KHOROG, August 27, 2010, Asia-Plus — A roundtable to discuss issues related to enhancement of the adult education system and improvement of vocational courses took place in Khorog, Gorno Badakhshan on August 26.
Organized by the School of Professional and Continuing Education (SPCE) of the University of Central Asia (UCA) and the Khorog Civil Society Support Center Kalam under support of DVV International and Tajikistan’s Adult Education Center jointly with the Adult Education Association at the Ministry of labor and Social Protection, the event brought together representatives from public institutions and international and local NGOs.
According to the GBAO agency for statistics, more than 20,000 residents of the region, or 12 percent of the able-bodied population, were jobless in early 2000. As of July 1, 2010, 3,600 residents of Gorno Badakhshan, or 5 percent of the able-bodied population of the region, were officially registered as jobless, according to the GBAO employment center.
The meeting participants consider that the labor market situation in the region is relatively stable because a major part of the region’s able-bodied population is currently outside the country seeking better employment opportunities.
Qamchibek Nasillobekov, the head of the state unitary enterprise, Badakhshonkhorijakor (external labor migration), noted that as of July 1, 2010, 24,178 residents of Gorno Badakhshan, or some 20 percent of the able-bodied population, were outside the country for seasonal works.
One of the main problems of labor migrants is the fact that the majority of them do not have professional education, skills and qualifications. According to the GBAO migration service, only 25.4 percent of local men traveling abroad for seasonal work have professional education. Among women, this percentage is lower – only 15.8 percent. Therefore, the majority of labor migrants cannot get remunerative jobs and are forced to do unskilled and low-paid jobs.
Moreover, because of poor knowledge of legal requirements and language of the country of destination, many of labor migrants find themselves in irregular situations and are victims of abuse and exploitation.
In the meantime, the region itself is currently experiencing shortage of teachers, physicians, police officers. Gorno Badakhshan is currently experiencing an acute shortage of builders, and therefore, the construction companies are forced to recruit workers and specialists from other regions of the country.
The meeting participants noted that one of ways out of that situation was organization of vocational education for adult people, in particular training them in construction ad other professions.
