ILO’s SCORE Programme scales up in Mongolia’s cashmere sector through Public-Private Partnership, advancing Youth friendly workplace practices

ULAANBAATAR (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched the second year of its Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) Programme in Mongolia, expanding support to cashmere enterprises through a public-private partnership model aimed at improving productivity, workplace cooperation and competitiveness.

Following the successful pilot implementation of the SCORE Programme in Mongolia’s cashmere sector in 2025, the initiative is being scaled up in 2026. Building on the lessons and achievements of the pilot phase, the programme will support participating enterprises in strengthening productivity, quality management, human resource management and workplace cooperation, while promoting better working conditions and opportunities for workers, particularly young workers.

Results from the 2025 pilot phase demonstrated the value of workplace cooperation and continuous improvement. Participating enterprises reported:

• Productivity gains of up to 40 per cent through more efficient production processes and workplace improvements.
• Defect reductions of up to 40 per cent, helping improve product quality and reduce waste.
• Production cost savings of up to 20 per cent through more efficient use of resources.
• Stronger workplace cooperation, with increased employee engagement and more effective collaboration between workers and management.
• Increased participation of young workers in identifying and implementing workplace improvements, contributing to a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

Building on these achievements, five enterprises – Snow Fields LLC, Saintumen Cashmere LLC, Gobi-Erdene Cashmere LLC, Uguuj Shim LLC and Baigal Cashmere LLC – have joined the 2026 SCORE Programme cycle. A key feature of the 2026 cycle is its public-private financing model. The programme is jointly financed by participating enterprises, the General Agency for Labor and Welfare Services (GALWS), and the ILO through the Youth Employment Promotion Project (YEPP), reflecting a shared ownership and commitment among government, employers and development partners to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of Mongolia’s cashmere industry.

The programme also contributes to the implementation of Mongolia’s White Gold National Movement, which seeks to increase value-added production, exports and quality employment in the wool and cashmere sector.

Achieving the objectives of the White Gold National Movement requires more than investment and technological modernization alone. Increasing workforce productivity, strengthening workers’ skills and capacities, and fostering cooperation between employers and workers are equally important. In this regard, the ILO’s SCORE Programme plays a vital role in advancing the goals of the White Gold National Movement.

B. Javkhlan, Advisor to the President of Mongolia.

The SCORE Programme is the ILO’s global training and workplace improvement programme that helps small and medium-sized enterprises improve productivity, working conditions and competitiveness through cooperation between managers and workers.

Implemented within the framework of YEPP, funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea under the ILO/Korea Partnership Programme, the ILO’s SCORE Programme in Mongolia is implemented in wool and cashmere sector through GALWS, the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Protection, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, the Mongolian Wool and Cashmere Association, and the Mongolian Confederation of Trade Unions.