Uzbekistan will expand modern vocational education programs and career guidance initiatives in technical colleges, aiming to direct 200,000 school graduates into professional education in the 2026–2027 academic year under a presidential reform decree.
According to the approved priority reform program, “profession towns” will be opened at leading technical colleges in seven regions. These centers will introduce school students to modern professions in construction, services, industry, transport and agriculture through practical excursions, career testing and interactive workshops.
From May to August, schools will host annual “career choice weeks” with the participation of mahalla youth leaders. Authorities have also been instructed to identify 11th-grade students showing low interest in higher education and recommend enrollment in technical colleges as an alternative pathway.
To boost the prestige of vocational training, a national professional skills competition titled “Yangi O‘zbekiston bunyodkorlar” (“Builders of New Uzbekistan”) will be launched across 10 priority professions. At the regional stage, 700 prize winners will be selected, followed by 120 national winners. Prize payments will range from UZS 4.9mn ($390) to UZS 41.2mn ($3,260).
The number of technical colleges implementing advanced programs based on the experience of Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, China and South Korea will increase to 100, with 8,000 students expected to study under these curricula. Additionally, 60 modular training programs will be introduced, and Uzbek-Chinese workshops will open in 20 technical colleges.
Starting from the new academic year, students participating in dual education programs will receive monthly stipends. The base stipend will amount to 1 BCU — currently UZS 412,000 ($33) — and may rise to 3 BCU, or UZS 1.236mn ($98), for high academic performance.
To encourage private-sector hiring, the preferential 1% social tax rate for entrepreneurs employing technical college graduates will be extended until 2030, with a draft law to be submitted to the Oliy Majlis by March.
Earlier, Uzbekistan also approved a regulation allowing employers to reimburse university students’ tuition fees under tripartite agreements, provided graduates commit to employment after completion of studies — further strengthening the link between education and the labour market.
