In 2017, the government decided to step aside from the 3-year compulsory vocational
Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning.
down concerned the inadequate development of the
vocational training system for various
population groups based on the principle "Lifelong Learning", that keeps out a significant
number of adults of labour market, as well as youth and people with disabilities seeking
employment
.
10
This decision demonstrates government's desire to build a new, flexible system
of vocational education available to all categories of the population.
The government set a goal to build a modern system of vocational education through bringing
the content of education closer to labour market demands, and also by transferring successful
practices of foreign countries to the reality of Uzbekistan and adapting them to the local
context.
At present, in the sphere of vocational education and training in Uzbekistan there are three
main trends:
Reorganization of vocational colleges and optimization of their total number. According
to the available so far unofficial information, their number will go down several-fold and
will amount to approximately 400 colleges;
Organization of vocational training for students of 10-11 grades in general secondary
educational institutions through the creation of training and workshop complex in
lyceums, colleges and schools (Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic
of Uzbekistan No. 868 of 24.10.2017);
Creation of vocational training centres for unemployed citizens network in all regions of
the Republic - it is planned to open 11 new centres with approximately 2.640 places
per year to study, with already existing 3 centres with 400 students (?) per year
(Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. 199 of 10.04.
2017).
The government's desire to reform the vocational education system with a view to improve its
quality through the introduction of flexible curricula, determination of training time from 6
months to 2 years (depending on profession complexity), commitment to make vocational
education accessible for people of all ages are the steps in the right direction. However, the
decision to optimize the number of professional colleges and transfer training to a partially fee-
based contractual basis may have a negative impact on ensuring access (especially for young
people) to vocational education. This risk will exist even if the government succeeds in creating
training and workshop complex for the 10
th
and 11
th
grades students (it is not yet clear to what
extent developed in such complexes vocational skills will allow young people to find
themselves in the labour market) and the network of vocational training centres for the
unemployed, since these capacities may not be sufficient for a country with a population of 32
million.
Although the corresponding legal and regulatory documents provide vocational training
diplomas for students of training and workshop complex, and vocational training centres for
unemployed citizens, it remains unclear whether the competencies that have been imparted
will be consistent. Assistance on the path of comparability (including with international
counterparts) and transparency could be provided by the national qualification framework that
determines the qualification levels in Uzbekistan in a transparent way. This labour-intensive
10
Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On measures to radically improve the system of general secondary,
secondary specialized and vocational education" of 25.01.2018.
process will surely take certain time and engagement of all stakeholders should be guaranteed
(primarily social partners).
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