The Resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. PQ-61 dated February 14, 2025, 'On additional measures to assist graduates of higher education institutions in finding employment' was adopted. Based on this, in order to ensure youth employment, strengthen the integration of graduates of higher education institutions into the labor market, and improve the process of personnel training with the participation of the private sector and commercial banks, the following are set as priority tasks:

      1. To approve the proposal of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations and the National Bank of Uzbekistan to implement the 'Step into the Future' program (hereinafter referred to as the Program) aimed at facilitating the employment of graduates of higher education institutions, which provides for the following:

      a) for graduate students of higher education institutions who wish to implement their business ideas and graduates who have not been more than three years since graduating from university, full support in the process of bringing a business idea to a ready-made project by commercial banks participating in the Program (hereinafter referred to as authorized banks) in accordance with Appendix 1, including financing on favorable terms;

      b) holding open competitions among graduating students of higher education institutions in various fields and assisting in providing employment to the winners. In this regard:

      a practice will be established to determine the needs of competent employers, including large enterprises, for specialists with higher education and to formulate requirements for specialists;

      measures will be financed for the initial preparation of competition winners for the profession based on individual vocational education programs at the request of potential employers;

      individual vocational education programs will create the opportunity to undergo internships at production facilities and participate in short-term training courses at higher education institutions abroad.

      2. The program is implemented by the National Bank of Uzbekistan JSC in the regions, including through the 'Step into the Future' centers (hereinafter referred to as the Centers), organized on an outsourcing basis;

      all higher education institutions are participants in the Program and conclude cooperation agreements with the Centers to assist students in finding jobs.

      3. In order to implement the program, authorized banks will receive from the Recovery and Development Fund:

      in the amount of 80 million US dollars equivalent for 10 years, including a 3-year grace period, at an interest rate equal to the key rate of the Central Bank;

      in the amount of 20 million US dollars equivalent, funds have been allocated on a gratuitous basis to finance the costs of internships (hereinafter referred to as internships) for graduate students during their studies at an enterprise (organization) and to provide grant funds to the best startups and innovative projects.