Vital Regions

South and Central Asia

Countries: Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Our programs in South and Central Asia range from English immersion camps to academic advising and four-year fellowships for gifted students. The programs share the same goal of providing educational opportunities to bright young citizens who are passionate about improving their communities.

Language was just as important as taking statistics classes and advanced statistics at Harvard. I needed first and foremost to be able to communicate in country.

Vanessa E. Beary, EdD

From the US; hosted in Tajikistan

Did you Know?

91% of all US-Central Asia Education Foundation alumni are currently either employed, or enrolled in graduate programs on full scholarship.

Uzbekistan Youth Employment Skills (YES) Activity

The Uzbekistan Youth Employment Skills (YES) Activity seeks to provide youth in Uzbekistan with the necessary knowledge and skills they need to contribute successfully to the country’s economic and social development as competent employees or entrepreneurs.

With over 60 percent of Uzbekistan’s population being under the age of 30, the youth of Uzbekistan have the potential to transform the country through their contributions to the labor market. To accomplish this, Uzbekistan’s youth require support to secure or create employment in the existing job market, and to develop the skills they need in the job market of the future economy. YES aims to improve the quality of school-based economics and entrepreneurship programs and after-school soft skills and work readiness programs. Through partnerships with the Ministry of Preschool and School Education and private sector stakeholders, YES creates opportunities for hands-on training, job shadowing, and mentorship opportunities. YES provides special attention to empowering women, girls, and youth with disabilities.

Funded by USAID, Uzbekistan Youth Employment Skills (YES) Activity is implemented by a consortium of partners including American Councils for International Education as the lead organization, along with Startup Innovation, Sharoit Plus, and ERGO Analytics.