DARYA and the roots of partnership: Central Asia’s skills tree grows stronger

The 4th meeting of the DARYA (Dialogue and Action for Resourceful Youth in Central Asia) High-Level Group concluded today in Turin after two days of lively discussions on the future of skills partnerships between Europe and Central Asia. 

Hosted by the European Training Foundation (ETF), the event gathered Deputy Ministers of Education and Labour from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, together with representatives of the European Commission, the European External Action Service, EU Delegations, and financial institutions such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). 

For the EU, DARYA “is the flagship initiative for education and skills in Central Asia,” said Johannes Baur, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan. “It represents a strategic priority for deepening regional cooperation, promoting inclusion, and aligning skills development with sustainable economic growth across the region.” 

On the first day, discussions centred on linking investment and skills development under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy priority areas. Country delegations, led by Deputy Ministers of Education and Labour, outlined how DARYA is helping them align qualification systems and professional standards with labour market needs and social inclusion priorities, while also strengthening the use of evidence-based data, promoting innovative methods to improve the quality of teaching and learning, and fostering closer cooperation between education, employment, and policy planning. 

A full report of the first day of the 4th DARYA High-Level Group meeting is available here: 4th DARYA High-Level Group: Strengthening skills partnerships between Europe and Central Asia | ETF 

The meeting also featured inspiring visits to the vocational excellence centre Apro Formazione and the Ferrero factory in Alba, located in the hilly Langhe region south of Turin Both sites showcased Italy’s long-standing culture of collaboration between education and industry — an example that resonates strongly with Central Asian partners, who share similar ambitions to strengthen private sector engagement in education. 

From seeds to fruits: DARYA’s tree of skills 

While DARYA began as a platform for regional dialogue to promote joint approaches to youth and skills development, it is now growing into a tree whose branches are bearing the fruits of cooperation. Each year, new initiatives take root — from the SCAFFOLD tool for educators, to multi-country occupational profiles and qualification frameworks, and from evidence-based policymaking to innovative approaches in teaching and learning — with their impact becoming increasingly visible across the region. 

“Thanks to all those present here, and to your colleagues back home, an incredible amount of work is being done every day,” said ETF Human Capital Development (HCD) Expert Katarina Lukáčová, country liaison for Turkmenistan.  

“We often speak of pilots as if they were small-scale tests, but what we are seeing now goes far beyond that. Many of your countries are already applying these ideas nationally, showing that collaboration can translate into real change when all stakeholders are engaged and work in partnership.” 

Presenting the results of the past two years, ETF HCD Expert and country liaison for Tajikistan Nadezda Solodjankina underlined the value of shared methodologies and regional alignment. “Each Central Asian country has its own approach to professional standards, but what unites them is the common methodological foundation we are building together,” she said.  

“Our work on multi-country occupational profiles shows how cooperation can make qualification systems more coherent and adaptable across borders, ultimately bringing benefits to key economic sectors throughout the region.” 

The session also featured interventions from Gulnur Mamyrova, Head of the Initial Vocational Education Department at the Ministry of Enlightenment of the Kyrgyz Republic, who described Kyrgyzstan’s progress in designing professional standards and stressed the importance of involving employers more actively, and Shikhnazar Sharofaddinov, Head of the Department of Vocational Education at the Ministry of Higher Education of Uzbekistan, who noted that “methodology and validation mechanisms are key to ensuring that standards truly respond to labour market realities.” 

For ETF HCD Expert and country liaison for Uzbekistan Eva Jansova, who presented DARYA’s work on evidence-based youth employment policies, the priority now is to turn data into policy action. 

 “Under Module 1 of DARYA, evidence is our compass,” she said. “Through this project, countries are learning to use data to understand the needs of their young people and to design policies that support their transition into decent job opportunities.” 

She referred to the ETF’s collaboration with the Workforce Development Center (WDC), under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Kazakhstan, in Astana, which hosted a major event in September on youth skills development. “Skills demand is evolving faster than ever — from five years to barely two,” noted WDC Director Erasyl Zhumanbayev. “That’s exactly why the evidence brought by DARYA matters.” 

