12-Year Skills Development Initiative Begins in Kyrgyzstan

The «Skills Development in Kyrgyzstan» project, a 12-year initiative, was launched on December 14, 2023 by the Swiss Embassy and Helvetas Kyrgyzstan. Focused on providing relevant vocational skills to the Kyrgyz population, the project kick-off saw over 80 participants from various sectors, including business, education, and government.

This initiative will support the development of a non-formal education and training market through capacitating business associations, private and public training providers. It is further aiming at enhancing policy dialogue to create a favourable eco-system for non-formal education and training.

Swiss Ambassador Olivier Bangerter emphasized the project's significance in offering quality short-term skills training for better employment. “This project is important as it shall quickly lead to tangible results for Kyrgyzstani people, employed or unemployed, to find better employment through qualitative short-term and private sector led skills provision”, he stated. “This will be done in close cooperation and collaboration with the respective Kyrgyz ministries and institutions, as only joint efforts will lead to sustainable success”.

The project, funded by the Swiss government with over 12 million CHF, will also support employability, labor migrants, and efforts to validate non-formal skills nationally.