Ten years after the first Migrant Resource Centres were established, the evolution of the MRC model can increasingly be measured not only through information campaigns or awareness-raising activities but through tangible services that shape employment, reintegration and future opportunities.
In Kyrgyzstan, that shift is visible in Osh, where an initiative that began as a single Job Fair in 2024 has rapidly grown into a practical platform connecting thousands of people with employers, training opportunities and career support.
By April 2026, three consecutive annual Job Fairs organised by MRC Kyrgyzstan in partnership with the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration and other partners had collectively brought together around 5,000 participants and 120 employers from the trade, services, construction, manufacturing and technology sectors, alongside universities, vocational education providers and civil society organisations, reflecting both sustained demand and the expanding role of MRCs within local communities. For job seekers, returning migrants and young people from Osh and the surrounding region, the event offered direct access to vacancies, internships and career guidance within a single venue.
Alongside the Job Fair, MRC Kyrgyzstan has continued to expand its Soft Skills Training programme, originally developed in MRC Pakistan and adapted to the Kyrgyzstan context. Recognising that successful migration outcomes depend not only on professional qualifications but also on the interpersonal and cultural competencies that shape adaptation and reintegration, the soft skills programme focuses on communication, leadership, socio-cultural adaptation, teamwork, social responsibility and financial literacy.
Since 2025 and throughout the first quarter of 2026, Training of Trainers sessions have produced 51 certified trainers, including 29 in Bishkek and 22 in Osh. Certified trainers have since begun delivering cascade trainings independently. In Osh alone, 9 cascade trainings have already reached 241 students and prospective migrants, creating a multiplier effect that extends the MRC’s capacity-building efforts far beyond the centres themselves.
The ambition behind the programme extends further still. MRC Kyrgyzstan is working towards integrating the soft skills module into the curricula of partner universities and vocational lyceums, with the longer-term objective of expanding coverage nationwide in cooperation with the Ministry of Education.
These initiatives are sustained through close cooperation with national and local authorities, educational institutions and civil society organisations, reflecting the increasingly embedded role of MRC activities within national support systems. Among the key partners supporting these efforts are the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration, Centre for Employment of Citizens Abroad, the Osh City Mayor’s Office, Osh Technological University, the Osh Business Association and the Public Association Youth of Osh.
Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) Kyrgyzstan:
📍 237, Toktogula street, Bishkek
📍 8/914 Amir-Temur street, Osh
Tel.: +996 (554) 99-19-90; +996 (774) 99-19-90
WhatsApp/ Telegram: +996 (774) 99-19-90
Follow us: www.instagram.com/mrc_kyrgyzstan | www.facebook.com/mrckyrgyzstan