81251731 — TVET and Higher Education for the Food Industry in Central Asia

Central Asia has a very young population. Youth unemployment will be likely to pose increasing economic, social and political challenges in the future. Consequently, there is a high demand for qualifying young people in accordance with labour market needs. The food processing sector plays a vital role for sustainable economic growth and employment in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. However, the shortage of qualified workers and managerial staff puts a substantial constraint on development prospects for the sector. The commissioning GIZ project ‘Professional Education in Central Asia (PECA)’ addresses this shortage by supporting vocational and higher education programmes for the food industry in the region. Special attention is given to employment orientation and the introduction of international quality standards. Moreover, the project actively pursues regional harmonization and compatibility of national professional education systems.