Technical and Vocational Education in Central Asian Countries

In the modern world, a country’s ability to develop economically, socially, culturally, and technologically directly depends on the availability and qualifications of human resources. The labor force is a part of the social population that has economic activity. The efficiency of the labor force is ensured by technical and vocational education, which, being part of the general system of modern education, is aimed at training qualified workers and specialists.

High-quality training of specialists is carried out by special vocational educational institutions that prepare and train people to improve their level of proficiency in the profession and, consequently, employment in areas that are most relevant for each specific country [Akıllı, 2022]. Typically, such training is carried out in schools/colleges after completing the necessary stages – basic secondary (9 years) or general secondary (11 years) education.

The peculiarity of this type of training is that the theoretical part of the training is carried out in educational organizations, and the practical or production component is implemented under the guidance of experienced professionals in training and production workshops, enterprises, or organizations. Upon completion of training, graduates receive a working qualification and/or a mid-level specialist qualification.

Areas of professional training cover various types of human activity that ensure the stable functioning of society: construction and public utilities, energy, mechanical engineering technology, agriculture and forestry, transport operation, mining, pedagogy, medicine, service sector, arts and culture, etc. With the development of the economy and the growth of technology, the needs for labor and the formats for its use are changing quite quickly, and countries must take into account this changing reality flexibly and effectively.

The human resources that make up the workforce represent various social groups. Among the general trends of the 21st century in the labor market, experts note the need to develop policies for the continuity or re-employment of a mature workforce, an increase in the labor force participation rate in favor of women and older workers [Dychtwald and Baxter, 2007], an increase in the number of migrant workers around the world [International Labor Organization, 2010], as well as a serious decline in youth employment, even though the demographic number of young people in some regions, in particular in Central Asia, is increasing,

As a result of globalization, areas of high employment in the world are gradually shifting from region to region and between countries, some sectors are losing relevance, others are becoming leading and high-tech, which is reflected in changes in the professional characteristics of the labor force. For example, industries such as manufacturing are shifting towards lower wages and cheaper labor [Reich, 2006]. On the other hand, thanks to information technology and technological developments, some other industries, including goods production and services, are increasing their volumes and requirements for workforce qualifications [Toner, 2011]. As a result, there is a certain discrepancy between the skills in demand by employers today and the outdated skills of job seekers. The reasons for this discrepancy, on the one hand, may be an insufficient level of awareness, planning problems, lack of strategic flexibility, and lack of understanding of development prospects and labor market expectations on the part of stakeholders. On the other hand, there are problems with the training and retraining of specialists and workers, uncertainty with qualifications and criteria, the inability of hired workers to quickly retrain and adapt to new requirements, and an imbalance of jobs in the labor market.

According to the Future of Jobs Report [Weforum.org, 2020], for the average worker, core skills remain relevant for only five years. These rapidly changing workforce criteria are creating a huge demand for vocational training. To help students adapt to a changing landscape, vocational education programs must be flexible in structure and delivery. Online learning provides this flexibility, which is why, as the Future of Jobs Report notes, the number of people self-paced learning online has quadrupled and the number of online learning opportunities employers provide has increased fivefold. In this regard, the importance of technical and vocational education in acquiring new professional qualifications and skills has increased, and the quality of this education has become vital [Güngör, 2020].

According to experts, the soft skills in demand in today’s market are technology compatibility, openness to learning, creativity, entrepreneurship, and communication skills. These necessary qualities establish the relationship between the areas of knowledge-production-employment, in other words, the presence of solid basic knowledge and modern training opens access to various production areas, which allows one to get the desired job vacancy in a highly competitive environment. However, today employers in Central Asian countries are increasingly finding that vocational education does not meet their requirements and the needs of the labor market, and the competitiveness of the existing workforce is weak [Dzhanibekov, 2024]

Obstacles to the successful implementation of vocational education in the region may be a shortage of modern materials and training resources, technological imperfections in the infrastructure of the production base, and rapidly becoming outdated software. The predominance of theory in the curriculum over practical exercises is also considered a weakness of professional training programs, most experts support the opinion that it is necessary to allocate at least 60% of the training load for practical training.

