UNDP in Turkmenistan, in collaboration with the country’s Ministry of Education, has launched the pilot phase of the ‘National System for Strategic Human Capital Planning’ project. The initiative aims to establish a coherent, data-driven system linking demographic trends, education, skills development and labour market needs, according to the news website Turkmenportal.

The project was launched at the first coordination meeting, attended by key government bodies and international UNDP experts.

The project will help strengthen the capacity of national institutions in data analysis, skills forecasting and strategic human capital planning. One of the key areas of focus is the collection and analysis of data for human capital foresight and skills planning in Turkmenistan, according to a UNDP press release.

As part of the international experts’ visit, consultations will be held with relevant ministries and departments on issues relating to human capital planning, labour market needs, available data and mechanisms for inter-agency cooperation. The outcomes of these consultations will be taken into account when developing the national system.

UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan, Narine Sahakyan, noted that human capital development is a key prerequisite for sustainable development, and that the country’s young population presents significant opportunities for its future.

Azat Atayev, Deputy Minister of Education of Turkmenistan, emphasised that education transforms demographic potential into skilled and competitive human capital. According to him, the project is conceived not as an analytical study, but as a practical planning tool that will help identify medium- and long-term needs for specialists and skills, link these to the workforce training system, and improve the soundness of decision-making regarding educational priorities. Atayev added that the value of the project would depend on whether it was possible to establish a mechanism enabling the training of personnel in advance, rather than reacting to shortages after the event.

The initiative is in line with Turkmenistan’s national priorities in the fields of education, human capital, digital transformation and economic diversification, including the Strategy for the Development of Higher Vocational Education for 2026–2052 and its implementation plan for 2026–2030.