Support for vocational training

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One of the biggest challenges on the Uzbek labor market is the structural discrepancy between the demands of the labor market and the existing qualifications of the workforce. Unemployment in Uzbekistan is high overall - especially among the younger population (15%) and women (13%). Insufficient investment in the vocational training sector has led to low quality training. In addition, vocational training is not sufficiently geared to the demands of the labor market, which leads companies to underestimate the added value of vocational training. The government sees short-term, practice-oriented vocational training and further qualification of job seekers as an important tool for closing the training gap and reducing the shortage of skilled workers. The aim of the project is therefore to improve the capacities and labor market relevance of practical vocational training in Uzbekistan. In this way, the project contributes to increasing the employability of unemployed people and improving their income opportunities. By expanding the supply of qualified specialists, the project indirectly contributes to strengthening the competitiveness of regional companies and the economic development of rural areas where the supported monocentres are primarily located. The main measures are the refurbishment or renovation of selected monocentres, the provision of technical equipment for practical vocational training and the strengthening of the capacities and management of the monocentres. The target group primarily includes unemployed people and, secondarily, young people and women in particular, who are disproportionately affected by unemployment. The project sponsor is the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction (MEPR). The project is being implemented in seven monocentres selected by the MEPR.