Kyrgyzstan 2023
Key takeaways
Data suggests there is room to improve both access to and the appeal of VET in Kyrgyzstan. For instance, better use could be made of state-funded places, and participation of adults in VET programmes could be increased. Learners in VET can move easily between educational levels, but policies and practices related to graduation still require improvement. As dropout rates have fluctuated over recent years, stricter attendance rules have been introduced to address the challenge. While support measures like scholarships are available, refining these initiatives and reviewing the funding models would help enhance their impact.
VET policy and practice in Kyrgyzstan have a strong focus on the provision of foundational skills and competences and on ensuring alignment with changing economic trends in the country. Initial VET connects well with the needs of employers through work-based learning (WBL) initiatives. However, the updates must be continuous if Kyrgyzstan is to keep pace with the emergence of new technologies and market demands. At the same time, bureaucratic hurdles are known to slow down the process of updating IVET programmes. Adults on the other hand tend to favour shorter, more focused courses, which may limit their overall skills attainment.
Governance and stakeholder involvement in VET are generally effective. However, participatory approaches like dual training and work-based learning tend to succeed only when supported by donor-funded projects. Overall, the VET system relies heavily on external funding. The use of data to guide policymaking is also limited, and while efforts to establish reliable quality assurance are underway, progress has been slow. Professional leadership varies across institutions and VET levels, as does the focus on internationalisation, which is stronger in tertiary VET. Persistent challenges with staffing and funding contribute to disparities in the quality and availability of facilities and resources across the VET system.
Access to learning
Monitoring in the area of access to and participation to learning helps countries assess the extent to which initial VET, continuing VET and other learning opportunities are accessible and attractive to all learners, regardless of their individual backgrounds or reasons for participating. The data also reflects how well learners can expect to progress through and graduate from these learning opportunities.
The VET system of Kyrgyzstan faces challenges in accessibility and participation. Although initial VET (IVET) programmes are available for citizens aged 15 to 30, significant disparities remain, particularly related to age. Many state-funded seats go unfilled, even though 32,000 to 35,000 places are funded each year. Participation is low, even in popular trades where competition for spots is higher. Enrolment in continuing VET (CVET) programmes is also low, and the overall attractiveness of VET has dropped, with enrolments falling from 34,400 in 2018 to 28,600 in 2021. This decline is especially pronounced in rural areas, where options are limited despite high demand.
The financial incentives currently in place in VET in Kyrgyzstan may encourage providers to prioritise retaining students for funding purposes rather than focusing on their learning success. This raises concerns about whether graduates are truly prepared for work, even if they successfully complete their courses. Some institutions pass students who may not meet required standards to avoid losing funding, which can compromise the quality of education and skill development and more importantly, the credibility of VET.
Reviewing the support measures and funding model could address these issues by focusing more on real skill development and aligning the goals of VET provider with the needs of learners and employers. Inconsistent progression through VET programmes further highlights gaps in the system: many students struggle to complete their courses successfully. Ensuring that institutional incentives prioritise student outcomes over financial stability is key to improving graduation rates and workforce readiness.
The Torino Process is a regular review of national systems of vocational education and training as well as adult education. It is designed to analyse the ways in which national VET systems (including adult education) address the challenges of human capital development in a lifelong learning perspective. It was established by the European Training Foundation (ETF) in 2010 and has been carried out in partner countries in Southeastern Europe, Turkey, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean ever since.
Monitoring in the context of the Torino Process describes the extent to which countries deliver on their commitments to learners in support of their learning through life (lifelong learning - LLL) in three major areas of policy and system performance: access to learning, quality of learning, and system organisation.
Quality of learning
Quality and relevance of learning is the area of monitoring that identifies how successfully the VET system provides basic skills and key competences to both young and adult learners. It highlights the relevance of VET programmes to the world of work and how effectively VET graduates transition into the labour market. Additionally, it monitors efforts to promote excellence across key domains, including pedagogy, professional development, programme content, governance, and social inclusion, as well as the openness of the VET system to innovation in response to the evolving needs of learners and labour markets.
VET in Kyrgyzstan performs well in delivering foundational skills that align with economic trends. The State School Education Standard ensures that learners acquire essential competences like problem-solving, literacy, ICT, and environmental awareness. Work-based learning (WBL) further strengthens this connection to the labour market through hands-on training and practical classes integrated into VET programmes.
