition in Sofia, Bulgaria on 12 March 2009.

Skills@work is a part of the Skills for Employability programme.