Background and key challenges that DARYA addresses:

Already prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, young people in Central Asia faced a number of challenges to access quality skills development opportunities. As a consequence, many young people have been relegated to employment in low wage sectors or inactivity, while for some migration represents the only opportunity to find employment. Young people are among those most affected by the COVID-19 crisis both as participants in education and training but also as young labour market entrants and migrants.

DARYA will:

❖ focus on measures that support inclusive and labour market relevant skills development
opportunities for young people in Central Asia
❖ cover activities at national and regional or multi-country level

Objectives:

DARYA will contribute to post-COVID recovery in Central Asia by fostering improved employability of young people in the region through inclusive and labour-market oriented skills development.

DARYA will:

1. Foster the quality and inclusiveness of education, training and employment systems in
Central Asia
2. Foster participatory and inclusive dialogue and cooperation mechanisms at national and
regional level

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.