Abstract
<jats:p>Purpose: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) constitute over 80 percent of hospitality employers in Uzbekistan, yet their participation rate in dual vocational education and training (VET) programmes remains below 15 percent, severely constraining the scalability of the government's dual education agenda. This paper examines the structural and institutional barriers that inhibit SME participation in dual education placements in Uzbekistan's hospitality sector, drawing on original survey data from 215 enterprises and 48 key informant interviews conducted across four oblasts in 2023. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-methods design combines quantitative analysis of a purpose-built enterprise survey with qualitative thematic analysis of stakeholder interviews. Barriers are mapped against an analytical framework adapted from Euler's (2013) enterprise training decision model and Wolter and Ryan's (2011) training investment calculus, contextualized within Uzbekistan's transitional institutional environment. Findings: Six barrier clusters are identified: (1) administrative and contractual complexity; (2) uncertainty about apprentice net productivity during training; (3) absence of qualified in-house enterprise trainers; (4) lack of fiscal incentives; (5) regulatory ambiguity around enterprise obligations; and (6) weak intermediary infrastructure. Barriers are significantly moderated by enterprise size, international brand affiliation, and geographic location. SMEs in regional cities face compounded disadvantages relative to large internationally branded hotels in Tashkent. Originality/value: This is the first empirical study to systematically map dual VET employer participation barriers in a Central Asian hospitality sector context. The paper advances a context-sensitive governance model — the Graduated Participation Pathway (GPP) — as a practical policy instrument for progressively integrating SMEs into dual education systems in transition economy hospitality markets.</jats:p>