Innovation in teaching and learning: educators at the center 

ETF Human Capital Development Expert and country liaison for Kazakhstan, Christine Hemschmeier, described teachers as “the heartbeat of every reform,” noting that “lasting change in education takes shape not only through strategies, but through what happens in the classroom — through teachers’ capacity, their confidence, and their ability to connect educational programmes with labour market needs.” 

Through the SCAFFOLD tool, DARYA supports educators across the region in applying innovative teaching and learning methods. Kazakhstan’s Alma Kazhkenova, Head of Unit for the Professional Development of Educators at the Ministry of Education, explained that hundreds of educators are involved in SCAFFOLD activities in her country. “Our in-service training organisation, Talap, has developed a full course on SCAFFOLD, which in 2025 was delivered to over 1,500 VET educators across all 20 regions of Kazakhstan,” she said.  

“From 10 pilot institutions in 2024, we have expanded to 51 institutions systematically using SCAFFOLD in 2025. Feedback from teachers and students has been overwhelmingly positive — they see it as a tool to develop competencies that respond to the major transformations of our time, from digitalisation and the green transition to the evolving demands of the economy.” 

From Turkmenistan, Deputy Minister of Education Azat Atayev added that “over 500 teachers have already completed training under SCAFFOLD in our country, including a training-of-trainers component, and we are now developing a national guide for educators.” 

Hemschmeier linked this progress to another recent focus within the DARYA programme: the development of Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs). “In the EU, these institutions are becoming bridges between education and industry, where learning is driven by innovation and partnerships,” she said. Countries in the region  expressed growing interest in adapting or improving their existing CoVE model, viewing it as a tool for boosting quality and innovation in vocational training as a key component for economic competitivenes. 

Making the tree flourish: cooperation and governance 

If the first day was about roots, the second day was about growth. Participants worked on shaping the next phase of the DARYA roadmap for regional cooperation in skills development. 

Sona Kalantaryan, ETF HCD Expert and country liaison for Kyrgyzstan, opened the session with a metaphor that resonated throughout the day:  

“Our DARYA tree already has fruits — some ripe, some still growing. To make it prosper, we need the right approach, the right care, and the right fertilizers. But like an olive tree, our goal should be to make it last for generations.” 

Lukáčová noted that DARYA’s progress was evident not only in reports but also in practice. “Having visited your countries, I’ve seen first-hand how these initiatives are transforming both education and labour market policies,” she said. “It’s a sign that we’re heading in the right direction — from design to implementation, from peer learning to local ownership.” 

The road to 2027: from cooperation to shared progress and impact 

The meeting concluded with a forward-looking dialogue between ETF Director Pilvi Torsti, Fabienne Van Den Eede, Deputy Head of Unit for Central Asia and Afghanistan at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), and country representatives. 

Van Den Eede noticed that “across the region, there is remarkable energy in advancing education reforms, from entrepreneurial skills to inclusivity.” 
 
“One of the reasons I came here was to understand what truly drives DARYA — the data, the tools, the partnerships — because we already need to start thinking about what will follow after 2027. As the EU, we will remain committed to investing in skills in Central Asia, with a more sectoral approach that links skills development more closely to our investment agenda. And to achieve that, we must continue working hand in hand with the ETF,” she said. 

Director Torsti reflected on the progress achieved and the challenges ahead. 

“Bringing together the education and employment dimensions is never easy, even in Europe, but it’s essential for agility and resilience in responding to new labour market and investment needs,” she said. Torsti added that DARYA’s success lies in mutual understanding and shared purpose: “This event has deepened our grasp of the regional and national dynamics, while clearly situated them within the EU’s Global Gateway framework. It’s this understanding, from both sides, that makes cooperation sustainable.” 

As the session closed, participants from Central Asia took the floor to share their reflections. “These two days have been exceptionally productive and inspiring for us,” said Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Labour, Askar Biahmetov. “We leave with new ideas, practical insights, and a stronger sense of partnership for the next steps.” Turkmenistan’s Deputy Minister of Education, Azat Atayev, described the High-Level Group as “a truly fruitful platform for cooperation” and announced that the next High-Level Group meeting will be hosted in Ashgabat in 2026.