Tashkent focuses on the young: Jobs, volunteering, and support for new families

In a country where 25% of the population is between the ages of 14 and 30, President Mirziyoyev has launched a package of measures aimed at this demographic for the first time. Among the planned initiatives are employment support, low-interest home loans, promotion of foreign language learning, and a national award for youth creativity.

Tashkent (AsiaNews) - President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has presented the “Youth of New Uzbekistan-2030” strategy, a document outlining initiatives on youth employment, education, and health; support for young families; the expansion of the volunteer movement; and the development of mechanisms for openness and inclusion.

As announced by the presidential press office, this is the “country’s first comprehensive strategy in the field of youth policy, aimed at strengthening the role and realizing the potential of young people in the process of building a new Uzbekistan.”

Young people between the ages of 14 and 30 make up nearly 25% of the republic’s total population—9.5 million out of 38 million people. Approximately 270,000 young families are formed each year, and this demographic trend requires a systematic and long-term approach, as stated in the press release.

The strategy’s priorities are therefore ensuring employment for young people and supporting their entrepreneurial activities, developing high-quality and truly inclusive education, promoting foreign languages, expanding vocational training, and stimulating the labor market, with support for young families.

Particular attention is being paid to strengthening cultural, physical, and intellectual development, expanding measures in favor of volunteerism and all initiatives promoting openness and participation.

By 2030, the plan is to guarantee employment for 600,000 young people each year, attract 900,000 to volunteer activities, increase the number of training centers to 90,000, raise foreign language proficiency to B2 level for 450,000 young people, and minimize youth crime.

There are also plans to offer subsidized mortgages to no fewer than 10,000 families each year. The program will subsidize a portion of the interest rate on loans exceeding the Central Bank’s reference rate.

It is proposed to allocate loans of up to 300 million som (over 21 million euros) for the creation of educational centers in remote and hard-to-reach areas, and to set the social contribution rate for these centers and the income tax rate for their teachers at 1%.

For young people with a B2 language proficiency level, an exemption from the state fee for obtaining a foreign passport is proposed, while for those with a C1 language proficiency level, and for promoters of entrepreneurial projects, certain state fees will be reduced by up to 50%.

To increase young people’s social engagement, plans include allocating up to 100 million som from the Volunteer Support Fund, attracting active young people to paid internships at government organizations, and establishing a presidential award for creative youth.

“Youth Streets” will be organized, featuring bookstores and reading cafes, and minimum standards will be established for all youth infrastructure in “Cities and Neighborhoods for Youth” across every region; great importance will be placed on strengthening their health by reducing the risks of psychological distress through support systems.

In fact, it is estimated that the percentage of young people “at psychological risk” stands at around 40%, and at least 25% of young people will regularly engage in sports activities. Efforts will be made to increasingly take young people’s opinions into account, through regular sociological surveys on their expectations and needs, holding frequent dialogue meetings, and establishing a National Youth Index on the matter.

International forums and global initiatives for “intergenerational dialogue” will be dedicated to all these proposals and intentions, beginning with International Youth Day on August 12. In collaboration with UN agencies, the World Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, internships will be organized at various international organizations as part of the Junior Professional Officer program. Events such as “Uzbekistan Loves Youth!” and youth festivals like Hayot Fest, Talaba Fest, and the Talaba Expo are also planned, with the support of various professional and social associations in the country.