While technical and professional training to strengthen the economy is a common challenge for the entire Central Asian region, each country has its specific problems. Thus, in Tajikistan, the dominant young population is forced to leave the country in search of work; a shortage of jobs is also observed in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Hundreds and thousands of men from these countries leave their families and homes and go to near and far abroad. Recently, the number of women among guest workers has been increasing. To support the national economy and stop the loss of the most productive human resources, experts recommend creating new jobs, developing the private sector, and introducing some reforms in the public sector. Central Asian countries strive to create motivation for the return of labor and professional skills used for the benefit of their economies. In this regard, the system of vocational education and training of specialists play a motivating role in the industrial development and employment of youth and other groups of the active population in general [Kaktus media, 2021].

However, not all labor markets strive to maintain the flow of labor. The leadership of Uzbekistan, on the contrary, proposes to introduce foreign educational programs and ensure recognition of graduates’ qualifications in the domestic and foreign markets to improve the quality of vocational training so that graduates of vocational educational institutions can meet international qualifications and even speak a foreign language. Minister of Employment and Poverty Reduction Bekhzoda Musayev said that vocational education centers will organize training for people who go on migration, in particular, bus and truck drivers to Germany, which is experiencing a shortage of these personnel [Gazeta.ru, 2023]. It is further planned to radically update the classifiers of professions and the quality criteria of vocational education and training.

The national project “Quality Education. Educated Nation” was launched in Kazakhstan; as part of this project, by 2025 in the republic, all graduates of the 9th grade who wish to obtain a working specialty will have the opportunity to do so for free. Moreover, to immediately integrate college graduates into the production process, enterprises draw up applications in advance for the training of the necessary specialists, thus, jobs are already assigned to future graduates and employers can monitor and adjust the process of their training [Gov.kz., n.d.].

As for Kyrgyzstan, the government adopted the Concept for the Development of Vocational Education, in which special attention was paid to developing a network of organizations for vocational guidance and lifelong career planning. The Concept also provides for the formation of a network of centers (colleges) for advanced training with a reduction in training periods and rapid entry of young people into the labor market in modern specialties using digital technologies [Edu.gov, 2021].

To guarantee the quality of training, many European countries have systems for certification and standardization of skills, which ensures stability and facilitates control over possible problems. Through certification, clear expectations are set so that it is clear what is expected of both companies and students. Standardization provides clear rules for training, tests, and certifications that are valid in all parts of the country. Thus, enterprises, companies, government, and trade unions are responsible for the quality of training of students, which provides a greater level of control over every part of the system. This strategy was adopted by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

In recent years, in almost all Central Asian countries there has been a situation where the shortage of highly qualified workers is accompanied by the problem of employing graduates of educational institutions in conditions of limited jobs. Thus, issues of education develop into issues of labor migration. The main challenges facing Central Asian governments remain the creation of new jobs, facilitating the transition from unemployment to employment and the flow of jobs between sectors, strengthening economic and social sustainability, and ensuring an effective transition to green and digital technologies.

The regional program of “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH” ‘Professional Education and Training in Central Asia’ has activities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan [Eduinca.online, 2021]. The program’s purpose is to make professional education compliant with the needs of the developing labor markets in the region and to enhance the employability of trained professionals. Special attention is paid to teaching modern technologies, adapted to the economic and ecological requirements of the private sector, and the development and application of modern teaching methods. In close cooperation with partner institutions, courses of study are developed that meet the requirements of German and European educational standards (the Bologna Process).

In addition to harmonizing educational programs, the problems of teacher training and financing are common to all these countries. The international GIZ project “Professional education for economic growth sectors in Central Asia” is designed to help the countries of Central Asia in solving these challenges and some others, and at the same time use each other’s experience and successful developments, as well as the recommendations of foreign experts.

Strengthening the material and technical base of a professional educational institution, material incentives for teaching staff and training at seminars and training to develop their professional competence, and improving methodological support lead to the expansion of financial opportunities in educational institutions [Eduinca.online, 2024].

