Uzbekistan Working on Welder Training for Norway's Labor Market

Uzbekistan is considering launching a welder training program for employment in Norway and other Northern European countries, where the need for such specialists is estimated at 4-5 thousand people. This was reported by the republic's Migration Agency.

The issue was discussed on November 12, 2026, in a video conference between agency director Mukhsinkhuja Abdurakhmonov and Norwegian expert Erik Eng. According to Eng's estimate, the European labor market as a whole requires about 30 thousand welders. The parties discussed training specialists to international requirements and the prospects for their employment abroad.

Uzbekistan proposed opening a specialized program at one of the country's technical colleges. Training is expected to be conducted according to Norwegian methods and on modern equipment. The first stage is the preparation and certification of 10-20 instructors, for whom practical internships at industrial facilities in Norway lasting from one to two weeks are planned. The instructors will then be able to train welders directly in Uzbekistan.

Eng stressed that the mere possession of an ISO certificate does not in itself confirm a specialist's readiness to work in high-tech industries. Work at offshore oil and gas facilities, in wind energy and at other industrial sites requires in-depth knowledge of industrial safety and occupational health and safety, as well as mastery of specialized technological procedures. It was proposed to include these requirements in the future curriculum.

The Norwegian expert expressed readiness to develop a preliminary two-stage training program for instructors and welders. Cooperation with European vocational education centers, including participation in the Erasmus+ program, was also discussed. Eng reported professional contacts with educational institutions in Romania, Hungary, Spain, Germany, Slovenia and Croatia.

Sources of funding and specific mechanisms for implementing the program have not yet been agreed. Separately discussed was a possible visit by Eng to Tashkent on November 30, 2026: he is to inspect the premises and equipment of technical colleges, discuss curricula and conduct practical classes. The parties also proposed working out cooperation with Norwegian specialists in the fields of nursing, fisheries and electrical engineering.