Uzbekistan Digital Inclusion Project

AI & ML Cohort Graduates in Tashkent: A Milestone for the Uzbekistan Digital Inclusion Project

A graduation ceremony for the AI & ML cohort took place in Tashkent as part of the Uzbekistan Digital Inclusion Project, implemented with the support of the Ministry of Digital Technologies, the World Bank, and IT Park.

Daria Shamova, Director of the staffing company LavoroSolutions, addressed the graduates. She reminded the audience that this event is part of a larger story: parallel cohorts are completing their training in Samarkand (Cloud Engineering), Namangan (2D/3D Animation), and Fergana (GameDev). Four regions, four cutting-edge fields, and hundreds of young people who, just four months ago, started from scratch — and today, each of them has a portfolio and real projects to show.

As an expert on the Uzbekistan labor market, Daria spoke candidly about the realities of the industry: AI & ML is one of the most competitive and fast-changing fields. The key skill to take away from this project, she emphasized, is the ability to learn continuously. Companies are not just looking for tech specialists — they are looking for people who can integrate AI into business processes. She highlighted three things that make a graduate truly in demand: a strong portfolio, soft skills, and networking. Hackathons, meetups, articles, and GitHub — all of these contribute to building a personal brand.

The Director of LavoroSolutions stressed that a career in IT is not a straight line — it is more of a zigzag. It is built through junior positions, internships, freelance work, and open-source contributions, and sometimes you have to take a step back to leap forward. Flexibility, she noted, is one of the key skills for professional growth.

The Uzbekistan Digital Inclusion Project was created to give young people across different regions of the country access to modern knowledge. We wish all graduates every success and are confident that their story is just beginning.