Kyrgyzstan

Shaping the Future Workforce: Skills Development for Youth and Women

The overall objective of the Cheber project is to make upskilling and reskilling courses accessible, affordable and relevant to the current and future needs of the employers while supporting the professional and personal development of the target groups, comprising of employed, underemployed, unemployed population, including women and disadvantaged youth.

Project Name

Cheber: Skills Development in Kyrgyzstan
Project Phase

2023 to 2027
Funding

This project is an SDC mandate.
Thematic focus

Education and Vocational Skills

Why Skills Development?

In the face of evolving market demands and the persistent skills gap in the Kyrgyz labour market, there’s a critical need for accessible, relevant, and quality skills development. Especially for youth, including young women and vulnerable groups, acquiring the right skills is essential for economic participation and personal growth. The Cheber project aims to bridge this gap by developing a nationwide mechanism for effective short-term skills development, tailored to the private sector’s needs.

How We Work

Capacitating Key Partners: Strengthening the capacities of business associations and local training providers to deliver inclusive, market-based, and needs-oriented short-term training courses.
Enhancing Policy Dialogue: Engaging with stakeholders at local, regional, and national levels to improve the non-formal Vocational Skills Development (VSD) ecosystem.
Quality and Inclusion: Improving training quality and inclusion through sustainable financing mechanisms, with a special focus on supporting learners in finding decent employment opportunities post-training.

Our Goals

Develop and institutionalize the non-formal part of the VET system nationwide, focusing on upskilling and reskilling training offers for youth and young women, addressing both economic and social needs.

Inclusive VSD Ecosystem: National policies and framework conditions conducive to non-formal up- and reskilling for youth, women, and vulnerable groups.
Labour Market Integration: Effective delivery of short-term non-formal quality training courses, accessible based on private sector needs.

Who Benefits?

Our primary beneficiaries are young Kyrgyzstani women and men, aged 18-35, across the Kyrgyz Republic. Targeting at least 50% female beneficiaries, the project focuses on the employed, underemployed, or unemployed, including those from vulnerable groups. Local training businesses and institutional partners will also benefit from strengthened roles in VSD provision.