However, despite the strong foundation provided, the employability of VET graduates in Kyrgyzstan remains moderate. This suggests that there is a degree of mismatch between the general skills acquired and the specific demands of the labour market. While recent reforms have introduced competence-based modular programmes and new content, concerns persist that VET may not be preparing graduates well enough for jobs. Adult learners, in particular, tend to focus on short-term, practical courses that offer quick returns, potentially limiting their broader skill development.
Kyrgyzstan's VET system has begun integrating digital and green skills to align with emerging labour market demands. Digitalisation efforts include collaborations with the Kyrgyz Software and Services Developers Association, which have led to new training programmes for basic software specialists. The first WORLDSKILLS Championship in 2021 also highlighted digital skills like graphic design and web development, though gaps remain in widespread digital proficiency.
VET in Kyrgyzstan delivers strong foundational skills to its learners. This includes problem-solving, ICT, and environmental awareness, while work-based learning connects education with the labour market. However, the employability of graduates remains moderate, hindered by a mismatch between the skills acquired and the needs of employers. Adult learners tend to focus on short-term, practical courses, which limits broader skill development. Despite recent reforms aimed at improving flexibility, slow bureaucratic processes hinder the ability of VET to adapt quickly. Efforts to integrate digital and green skills are underway, while innovation in areas like recognising prior learning and expanding adult education show promise, but require broader adoption.
System organisation
System organisation is the area of monitoring that captures performance across various domains of management and administration. It examines whether practitioners and leaders have access to data and evidence to support informed decision-making, the level of stakeholder involvement in VET governance, the quality and capacity of staff in leadership positions, and the degree of internationalisation. Additionally, monitoring the allocation of human and financial resources to the VET system helps assess whether these resources effectively support teaching, training, and learning.
Progress in establishing educational standards, which define the skills and competences learners must acquire in specific sectors, has been slow, with only 29 standards developed through pilot projects. These standards, which cover sectors like construction, agriculture, and energy, highlight the need for broader systemic integration to improve VET quality across more sectors. Both quality assurance efforts and the development of these standards continue to depend heavily on donor support, hindering the full implementation of a unified quality framework.
Internationalisation efforts in VET have seen progress, with universities actively engaging in joint programmes and exchanges, particularly through Erasmus Mundus and collaborations with foreign institutions. In contrast, IVET institutions have limited international exposure. For both, challenges persist in human and financial resource allocation, with staffing shortages, low pay, and outdated infrastructure affecting performance and learning outcomes. Heavy reliance on state funding and donor support further limits the ability of VET to modernise and progress.
The VET system in Kyrgyzstan has seen improvements in areas like stakeholder involvement, developing educational standards, and international collaborations. However, it still faces challenges due to its reliance on donor funding, state support, and slow implementation. This limits ability in the VET system to sustain and expand improvements on its own. Leadership capacity varies, with tertiary institutions showing more autonomy and adaptability, while IVET providers struggle with state funding limitations. Additionally, staffing shortages and outdated infrastructure hinder VET from modernising and meeting the evolving demands of the labour market.
Promoting access and participation in opportunities for lifelong learning
Supporting quality and relevance of lifelong learning
Index of system performance
International comparability of performance results
In addition to messages about system performance, the Torino Process monitoring delivers information about the international comparability of results of each country, the extent to which these results may be susceptible to bias, and how self-critical a country is when it reports about its policy and system performance for external monitoring purposes. This is possible because the monitoring methodology foresees keeping accurate records about the availability, origin and type of evidence used to calculate the monitoring results for each country, including Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyzstan ranks in the lowest quartile in terms of the international comparability of its monitoring results (first horizontal scale in Figure 1). Less than a third of all countries in the Torino Process sample demonstrate a similar level of comparability. This result does not necessarily imply that Kyrgyzstan lacks national-level data, but it does suggest a significant shortage of internationally comparable information on the performance of its VET and lifelong learning systems.
The international comparability of Kyrgyzstan's VET data is low. Out of all the countries monitored under the Torino Process in 2023, Kyrgyzstan is among the bottom 25% when it comes to how well its monitoring results can be compared with those of other countries. This result does not necessarily imply that Kyrgyzstan lacks national-level data, but it does suggest a significant shortage of internationally comparable information on the performance of its VET and lifelong learning systems. The monitoring results of Kyrgyzstan are also at a relatively high risk of bias compared to other countries in the Torino Process, on average. Despite this, the self-assessment of VET performance by Kyrgyz authorities and stakeholders appears balanced, neither overly critical nor overly positive compared to other countries.