Over the past 25 years the number of workers living in extreme poverty has declined dramatically, despite the lasting impact of the 2008 economic crisis and global recession. In developing countries, the middle class now makes up more than 34 percent of total employment – a number that has almost tripled between 1991 and 2015.

However, as the global economy continues to recover we are seeing slower growth, widening inequalities, and not enough jobs to keep up with a growing labour force. According to the International Labour Organization, more than 204 million people were unemployed in 2015.

The SDGs promote sustained economic growth, higher levels of productivity and technological innovation. Encouraging entrepreneurship and job creation are key to this, as are effective measures to eradicate forced labour, slavery and human trafficking. With these targets in mind, the goal is to achieve full and productive employment, and decent work, for all women and men by 2030.

Samarkand Institute of Economics and Service (SIES) has made significant moves in advancing Sustainable Development Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

SIES effectively preparing its graduates for the job market and helping to reduce unemployment rates in the region. SIES developed a comprehensive curriculum that includes courses on sustainable services, entrepreneurship, and economic resilience. Furthermore, SIES offers HR programs for both bachelor’s and master’s degree students, equipping them with the skills needed in human resource management. Undertaken this strategy emphasizes the importance of decent work and economic growth, preparing students for the challenges of the modern labor market.

Academic staff of SIES constantly have conducted impactful research on economic policies that promote sustainable growth and job creation. Their findings have identified best practices and highlighted challenges faced by the local economy.

Moreover, SIES has cooperation with local stakeholders, employers and government organizations to foster job creation and employability, which is the main target of the economic growth and reducing the poverty among society. Employers involved in the curriculum development and the teaching processes for embedding the required skills according their hiring criteria. This engagement not only enriches student’s theoretical comprehension but also directly addresses the needs of the job market, making graduates more competitive and better prepared for employment.

In the 2023-2024 academic year, 121 cooperation agreements were signed for internship qualifications between SIES and employers. Among the partners are banks such as "Uzmillybank," "Infinbank," "Microcreditbank," "Khalq Bank," "Asakabank," "Orient Finans Bank", Samarkand regional branch of "Silk Road Bank" and Samarkand regional statistical office. This cooperation creates excellent opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and skills in practice. For instance, in the previous academic year (2022-2023), out of 630 graduates, 507 successfully were employed, reflecting an impressive employment rate of 80.4%.

Additionally, SIES has Career Centre that provides a range of services to support students in their career development. Career Centre offers following services to the graduates: consulting services, internship and employment, seminars, trainings and partnerships with employers.

 SIES regularly hosts workshops and seminars for governmental staff, local businesses and entrepreneurs, focusing on the implementation of sustainable goals and strategies that contribute to long-term economic growth and decent work in the society. By bringing together various stakeholders, SIES creates a collaborative environment where knowledge and best practices can be shared, encouraging participants to adopt innovative approaches that drive economic resilience and social inclusion and can be a leverage of the future prosperity.