The Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic discussed issues of employment of university graduates
The Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic held a meeting with heads and responsible representatives of higher educational institutions on the functioning and development of Career and Employment Centers. The event was attended by rectors, vice-rectors and specialized specialists of universities.
During the meeting, an analysis of the labor market was presented, and a presentation was made on issues of employment of graduates. According to Deputy Minister Rasul uulu Abazbek, one of the key challenges remains the discrepancy between the level of training of specialists and the requirements of employers. «We produce graduates, not knowledge», — he noted, emphasizing that a low level of competencies is a common cause of complaints from employers.
According to the analysis, today in the labor market there is a significant need for blue-collar professions (40%), engineering professions (28%), and.
Acting Rector of KRSU Sergey Volkov noted the importance of expanding targeted agreements between universities and employers. «KRSU has an active Competence Center in cooperation with the Russia – Land of Opportunity platform. We became the first foreign university to join this project. Participants can obtain a passport of competencies, which significantly increases their chances of finding employment», he emphasized.
KRSU also pays attention to increasing the duration of internships to make it easier for employers to evaluate the skills of graduates. «Practices must be paid —this is additional assistance to students and an incentive for professional development», — Volkov added.
During the meeting, special attention was paid to universities with a special status, of which there are 11 in the country. Representatives of the Ministry of Education noted that these universities should become growth points and drivers for the development of the educational system. In this connection, questions were raised about the new professions opened in HEIs over the last three years.
Currently, there are 89 universities operating in Kyrgyzstan, of which 32 are public and 56— private. The Ministry is initiating a discussion on reviving an effective system of training specialists, focused on the needs of the labor market.