Today’s rapidly changing workforce requires a change in approach to technical and vocational training. We need very flexible training programs and new skills, it is necessary to strengthen ICT policies and attract more investments in this area to promote the development of digitalization of vocational educational institutions.

The social aspect and attitude towards vocational education in society should be mentioned. Societies in European countries recognize the importance of both higher and secondary vocational education. Vocational education is not considered “less prestigious” but rather as critical to the economy. Given the high demand for mid-level professionals and technical workers in Central Asian countries, there has traditionally been a strong preference for higher education as a symbol of success and social status. Parents and society often insist on obtaining a university degree. Meanwhile, University education can be more expensive and take longer to complete. However, it can lead to higher returns in the long run.

Vocational education also has significant benefits, especially in the context of current economic realities and labor market needs. Vocational college graduates can start earning money faster, which can be an important factor for families with limited financial means. The choice between higher education and vocational education should be based on personal interests, career goals, and economic circumstances. Technical assistance from international organizations, the World Bank, and specialized institutions is important for reforming and improving vocational education. The labor market is showing a growing demand for skilled technicians, and some stereotypes are changing.

References:

Akıllı, Ceyda, Arabacı, Imam Bakır and Kırcıl, Engin (2022). An overview of solutions regarding the problems in vocational and technical education, example of Elazığ province. Retrieved from https://www.jenrs.com/publications/JENRS_0103003.pdf. Accessed on 14.06.2024.

Dychtwald, Ken, and Baxter, David (2007). Capitalizing on the new mature workforce. Public Personnel Management, 36 (4), 325–334.

Dzhanibekov, Madibek (2024). The army of unemployed is not decreasing in Central Asia: features, reasons and what to do. Retrieved from https://www.inform.kz/ru/armiya-bezrabotnih-ne-umenshaetsya-v-tsentralnoy-azii-osobennosti-prichini-i-chto-delat-0e3a6e. Accessed on 15.06.2024.

Edu.gov (2021). The concept for the development of vocational education in the Kyrgyz Republic. https://edu.gov.kg/media/files/118d4b79-d6ea-4648-9c1c-56280444e7fd.pdf. Accessed on 15.06.2024.

Eduinca (2024). Professional Education in Central Asia. Retrieved from https://eduinca.online/. Accessed on 15.06.2024.

Eduinca (2023). “Personnel training based on dual education as a factor in the development of financial capabilities of the vocational education system” in Collection of articles//Second regional conference “Regional aspects of sustainable development of vocational education: challenges and prospects”. October 24–25, 2023 Baktria press, Tashkent – 2023. Retrieved from https://eduinca.online/regional-conference/. Accessed on 14.06.2024.

Gazeta.ru (2023). Minister of Employment of Uzbekistan – on the demand for workers in developed countries. Retrieved from https://www.gazeta.uz/ru/2023/10/0rofessional-education/. Accessed on 14.06.2024.

Gov.kz (n.d.).  Technical and vocational education. Retrieved from https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/aqmola-edu/activities/4130?lang=ru/. Accessed on 14.06.2024.

Güngör, Gündüz (2020). Problems and solution suggestions encountered in vocational skill training in vocational high schools: Teachers’ Views. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED615126.pdf. Accessed on 14.06.2024.

International Labor Organization (2010). ILO global estimates on migrant workers. Retrieved from http://ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—dgreports/—dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_436343.pdf. Accessed on 15.06.2024.

Kaktus Media (2021). Technical vocational education can be the key to success for many Central Asian countries. https://kaktus.media/doc/448501_tehnicheskoe_professionalnoe_obrazovanie_mojet_stat_zalogom_yspeha_dlia_mnogih_stran_ca.html. Accessed on 14.06.2024.

Reich (2006).  An introduction to economic populism. Retrieved from https://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2006/12/reich_an_introd.html. Accessed on 14.06.2024.

Toner, Phillip (2011). Workforce skills and innovation: an overview of major themes in the literature. Retrieved from https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/5kgk6hpnhxzq-en.pdf?expires=1718537560&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=640CE6369DA2B73886E8E9D258C15D32. Accessed on 14.06.2024.

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Note: The views expressed in this blog are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the Institute’s editorial policy.