Uzbekistan
NIRAS
1 Qoratosh Street, Tashkent 100027,
Republic of Uzbekistan
This office was established to serve as a project outpost for the Skills for Key Industries and Labour Market Linkages (SKILL-UP) programme, which you can read about below. Nevertheless, our presence in Tashkent reflects a broader commitment to support interested partners across sectors with high-quality advisory and implementation services.
About SKILL-UP
According to the World Bank, in 2025, just over 14.6 million people in Uzbekistan – less than half of its population – were employed. To sustain economic growth, which reached 6.5% in 2024, job creation must be expanded and entrants to the job market better absorbed.
Envisioning decent employment for all, SKILL-UP works to connect adults in labour market transition (ALMT)—particularly women, returnee migrants, and the unemployed—with job opportunities in key industries. The programme is helping set up a responsive and sustainable non-formal skills and employment system, engaging the private sector to ensure its alignment with regional market demands and scalability nationwide.
Currently piloted in the viloyats (regions) of Tashkent, Samarkand, and Kashkadarya, the programme works toward these outcomes:
- Standardised career counselling and diagnostics embedded in employment centres, with functional referral systems and employer outreach to help ALMT access guidance, training, and jobs.
- Employer-led, non-formal training in priority industries based on identified skills, knowledge, and attitude gaps, with certifications given through qualification assessment centres.
- Digital matching and coordination platforms integrating ALMT profiles with other information to enable effective job matching and generate rich labour data that can inform national ministries.
Reach out if you have any questions
