The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) was established on April 1, 1991 as a division of the government of the Republic of Korea, responsible for the implementation of programs of gratuitous assistance in developing countries.

KOICA is making every effort to eradicate poverty and to assist in economic and social development of partner countries, through the establishment of cooperation and strengthening of friendly relations with developing countries.

KOICA Development Programs are mainly based on the experience of Korea, seek to ensure a high quality of life and promise to make the world a better place. Under the slogan "Making a Better World Together" KOICA implements various programs of grants and technical assistance through its 48 missions around the world.

Since establishing KOICA office in Uzbekistan in 1995, 24 projects have been implemented, about 1,400 specialists from Uzbekistan have been trained in Korea and more than 403 volunteers have been sent to the Republic of Uzbekistan under KOICA projects.

A development project is a typical form of assistance, implemented by KOICA for socio-economic development in developing countries. Ongoing projects are a comprehensive assistance with service, which includes construction of physical infrastructure and provision of equipment in order to promote the growth of society and improve the welfare of the partner countries.

In addition to development projects, KOICA also provides International Development Exchange Program (IDEP) as a mean of technical cooperation for capacity building of partner countries through the sharing Korea's development experience. The total amount of gratuitous assistance under 24 projects implemented by the KOICA office in Uzbekistan from 1995 to 2014 is about 79 million USD.

Currently, in accordance with the Country Partnership Strategy for 2012-2015, the main priorities of projects in Uzbekistan include education (vocational training), medicine and public health, and public administration (e-government).

KOICA Office in Uzbekistan continues to support practical projects through the development of strategies for the development of areas in accordance with the state policy of Uzbekistan for the socio-economic development of Uzbekistan.

Government of the Republic of Korea selects volunteers to be sent to developing countries, under a title World Friends Korea (WFK).

KOICA Volunteers program is also a part of WFK. The volunteers play the role of a connecting bridge in mutual understanding with the local people in developing countries through training and assistance in their areas of activity.

As of January 1, 2015, in Uzbekistan, a total of 71 KOICA volunteers are actively engaged in various areas of socio-economic sphere in Uzbekistan, such as teaching the Korean language, computer technologies, taekwondo, medicine, child-rearing as well as Saemaul Undong program (rural development).

The volunteers carry out their activities in the cities of Tashkent, Andijan, Namangan, Ferghana, Bukhara, Urgench, Nukus, Samarkand, and Karshi.

Another area of activity of KOICA in Uzbekistan is to organize training under CIAT program - "Capacity Improvement and Advancement for Tomorrow" -, that is a KOICA global training program, which strives to share a variety of experience and practices with government officials from partner countries through inviting them to training courses. Specialists who have passed the training will play a leading role as human resources in society in general for national development by transferring their experience.

Training programs include courses specific to the country, fellowship programs and general courses. KOICA Office in Uzbekistan annually enrolls and trains around 100 trainees under these programs.

Cooperation of the Ministry of Labour of the Republic of Uzbekistan with KOICA

District (city) Centers for Employment and Social Security of the Ministry of Labour of the Republic of Uzbekistan, on requests of enterprises every year train 25-30 thousand unemployed young people in new modern professions. For this purpose, 217 basic colleges and vocational training centers for the unemployed are used.

In rapidly changing market conditions, a stronger need will arise in educational institutions that train the new, modern skilled workers in a short time.

In order to further develop this sphere, as well as to create conditions for vocational training and retraining of the unemployed and temporarily unemployed people, including graduates from educational institutions, the Ministry of Labour of the Republic of Uzbekistan jointly with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has successfully implemented the project "Development of vocational training opportunities in Uzbekistan" to organize training and retraining of specialists demanded by the labour market.

Within the framework of this cooperation, in accordance with the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No.170 dated August 13, 2007, Vocational Training Center was established in Tashkent using grant funds of the Government of the Republic of Korea (about 4 million USD).

This Vocational Training Center is special and unique in its possibilities and practical significance, and is equipped with modern teaching and laboratory equipment, training and production machines and practical guides.

The center has modern classrooms and job training workshops for 360 students with a dormitory for visiting students from regions of the republic.

The Center carries out training and retraining of specialists in the four main areas: engineering production and technology (turners, millers, welders, metal working specialists); electronics and electrical equipment (repair and maintenance of electrical and electronic devices, household electronic equipment, radio and television equipment); diagnosis, repair and maintenance of vehicles (car mechanics, motor mechanics, vehicle diagnostics); information systems and technologies (computer programming and networks, multimedia, computer operators, repair and maintenance of computer and other office equipment).

The period of training at the Center is 10 months, including 6 months at the Center, 4 months - internship at the enterprises.

The center employs 24 teachers and masters of vocational training. From among the teachers, 8 persons took a special course of advanced training in the Republic of Korea. 8 volunteers were sent by the KOICA from Korea to assist the Center.

Within a short period since the establishment of the Center, about 1,500 young people have received training and retraining, and all of them are successfully employed thanks to the skills learned at the Center.

Most importantly, none of the graduates of the Center will remain jobless. After graduation, they will be employed depending on specialty under pre-concluded 3-party agreements (Center for Employment and Social Security, enterprise and unemployed person).

Enterprises, where students of the Center have had practice and then a job, include - Tashkent Pipe Plant, Tashkent Casting and Mechanical Plant, GM Powertrain Uzbekistan, State Special Design Bureau Irrigation plant, Elektroapparat Plant, Bekabad metallurgical complex, "Sharq" company enterprise, Uztelekom, Toshavtotehhizmat, and many others.

Close cooperation between the Ministry of Labor and the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) is not limited to this.

At present, according to the agreement signed between the Governments of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea, construction of Samarkand Vocational Training Center started; it is scheduled for completion in July 2016.

Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Government of the Republic of Korea for the establishment of such Center in the city of Shakhrisabz was signed and its implementation started.

Currently, our Ministry and KOICA are working on the implementation of the project "Development and introduction of qualification assessment (certification) system in Uzbekistan" within the framework of the Shahrisabz project.

This project provides for development of specific proposals to address efficient regulation of the labour market in Uzbekistan, based on the Korean experience of development and regulation of the labour market, creation of public and private vocational training systems (vocational training), as well as development of private institutions providing employment services to the population (recruiting services, etc.).

It should be emphasized that as a result of active work of the Ministry of Labour, agreement in principle of the Korean party was obtained on the creation of such Centers in the cities of Kokand and Urgench.

During the visit of KOICA President Kim Young-mok in August 2014, an agreement was reached on the implementation of the project to support the activities of "Muruvvat" and "Sakhovat" orphanages.

Within the framework of this project, in December 2014, a two-week workshop was organized for 14 heads of "Muruvvat" and "Sakhovat" orphanages of the system of the Ministry of Labour of the Republic of Uzbekistan allowing direct learning about the activities of such social institutions of the Republic of Korea. Work in this direction continues.