Preparing Graduates for the Job Market: Parliament Discusses New Approaches
Uzbekistan
Graduate employment, workforce training aligned with economic demand, and stronger cooperation between universities and employers became the central focus of the latest Government Hour in the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis.
Initiated by the Adolat Social Democratic Party faction and the Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, the session featured a report by Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Kongratbay Sharipov, who outlined ongoing reforms and answered lawmakers' questions.
Beginning in 2025, state education quotas have been approved for four-year periods based on projected labor market demand. For the 2026/2027 academic year, 36,023 state-funded scholarships have been allocated, while total undergraduate admissions exceed 234,000 places. Priority has been given to engineering, information technology, teacher education and agriculture.
Universities are expanding cooperation with employers by establishing department branches at enterprises, strengthening partnership councils and supporting start-ups and spin-off companies. Academic programs are also being updated based on the experience of universities ranked among the world's Top 300.
More than 323,000 students graduated during the 2025/2026 academic year, and the number is expected to reach over 390,000 by 2027. To facilitate employment, nationwide TalabaExpo exhibitions, job fairs and workshops are being organized. This year alone, 378 job fairs and 1,243 workshops brought together more than 7,700 employers and over 144,000 graduates, resulting in preliminary employment agreements for nearly 18,000 young specialists.
Digital transformation also remains a priority. The career.edu.uz platform enables real-time monitoring of graduate employment, matches candidates with employers and offers vacancies relevant to graduates' qualifications. As a result, the number of unemployed graduates decreased by nearly 19,000 during May and June 2026.
During the discussion, lawmakers raised issues related to the platform's effectiveness, university leadership accountability, workforce development for the green economy, reducing the digital divide and introducing new academic specialties. The minister emphasized that all proposals would be considered in the further modernization of Uzbekistan's higher education system.
Beginning in 2025, state education quotas have been approved for four-year periods based on projected labor market demand. For the 2026/2027 academic year, 36,023 state-funded scholarships have been allocated, while total undergraduate admissions exceed 234,000 places. Priority has been given to engineering, information technology, teacher education and agriculture.
Universities are expanding cooperation with employers by establishing department branches at enterprises, strengthening partnership councils and supporting start-ups and spin-off companies. Academic programs are also being updated based on the experience of universities ranked among the world's Top 300.
More than 323,000 students graduated during the 2025/2026 academic year, and the number is expected to reach over 390,000 by 2027. To facilitate employment, nationwide TalabaExpo exhibitions, job fairs and workshops are being organized. This year alone, 378 job fairs and 1,243 workshops brought together more than 7,700 employers and over 144,000 graduates, resulting in preliminary employment agreements for nearly 18,000 young specialists.
Digital transformation also remains a priority. The career.edu.uz platform enables real-time monitoring of graduate employment, matches candidates with employers and offers vacancies relevant to graduates' qualifications. As a result, the number of unemployed graduates decreased by nearly 19,000 during May and June 2026.
During the discussion, lawmakers raised issues related to the platform's effectiveness, university leadership accountability, workforce development for the green economy, reducing the digital divide and introducing new academic specialties. The minister emphasized that all proposals would be considered in the further modernization of Uzbekistan's higher education system.
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