2014年-世界发展银行全球_The_Skills_Road___Skills_for_Employability_in_Tajikistan_100页_3mb

Summary of "The Skills Road: Skills for Employability in Tajikistan"

Core Content

This report, "The Skills Road: Skills for Employability in Tajikistan", examines the relationship between worker skills and employment outcomes in Tajikistan. It highlights the need for policy reforms to improve the quality and relevance of education and training systems in order to meet the growing demand for skills in the labor market.

Main Findings

• Labor Market Outcomes:

  • Total job creation has kept pace with population growth, but formal sector job creation has lagged.
  • Job distribution is uneven, with significantly lower female employment rates compared to OECD countries.
  • A large portion of the workforce is in the informal sector, where job quality is poor, with repetitive tasks and limited learning opportunities.
  • Weak labor market systems hinder job search and skills signaling, contributing to high labor market discouragement and significant international migration.

• Skills and Employability:

  • Both cognitive and non-cognitive skills are crucial for employability in Tajikistan.
  • Higher cognitive and non-cognitive skills are associated with better employment outcomes and more desirable jobs.
  • Employers in Tajikistan report that the lack of adequately skilled workers is a major constraint to firm growth.
  • Individuals with migration intentions tend to have higher cognitive and non-cognitive skills than those without.

• Skill Formation Over the Life Cycle:

  • Skills are developed throughout the life cycle, with early childhood development (ECD) playing a critical role.
  • While general education completion rates are relatively high, preschool and vocational education coverage is low.
  • Cognitive skills improve with educational attainment, but there is significant variation within educational levels, raising concerns about the quality of education.
  • Non-cognitive skills also vary significantly within educational levels, and preschool attendance has a positive impact on cognitive skills, though less so on non-cognitive skills.

Key Policy Recommendations

• Expand access to quality ECD programs: Early childhood development is essential for building foundational cognitive and non-cognitive skills that contribute to labor market success.
• Modernize curricula and improve teaching quality: Enhancing the learning experience will strengthen the link between education and skill acquisition.
• Implement labor market programs: Targeted active labor market programs can help address skill gaps and improve opportunities for discouraged workers and women.
• Enhance higher education quality and relevance: Focusing on quality assurance, selection, and information provision can ensure that higher education graduates possess market-valued skills.
• Improve labor market information systems: Better data on skills and employer needs can lead to more efficient matching of labor supply and demand.

Methodology and Survey Details

• The report is based on a unique household survey conducted in 2013 by the World Bank and GIZ, covering Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Uzbekistan.
• The survey includes a core questionnaire and a skills questionnaire, with the latter assessing cognitive and non-cognitive skills.
• The core questionnaire collects data on education, employment, migration, health, and other household indicators.
• The skills questionnaire includes modules on labor expectations, language skills, and technical training, with cognitive and non-cognitive assessments based on standardized instruments.

Appendices and Supporting Materials

• Appendix A provides details on the questionnaire sections.
• Appendix B and C describe the methods for constructing cognitive and non-cognitive skills scores.
• Appendix D outlines the education system in Tajikistan.
• Appendix E includes summary tables of labor market outcomes.
• Appendix F provides mean scores for cognitive and non-cognitive skills.

Conclusion

The report underscores that while Tajikistan has experienced strong economic growth and reduced poverty, the country still faces significant challenges in aligning its education and training systems with the evolving labor market needs. A comprehensive strategy for skills development across the life cycle is essential to enhance employability and productivity in the country. The Skills Toward Employability and Productivity (STEP) framework is proposed as a guiding tool for policymakers to improve the skills of the workforce both domestically and internationally.