At the Government session chaired by Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov, new approaches to training blue-collar specialists were reviewed.

 

Minister of Education Zhuldyz Suleimenova presented a report on the development of technical and vocational education system. Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek reported on the workforce training system and university-college partnerships, while Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population Askarbek Yertaev detailed the labor market's demand for blue-collar professions. Reports were also heard from Minister of Industry and Construction Yersaiyn Nagaspayev, Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov, Minister of Transport Nurlan Sauranbayev, and Minister of Energy Yergali Akkenzhenov.

The Head of Government highlighted the values of diligence, progress, and knowledge enshrined in the new Constitution. The Head of State has set the task of forming a new educational model that incorporates digitalisation, artificial intelligence development, and rapid technological modernisation.

Kazakhstan currently operates 763 colleges with 556,000 enrolled students. According to the Ministry of Education, educational curricula are systematically adapting to technological shifts. In 2026 alone, over 3,000 programs across 160 specialities were updated, with new disciplines being introduced.

Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population Askarbek Yertayev reported that the total economic demand for personnel through 2035 is estimated at 2.9 million people, 1.8 million of whom are blue-collar specialists.

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov stressed that high-quality training of qualified specialists directly impacts economic stability. The workforce training system must align with evolving industrial demands.

"The Head of State constantly emphasizes that every economic sector requires a new type of specialist capable of increasing labor productivity through modern technology. Blue-collar professions require special attention. Under current conditions, a specialist in any production facility must professionally operate digital management systems and apply new technologies and AI tools to solve practical tasks. The current workforce training system must be restructured precisely around these goals," Olzhas Bektenov noted.

The Head of Government stressed that technical and vocational education must ensure a swift, practice-oriented transition of new specialists into the labor market. Consequently, the state prioritizes the development of vocational education as a key component of training personnel for the economy. Funding for this area has expanded significantly: state-funded college admissions grew from roughly 93,000 students annually in previous years to 145,000 this year. Student stipends increased by 50%, while per-student college funding doubled.

The need to continue building new student dormitories was highlighted. Over the next three years, approximately 7,500 new accommodation places will be created for technical and vocational education students. Olzhas Bektenov emphasized that this plan must be fully executed.

The Prime Minister drew attention to allocating state educational orders based on verified economic demand. Specialist training funding must be paired with subsequent graduate employment tracking.

To proactively respond to labor market changes, the Ministries of Science and Labour were instructed to ensure the full launch of the National Centre for the Transformation of Professions in partnership with leading companies via a public-private partnership model by the end of this year. A concrete mechanism for employer involvement in forecasting emerging professions and required competencies must also be established.

Additionally, the Prime Minister instructed that effective measures be taken to increase college appeal. Educational programs must undergo continuous modernization based on market and public demand. Short-term modular programs should be opened to deliver in-demand micro-credentials. Olzhas Bektenov stressed that colleges must become institutions where young people enroll intentionally to acquire specific professional skills and knowledge.

Infrastructure quality in technical and vocational education requires special focus. Over 70% of active vocational facilities were built more than 40 years ago. The Prime Minister noted that the Head of State instructed the commencement of major infrastructure and social facility construction. As part of this directive, the President approved plans for building and comprehensively modernizing colleges.

In this regard, the Ministry of Education, alongside interested state bodies and regional akimats, was instructed to submit the 2027–2030 Program for the Development of Modern Technical and Vocational Education Infrastructure to the Government by November 1 of this year.

To address personnel shortages and bridge the gap between the education system and real business needs, Olzhas Bektenov tasked officials with synchronizing employer and industry association demands with educational institution capabilities.

The Ministry of Education, together with the Ministry of Labour, Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, and regional akimats, was instructed to establish regional sector-specific training and independent certification clusters for priority economic sectors.

Furthermore, allocating state college orders requires identifying precise job opening numbers based on regional needs and emerging high-tech production sites.

The Ministries of Labour, Education, and Science, along with regional akimats, were instructed to build systematic analytical work for annual forecasting of industrial job types and quantities. This forecast must be continuously updated and hosted on the Enbek.kz information system platform.

General coordination has been assigned to First Deputy Prime Minister Nurlybek Nalibayev.

#Olzhas Bektenov #The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan #Employment #President's instruction

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