A critique of the implementation of human capital theory in the higher education policy and its implications for graduate labor market in Uzbekistan

Abstract

Youth unemployment has become one of the areas education research is increasingly concerned with both on global and local levels. In international development agenda, higher education has been linked to youth employment and labor market policies to such an extent making education a universal solution to socio-economic challenges (UNESCO-UNEVOC, 2013). Currently, Uzbek graduate labor market is experiencing a paradoxical situation whereby both unemployment and vacancy rates are high which is explained by inefficient job matching process, skill mismatches and brain drain. At the same time, Uzbek government has passed several higher education policies that are guided by human capital theory principles, e.g. expansion of higher education to develop human capital based on learning-earning social contract. The aim of this paper is to establish the relationship between higher education and graduate labor market in Uzbekistan through the lens of human capital theory, which will fill empirical gap in educational research on this topic in Uzbek (Post-Soviet) context. It does so, firstly, by forming strong analytical base in the form of theoretical framework and empirical literature review to study similar cases in other countries. Then, the paper employs critical policy document analysis approach to study recent Uzbek government higher education policies and compares it to real situation in graduate labor market in order to show implications of HCT and its critiques in Uzbek case. The study concludes that HCT is failing in its “mission” in providing decent job opportunities for graduates in Uzbekistan thus suggesting a shift in higher education policy agenda for Uzbek government.