81280371-Development of occupational standards and training programmes, information campaign

With 33.3 million inhabitants, Uzbekistan has the largest population of the five Central Asian countries. Almost half of the population is under 25 years of age. Uzbekistan"s growing economy has resulted in increasing demands to the education system. The country has been making a considerable effort to reform its education system, including technical and vocational education and training (TVET). Still, the training of specialists whose competencies meet the demands of the labour market, continues to constitute a significant challenge. Currently, the TVET system is not able to prepare qualified specialists both in terms of quantity and quality. A significant number of TVET graduates either fail to find employment in their field of specialization or are employed under their level of qualification. Unemployment among persons under 30 is at about 15%. Hence, there is a gap between the training provided by the VET system and the demands of the labour market. One of the main causes of this gap is a lack of training programmes which are based on up-to-date occupational standards. The development of occupational standards reflecting the demands of the labour market presupposes their development in close cooperation with representatives of the relevant sectors of the economy. The cooperation between the TVET system and the economy in the design of occupational standards continues to be a major challenge. Equally important is the implementation of training programmes jointly by the TVET system and employers. The textile industry is one of Uzbekistan's most important manufacturing sectors. It has an important role to play in the development of the country"s economy. Uzbekistan is the sixth largest cotton producer and the fifth largest cotton exporter in the world. In the textile industry, around 70 businesses are opened every year. Around 2,000 businesses are united under the association Uztextilprom. Uzbekistan wants to gradually shift its industrial structure from raw cotton to the export of finished textiles, which offer relatively high economic added value. To achieve this, the country needs, among other things, well-qualified skilled workers. The German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has commissioned the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH with the project "Support of the Reform and Modernization Process in the Vocational Education System of Uzbekistan". The project focuses on supporting the reform of the TVET system through dual TVET approaches, exemplary for selected occupations in the textile sector. Demand orientation will be achieved through systematic cooperation with the respective industry and through practical vocational training in the workplace. The project aims to create sustainable opportunities for employment and decent income. The goal of the project is specified as follows: "The reformed vocational education and training and further training of specialists in selected sectors of the economy of Uzbekistan meets the needs of the economy."