USAID/Uzbekistan Youth Employment Skills Activity Quarterly Performance Report

The activity aims to increase youth work readiness and employability by equipping students in grades 8-11 with the skills to enter Uzbekistan's economy as competent employees and entrepreneurs. The initiative is piloted in 18 secondary schools in Fergana, with a focus on fostering a successful school-to-work transition, particularly for women and girls and youth with disabilities. The YES Activity has three objectives: Improved quality of school-based economics and entrepreneurship programs, Improved quality of after-school entrepreneurship, soft-skills and work readiness programs, and Strengthened enabling environment to support and engage youth. To achieve these objectives, the activity collaborates with MOPSE, private actors, local government, teachers, and community groups to update curricula and teaching and learning materials, develop after-school programs, and cultivate private sector partnerships. Key accomplishments of the YES Activity include the completion of major revisions to the curricula and teaching and learning materials for grades 9-11, which were praised by MOPSE for their responsiveness and ability to adapt to evolving changes in the education sector. The new in-school teaching and learning materials were completed for all 18 pilot schools, and the final section of the grade 11 in-school textbook was introduced to pilot schools. Additionally, summative assessment materials were completed, which aim to evaluate student learning and academic achievement at the end of the school year. The activity also conducted teacher trainings, which centered on the new summative assessments and provided an opportunity for teachers to share concerns and feedback that were used to further refine curricula and corresponding teaching and learning materials. Private sector partners were engaged, with 29 new business owners participating in YES-led presentations of program goals, objectives, and approach, bringing the total number of private sector partners on YES to 50 to date. These engagements contributed to the overall goal of strengthening collaboration among MOPSE, school administrators, teachers, and community leaders and the private sector. Furthermore, the YES Activity promoted Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility (ECSR) by providing introductory training for 48 private sector partners. This training was strategically linked to the overall effort to strengthen connections between business leaders, the communities they serve, and MOPSE, school administrators, teachers, and students. The activity also created opportunities for discussion around the barriers and practices related to approaches that increase employment and quality of employment among youth with disabilities across the YES activity.