A Cooperation Memorandum aimed at strengthening private sector engagement in vocational education for the tourism and hospitality sector has been signed between the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Uzbekistan Hotel Association, the Institute for the Development of the National Qualifications System, the Institute for the Development of Vocational Education, and the Swiss VET4UZ Project. In addition, the parties approved the Strategy for Strengthening Employer Engagement in Vocational Education and the Action Plan for the current year.

The partnership is designed to elevate cooperation among government institutions, employers, and vocational education providers to a new level, promote the institutional development of the dual vocational education system, and further align education with labor market needs.

The primary objective of the cooperation is to advance the dual vocational education model based on Swiss best practices, strengthen employers' participation in vocational education, and equip graduates with modern professional competencies that are highly demanded in Uzbekistan’s rapidly growing tourism and hospitality industry.

Under the Memorandum, cooperation will focus on the following priority areas:

• developing qualifications and occupational standards aligned with labor market needs;
• modernizing vocational education programmes with the active participation of employers;
• expanding work-based learning within the dual education model;
• improving qualification assessment and quality assurance mechanisms;
• strengthening the role of the private sector in the governance of vocational education.

The approved Strategy establishes a long-term framework for institutionalizing public-private partnerships, developing occupational standards and educational programmes under employer leadership, expanding work-based learning, improving qualification assessment systems, and creating sustainable mechanisms for private sector engagement in vocational education.

To ensure the effective implementation of the Strategy, the partners also approved the Action Plan for the current year. The Plan provides for the establishment of a Technical Working Group under the Uzbekistan Hotel Association, the development of occupational standards led by employers, the design of dual vocational education programmes, capacity-building initiatives for national experts and employers, and regular monitoring of implementation.

This partnership represents an important step toward modernizing Uzbekistan’s vocational education system in line with contemporary requirements, strengthening effective cooperation between the public and private sectors, preparing a competitive workforce that meets labor market demands, and supporting the sustainable development of the tourism and hospitality sector.