Inspiring educational reforms in Central Asia

As part of the framework contract supporting the European Training Foundation (ETF) in the organisation of peer learning activities, from 8 to 10 May 2024, Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini delivered a study visit in Riga (Latvia) for twenty delegates from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. This was the second assignment awarded to FGB through the framework contract.

The study visit was financed through the ETF programme Dialogue and Action for Resourceful Youth in Central Asia (DARYA), the EU's first regional project focused on empowering youth in Central Asia through skills development in the labour market.

Sponsored by the European Training Foundation and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia, the initiative aimed to offer a detailed presentation of the Latvian National Qualification Framework and its functioning, showcasing the transition the country made from a Soviet education system to the current one, fully integrated with other EU countries.

During the study visit, participants interacted with various stakeholders: the Ministry of Education and Science, two employers, two technical schools, the employers' confederation, and other public agencies working in the domains of education and employment, both in Riga and in other parts of Latvia.

Besides the twenty participants from national ministries and agencies, other stakeholders active in the domain of education and vocational education and training (VET) were also engaged in the study visit, with the aim to inspire reforms in Central Asia to increase the quality of education and its relevance for young people and vis-à-vis labour market needs.