Samarkand Vocational Training Center launched

The ceremony was attended by Kim In Shik, President of KOICA, Aziz Abdukhakimov, Minister of Labor of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Elyor Ganiev, Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Kwon Yong Woo, Ambassador of Korea to Uzbekistan, Akbar Shukurov, Mayor of Samarkand city and Im Jeong Hee, Director of KOICA Uzbekistan Office .

The Samarkand Vocational Training Center, the construction of which started in 2013 with a budget of US$6.4 million, is the second vocational training center established through the support of the Korean government, following the establishment of the Tashkent Vocational Training Center in July 2012.

The Samarkand Vocational Training Center has a total area of approximately 4,453m2, and the main building, practical training building, and a dormitory have been constructed for the center. 480 trainees (240 trainees for the regular course, 240 trainees for the short-term course) from four departments (automobile, electric control, welding and plumbing, ICT) are expected to graduate from the center each year. The project for the establishment of this center was aimed at promoting regional economic development and alleviating youth unemployment in the region by cultivating skilled technical professionals.

Prior to the opening ceremony, on October 5, 2016, KOICA President Kim In Shik met with Rustam Azimov, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and further met with the heads of various ministries of the Republic of Uzbekistan, such as Minister of Labor and Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade. KOICA President Kim In Shik expressed his support for the plan of the government of Uzbekistan, which established the cultivation of technical professionals as a major national priority. KOICA President Kim In Shik further promised to keenly examine the development of new projects based on the previous accomplishments.

Im Jeong Hee, Director of KOICA Uzbekistan Office, mentioned that KOICA is delighted to hold the opening ceremony of the vocational training center despite some of the difficulties faced during the undertaking of the project, and further mentioned that KOICA will continue to provide follow-up support for the Samarkand Vocational Training Center through the dispatch of volunteers and the promotion of partnership with private enterprises.