Article 24 (“Additional education”) of the Law on Education (2009) states that additional education is an integral part of continuing education and vocational training. It provides access to continuing education for every citizen who has a state certificate of completing higher, secondary, or vocational education stages. The additional education system aims at developing human potential and raising and improving academic and vocational training. In addition, it supports adaptation to constantly changing and updated working conditions, ensuring the active and effective participation of older citizens in the country’s social, economic, political, and cultural life.
Additional education is carried out in professional development and retraining institutions, relevant structures established in educational institutions, internships, vocational training courses, and other institutions licensed to operate in this field. “The Model Regulations of training and retraining institutions” (1997) and “Rules for the content, organisation of additional education and the issuance of relevant documents to persons trained in any area of additional education” (2010) were approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
In this regard, several educational institutions provide all or some kinds of additional education, vocational and professional training such as professional development, retraining, internships and staff development, repeated higher, secondary specialisation and higher technical vocational education, upgrading and adult education. For instance, The Baku Academy of Music, The Baku Choreography Academy, The State University of Culture and the Arts offers vocational education and training on the arts with introductory and main educational courses in relevant specialities.
According to the Law on Culture (2012), training qualified personnel in culture and raising their professional level are among the main directions of state policy. Generally, the Scientific-Methodical and Professional Development Centre for Culture under the Ministry for Culture provides vocational education and training on culture, cultural policy and arts. This Centre was established based on the merger of the Scientific-Methodological Centre for Cultural Studies and the Republican Centre for Training and Retraining of Employees of Cultural Institutions with the Decision of the Cabinet of Ministers on November 16, 2018. The Centre, which has 94 staff members, is a scientific institution that serves the implementation of state cultural policy, protection, development, promotion of cultural heritage, support for scientific development, the study of international experience, and the development of culture in general.
The Centre also organises professional development courses for employees of cultural institutions within the system of the Ministry for Culture. These courses improve the professional skills of directors of cultural centres, theatre and concert hall managers and staff, librarians, and staff of museums, children’s music and art schools, cultural associations and centres, art galleries, etc. Professional development courses are organised based on new training modules to increase human resources in culture. The curricula are based on knowledge and skills of specialities, creativity, innovation of cultural workers, laws and concepts in culture, state programmes, new approaches to cultural institutions, international experience and teaching new practical principles. In carrying out its activities, the Centre closely cooperates with all cultural institutions of the Republic, provides scientific-methodical and practical assistance to city (district) cultural institutions, and regularly organises training, seminars and master classes.
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