University as a key partner of NETwork for vocational educational training centers of Middle Age Generation in Uzbekistan

The main objective of the project was to promote government reforms on social protection and employment of the population, reduction of unemployment and increase of the real incomes of the population, through training, retraining and advanced training of middle-aged unemployed people.For achieving the goals of the project cooperation of employment centers, women associations, government bodies (mahalla), research centers and agricultural institutions were established.The following tasks were executed within the frames of the project:1. Establishment of Career Centers (4 regional centers in the cities of Ferghana, Nukus, Karshi, Andijan). Rooms have been allocated and equipped in these cities. For efficient organization of Career centers experience of European universities and centers of excellence, specializing in life-long learning, have been studied by representatives of partner countries.2. Organization of activity at Career Centers.As part of this activity, Training of Trainers (TOT) of the Centers were held, where trainers of the centers took courses aimed at the study of methods of teaching adults, evaluation and development of methodological base. Learned experience and activity of the European VET centers, the methods of their cooperation with non-academic partners allowed adapting the experience and creating on its basis a model for effective cooperation of Network of universities and non-academic partners, which has been tested and will continue to be proposed for application in other regions of Uzbekistan.3. Training courses in Career Centers.Work has been carried out on the development of methodological base of courses, taking into account the peculiarities of the Target Group.As compulsory optional subjects in each direction (agriculture, services, entrepreneurship) have been carried out training on computer skills and taxation.