SESRIC participated in the 27th Meeting of the COMCEC Poverty Alleviation Working Group, held on 16-17 September 2026 in Ankara, Türkiye. The meeting focused on the theme “Preventing the Skill Mismatch in the Labor Markets of the OIC Member Countries”.

Following the opening remarks and a presentation on poverty trends in OIC Member Countries, a draft report on preventing skill mismatch was presented to frame the discussions. Participants examined lessons learnt from selected case studies to identify viable policy options. The sessions continued with the sharing of national experiences, featuring specific presentations by Türkiye and Azerbaijan. The agenda also included perspectives from international institutions, the private sector, and NGOs, with insights shared by the ILO, SESRIC, and the OIC Labor Centre. On the first day of the working group meeting, SESRIC delivered a presentation providing a thorough explanation of the OIC-TVET (OIC-VET) programme, highlighting its ongoing initiatives to enhance vocational training capacities, build institutional resilience, and equip the workforce with relevant skills to mitigate mismatches in the labour market. Following the presentation by SESRIC, the role of COMCEC Project Support Programs in implementing practical solutions was discussed.

On the second day, delegates engaged in a policy debate to formulate recommendations for the upcoming 42nd COMCEC Ministerial Session. Key strategies discussed included developing labour market information mechanisms, aligning technical and vocational education and training (TVET) with evolving market needs, improving school-to-work transitions, and developing sustainable, inclusive financing for skills development. The Working Group remains a vital platform under the COMCEC Strategy for addressing shared development challenges through knowledge exchange and policy coordination.