Additional measures to ensure employment of youth and women identified

On July 14, chaired by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a video conference was held on the issues of increasing the employment of young people and women, providing them with a source of income.

For six months now, the whole world has been living in conditions of enhanced quarantine.In this difficult period, the main problem remains to support the needy layers of the population, providing them with a source of income.

Of the total number of unemployed in Uzbekistan, 732 thousand are young people, 834 thousand are women.

To effectively solve the problems of youth, on June 30 of this year, a Presidential Decree “On measures for radical reform and raising to a new level of state youth policy in the Republic of Uzbekistan” was adopted. In accordance with the document, the Agency for Youth Affairs was created, which has the necessary powers and financial resources to implement the state youth policy.

The Ministry for Support of Mahalla and Family has established a vertical system for working with women.

At the meeting, the head of state emphasized the importance of solving the problems of youth and women, and also outlined areas that require special attention.

First of all, the issues of training and employment of school graduates were discussed. This year 452 thousand boys and girls will graduate from secondary schools. 70 thousand of them will be able to get higher education, 85 thousand – professional education. It was noted that even if more than 95 thousand people are employed, it is necessary to provide jobs for another 200 thousand young people.

Therefore, it is planned to introduce a vocational training system at the school. Starting from the next academic year, school principals and teachers will receive increased salaries depending on the admission of students to the university, mastering a profession and getting a job. For this, starting from the 7th grade, the interests of students in certain professions are identified. Students in grades 8-9 will acquire knowledge and skills that will become the basis for mastering such promising professions as a programmer, designer, translator. Starting from the 10th grade, training will begin in such popular professions as robotics and programming.

It was instructed to establish 136 vocational training centers in makhallas by the end of the year, organize short-term courses in them, and equip 31 vocational training centers. The need to allocate 200 billion soums from the Anti-Crisis Fund to the Employment Promotion Fund was indicated, and training courses should be organized primarily in makhallas with the highest poverty rates.

The meeting also analyzed the current demand in the labor market and the willingness of young people to meet it.

In the new academic year, it is planned to train 215 thousand young people in 339 vocational schools, 212 colleges and 175 technical schools. However, the areas of study in these educational institutions do not meet the requirements either quantitatively or qualitatively.

For example, in the conditions of large-scale construction unfolding in our country, at least 50 thousand professional builders are required per year. However, it is planned to train only 13 thousand specialists in 170 colleges of the construction direction.

Or, despite the launched project “One Million Programmers”, only 12 thousand applicants will be admitted to vocational schools, colleges and technical schools in the direction of ACT.

Criticizing such shortcomings, the head of state instructed to identify the real need for blue-collar occupations in the labor market in the context of each industry and sphere, to develop a training program for especially demanded professions with the involvement of foreign specialists.

It was noted that large enterprises and clusters in the mining, metallurgical, oil and gas, chemical, automotive, construction, electrical, pharmaceutical, food, transport and logistics sectors, receiving state benefits and preferences, should themselves create the infrastructure for training workers. Responsible persons have been instructed on this issue.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations has been instructed, together with commercial banks, to organize training of young people in modern agricultural technologies.

As you know, during his trips to the regions of the country, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visits IT parks, pays special attention to projects in the field of information technology. Because in this area there are great opportunities to provide young people with well-paid jobs.

This issue was also discussed at the video conference. It was instructed to create training centers for information technologies in each district and city at departments for youth affairs and universities.

This year, “target plans” for the employment of 380 thousand unemployed youth were developed and approved by local kengashs. As a result, 270,000 boys and girls have been employed over the past six months.

It was noted at the meeting that the implementation of the program is not carried out uniformly everywhere, the responsible persons received a warning.

It was emphasized that by the end of the year, it is possible to create at least 10 thousand new jobs through the implementation of 2.2 thousand youth projects worth 360 billion soums.

Another important innovation for young people will be the creation of a venture fund under the State Fund for the Support of Entrepreneurship. Initially, $ 1 million will be transferred to the venture.

In addition, by organizing a competition for start-up projects, at least 10 best projects in each region, and from next year, at least 20 best projects will be allocated grants in the amount of 50 to 200 million soums. In addition, subsidies will be provided to young people for the construction of wells, the purchase of irrigation equipment, the installation of greenhouses, the purchase of seeds and seedlings.

Young entrepreneurs will be reimbursed for the costs of consulting services in legal, accounting, marketing, banking and other issues. The President gave instructions to the responsible persons regarding these measures.

The video conference also focused on issues of employment and improving the social conditions of women.

It was noted with regret that about 20 thousand women in the regions live in difficult conditions, many of them are on the preventive register.

The Ministry of Mahalla and Family Support has been instructed to organize short-term training courses on motivation and vocational training for 33,380 women.

It was instructed to form a list of women’s business projects for each district and city, to finance them monthly, to provide simplified loans and grants within the framework of the women’s entrepreneurship program.

Youth and women intending to obtain microloans will be trained in entrepreneurship free of charge, 5 thousand young people and women will be employed annually. For these purposes, a loan of the Fund for Reconstruction and Development in the amount of $ 2 million will be allocated, which, among other things, is provided for by a presidential decree signed on July 14 on financing the development of entrepreneurship and small industrial zones. These funds will be provided to microfinance and non-governmental organizations for the allocation of preferential microloans in villages with high youth and female unemployment. Since non-governmental organizations train and create 2-3 times more jobs using fewer resources than commercial banks. The return on loans is also much higher than in banks.

Therefore, it was decided to hold a competition among non-governmental organizations and introduce a system of grants to the best training centers.

The importance of accelerating projects to provide employment for 15 thousand women within the framework of the World Bank funds in the amount of $ 2 million was emphasized.

On the issues discussed at the meeting, the reports of the responsible leaders, khokims of Andijan, Namangan and Fergana regions about their experience were heard.

Providing employment for young people and women, creating through this sources of stable income for families is the main goal underlying the measures outlined by the head of state.