Government considers measures to modernise vocational education and training
The Government session chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov considered measures to train and improve the qualifications of personnel for working professions, as well as to increase the prestige of these professions.Ministers of Education, Science and Higher Education, Labour and Social Protection made reports. Chairman of the Atameken National Enterprise Raimbek Batalov and a number of heads of regional colleges were also heard, El.kz cites primeminister.kz.
In 2025, declared the Year of Working Professions, a serious reboot of the system of vocational education is planned. The changes are aimed at creating modern conditions for personnel training. Today, 772 Kazakh colleges train specialists in 15 areas. The employment rate in working professions reaches 70%.
Head of the Government noted that in the conditions of economic development and the emergence of new industries Kazakhstan lacks qualified workers. Personnel training remains an important priority of state policy and requires a systematic approach, which will take into account the interests and needs of the labour market, business and young people.
In recent years, Kazakhstan has already introduced a set of measures in the field of vocational education. Free training in working professions in colleges has been introduced, and the volume of the state order for training has been increased. Previously, about 93,000 students were enrolled in colleges annually at the expense of the budget, while this year their number has increased to 142,500. Also, scholarships for college students have increased by 50 per cent. In addition, work continues to improve the material and technical base of TVET educational organisations. Within the framework of the project "Zhas Maman" 48 billion tenge has been allocated from the national budget to re-equip 180 colleges.
Prime Minister drew attention to the fact that despite the measures taken, the potential in training is not sufficiently disclosed - it is necessary to modernise the system of vocational education.
"It is necessary to actively introduce international industry standards and certification. For this purpose, the Ministry of Education needs to conduct an independent assessment of the quality of work, complete profiling and ranking of colleges with the identification of technological leaders," Olzhas Bektenov stressed. Special attention will be paid to the system of incentives for educational institutions and introduction of KPIs that will motivate colleges to improve the quality of education.
The key task is to develop a Comprehensive Plan for reforming technical and vocational education. The relevant instruction was given to the Ministry of Education together with interested state bodies, akimats and the Atameken Chamber. The document should take into account specific measures on technical re-equipment of colleges, professional development of teaching staff, improvement of educational programmes and introduction of mechanisms for assessing the quality of educational institutions.
Prime Minister also stressed the need to ensure continuity between the educational programmes of universities and colleges. Today 30 leading universities of the country have established partnerships with more than 100 colleges implementing related educational programmes.
"It is necessary to actively develop dual education, expand targeted training for specific enterprises within the framework of the state order. Colleges should become a ‘centre of attraction’ for young people, employers and investors,"Olzhas Bektenov said.
The Ministry of Labour and Atameken Chamber together with sectoral state bodies have been instructed to create a Digital Skills Bank based on the European classifier, and on the basis of the digital platform of the National Qualifications System to create a register of certified college graduates. These digital solutions will make it possible to establish the process of employment of graduates.
At the same time, Prime Minister noted the importance of involvement of the entrepreneurial block in the educational process and training in working professions.
"World experience shows that the quality of personnel training is ensured through a clear division of responsibility between the state, enterprises and educational institutions. Therefore, we want to increase the role and activity of business participation in this process. The most important thing in this great joint work is that college graduates should be in demand in the labour market and receive decent pay," Olzhas Bektenov added.
As part of the work to raise the status of working professions and the development of vocational education, the Ministries of Science and Education have been instructed to revise the structure of the state order, increasing the number of grants for college graduates who continue their studies at universities in related specialities.
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