1. Inclusive Vocational Education and Training (iVET) Creating work opportunities for persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups through an enhanced cooperation between Vocational Educational Training schools and employers Introduction Method Results  A study has been conducted to identify: legal aspect on VET and employment for persons with disabilities, market oriented VET courses, needs of vulnerable people to access VET and employment, situation of VET school to initiate inclusive system.  Partner organization and DPOs have strengthened capacity to facilitate inclusive VET; following formal and informal capacity building activities  Disability inclusive VET curricula developed & Approved, teachers trained on adapted curricula and IE principles  Classroom, School building and dormitories adapted with accessibility features. Teaching materials also adapted for better accessibility.  Parents, community and persons with disabilities sensitized on all changes in VET system and scope of inclusion  Social workers have increased capacity to provide disability specific support (referral, access to local services, access to VET, financial service, employment, etc.) to persons with disabilities.  Coordination among local state/non-state actors established to support inclusive VET and Employment.  Persons with disabilities included in VET courses; regular support and coach by Social workers and local DPO  MoU with Ministry of Social Protection and State Agency of VET has been signed to support local project implementation and national political support to promote inclusive VET at state level.  Regular communication with MoE and State Agency of VET about project progress and scope of cooperation.  Tools, findings and recommendation shared with policy level stakehodlers. Title: Key Direct Beneficiaries InterventionPersons with disabilities Vulnerable people Total Access to VET 10050150 Access to peer counselling session 180120300 Access to apprenticeship 15520 Employment 182240 Inclusive VET is a 20 month project starts in mid-February 2012, finance by European Commission and Canadian Auto Workers Union. Two DPOs and a local NGO are the project partners. Project area located 450km away from the Capital, Karakol, close to China border. Two state VET schools and an Adult Private Training Centre are the strategic partners. Project identified three short-term VET courses respectively as sewing, cooking and electric repairing. However the main goal remains to make whole VET school system inclusive. Handicap International, Central Asia (Regional Office Tajikistan) open Kyrgyzstan programme in 2009. Central Asia still bearing the ex-soviet culture; e.g., medical approach on disability. In 2012, the Kyrgyz Republic ranked 125th on the HDI scale. Among ±5M people, over 1M are migrant workers in Russia. There is no national wide survey on disability or IE. However, UNICEF research on 2008 reflects that 47% student with disabilities attending formal school and 10% at special school. 75% persons with disabilities are economically inactive. Official language of Kyrgyz Republic: Kyrgyz and Russian. Conclusion Authors : Md. Mazedul Haque Handicap International, Central Asia Programme in Kyrgyzstan Photo credits : © Md. Mazedul Haque KR is still following ex-soviet system to categorize disability by medical commission; respectively as 1 st /Severe, 2 nd /Moderate and 3 rd /Mild category. 1 st and 2 nd category people have access to social pension; and does not considered as unemployed. It is believe that persons with 1 st and 2 nd category can’t participate in education or other socio-economic activities. ‘Persons with disabilities can’t participate in VET course, they will get injured and we are not going to take the responsibility’ added by a national level VET expert. However, Kyrgyz constitution and other national policies support the principle of non-discrimination. Current project is colleting best practices, tools and guideline aiming accelerate bottom-up advocacy to Government with the vision of inclusive education/VET and local development. Objective Specific Objective: The vocational educational system in Karakol (Issyk-Kul Oblast) is accessible for all layers of the population and especially persons with disabilities, uses social services and prepares them to enter the labour market in cooperation with employers, local authorities and local organizations. Inclusive VET Curricula: Identify Market Oriented Curricula & Adapted to Disability Inclusive >>> Approval From State Agency Preparing the School: i) Structural Accessibility ii) Sensitization of Teachers, Staff & Other Student on Disability & Inclusion ii) Teachers training on IE and on Inclusive VET Curricula Identify Participants: Disability Awareness at Community>>>Identify Persons with Disabilities >>> Development of Individual Action Plan >>> Peer Counseling >>> Admission to VET Course and/ Referral for Specific Services Working with Employers: Research on Employers Preparedness >>> Sensitization on Disability >>> Physical Accessibility at Workplace >>> On-the job support during apprenticeships and Employment VETVET Economic activity State Social Workers (SW) supporting this activity ; includes in SW ToR Use ILO Approach to adapt curricula. Curricula approval required long bureaucratic process. Apprenticeship + Access to Finance + Employment