DUSHANBE, November 23, Asia-Plus  -- Four new modules have been developed for introduction into Tajik initial vocational schools in the framework the project, The Support to Vocational Education and Training in Tajikistan - phase II.

The First Deputy Minister of Education, Farhod Rahimov, told Asia-Plus that those modules covered all the most needed specialties for domestic labor market such as gas welder, electric welder, carpenter and metalworker.

“By this day, these module programs have been introduced into 40 initial vocational education schools across the country,” the deputy minister said, noting that they had also conducted a survey to determine priorities of the initial vocational education.

Since 2006, when the initial vocation education schools were transferred from the Ministry of Labor to the Ministry of Education, a number of special programs for the initial vocational education schools have been developed and subjects on 80 new specialties have been introduced into the vocational training schools of the country, Rahimov noted.

“Besides short-term training courses on different specialties have been organized,” said the deputy minister, “Last year, some 6,000 people took these courses and over the first nine months of this year alone, more than 5,000 people have taken these short-term training courses.”

According to the Ministry of education, 70 initial vocational education schools with a total of some 22,000 students now function in Tajikistan.

The project, The Support to Vocational Education and Training in Tajikistan - phase II, started on January 1, 2008.  The main target of the project, which was funded by the European Commission, was to support Tajik ministry of education in its efforts to reform the initial vocational education system in the country.  The project closely cooperated with different ministries, state agencies and civil society organizations.