An international meeting dedicated to the economic efficiency of dual vocational education, its benefits for employers and learners, and prospects for further development was held at the Hilton Hotel in Tashkent.

The event was organised within the framework of “The Region Revisited – One Year Later,” a regional initiative of DC dVET (the Donor Committee for Dual Vocational Education and Training).

The meeting brought together representatives of the Institute for the Development of the National Qualifications System, sectoral councils, government bodies, employer enterprises, vocational education institutions, and international partner organisations, as well as participants from Central Asia and Eastern Europe, including Uzbekistan, Albania, Serbia, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia, and Ukraine.

Held in a hybrid format, the event provided participants with an opportunity to exchange national experiences and discuss international approaches to the development of dual vocational education.

The meeting featured the findings of a cost-benefit analysis of dual vocational education conducted in Uzbekistan. The study examined 15 enterprises in the light industry sector and eight enterprises in the tourism sector located in the cities of Margilan and Bukhara. The calculations showed positive results for 14 of the 15 light industry enterprises included in the analysis.

Discussions highlighted that the economic efficiency of dual vocational education is determined not only by short-term financial returns but also by factors such as learners’ productivity, the training of skilled professionals, reduced costs of onboarding graduates, and the retention of qualified employees within enterprises.

Participants also discussed proposals to strengthen cooperation between enterprises and vocational education institutions, improve the quality of workplace training, train workplace trainers, and align dual education programmes with the actual needs of the labour market.

The meeting contributed to identifying further steps to improve dual vocational education in Uzbekistan, drawing on international experience and the findings of the national analysis.