Implementing organisation(s): European Training Foundation (ETF)

Duration: 13/06/2022 to 12/06/2027

Project budget: Total budget: € 10,000,000
EU contribution: € 10,000,000

Project partners: National authorities responsible for skills development and youth employment; Civil Society Organisations supporting skills development; EU Member States organisations; Development partner community.

Location: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

Contract number: NDICI ASIA/2022/433-483

Project Description

DARYA supports the five Central Asian countries to improve the employability of young people in Central Asia through inclusive and labour-market oriented skills development.

Specific objectives:

1) Improved quality and inclusiveness of education, training and employment systems in Central Asia;
2) Increased participatory and inclusive dialogue and cooperation at national and regional level.

DARYA builds capacity for: improved evidence for skills needs; a flexible approach to qualifications; inclusive teaching and learning. The project expands initiatives already initiated in countries in the region and introduces new measures (building on EU experience) to address youth training and employment needs.

Target groups: Ministry and specialised agency staff, employer representatives, statistical office staff, educators and learners.

Expected results:
❖Development and piloting of: new skills needs analysis methods and capabilities; new tool on qualifications; new teaching and learning methods;
❖Agreement on regional strategic dialogue and cooperation.

Implementation and actors:

DARYA is an EU funded project implemented by the European Training Foundation (ETF), a specialised agency of the European Union based in Turin, Italy.
The ETF will work closely with stakeholders is Central Asia : National authorities in charge of Vocational education and training (VET), skills development, employment and labour market policies; agencies in charge of qualifications and quality assurance; social partners ; civil society organisations engaged in skills development; national statistical bodies and expertise organisations.
DARYA will also work in partnership with EU Member States and the development partner community.

DARYA is articulated around three thematic modules:

Forward-looking skills development through better evidence and analysis of education and training outcomes and skills needs
❖ Mapping and review of available data in education, training, labour market, demography and the economy, covering data sources and key indicators. Analysis and review of country systems and approaches to skills needs identification and anticipation
❖ Refinement and use of skills identification and anticipation instruments to support a better match between skills supply and demand
❖ Cross-country research on skills for the future in the Central Asian region and provision of advice on strengthening of existing data collection related to education and the labour market
❖ Means to enhance the monitoring and assessment of VET and skills development, with a focus on improving linkages between labour market and skills information systems and career guidance services
❖ Assessment of measures supporting better labour market transition of young people, upskilling and reskilling pathways and quality of activation and skills development schemes.

Stakeholder driven flexible and permeable approaches to qualifications at national and regional level that allow equal opportunities for all

❖ Review of progress in implementing outcome-based qualification systems with a focus on impact
❖ Developing joint (multi-country/regional) qualifications for selected priority sectors
❖ Methodologies for developing qualifications, including units of learning outcomes (micro credentials), modular curricula
❖ Validation of non-formal and informal learning
❖ Advice on the development of national databases of qualifications & links with career guidance
❖ Improving and formalising stakeholder engagement in skills development, assessment, certification
❖ Exploring vision and scenarios for regional cooperation in the area of qualification

Increased use of flexible and inclusive teaching and learning approaches, based on learning outcomes and relevant to the labour market

❖ Use of self-assessment tools in the area of digital skills
❖ Key competences or '21st century skills', with an initial focus on digital, entrepreneurial and green skills for teachers and learners
❖ Updating of teacher development systems to support the introduction of key competences, personalisation and differentiation of learning aiming at the provision of flexible learning
❖ Creating authentic learning environments and exploring the possibility to make more work-based learning opportunities available
❖ Support VET providers to become responsive agents for change and improvement
❖ Gender sensitive career guidance and counselling.

Achievements to date:
❖1200 stakeholder presences in 33 awareness-raising and capacity building actions involving 9 EU Member States;
❖ piloting of graduate tracking and employers’ surveys underway;
❖ feasibility study on regional cooperation on qualifications in Central Asia ongoing;
❖ piloting of innovative tool supporting educators in the teaching of key competences under preparation consultation on digital teaching and learning with 36,000 young people from Central Asia.