Minister of Education Gani Beisembayev reported at the Government session that within the framework of the instructions of Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev according to the announced The Year of Vocational Professions a plan of measures has been developed.

He noted that in order to raise the prestige of working professions and the reform of technical and vocational education, the Government approved the Republican Plan for The Year of Vocational Professions, as well as the Ministry of Education adopted the Roadmap for the transformation of technical and vocational education for 2025-2027.

All regions of the country have developed plans for The Year of Vocational Professions, including measures to increase the prestige of working professions, the quality of training, and interaction with employers.

Today in Kazakhstan the system of vocational education includes 772 operating colleges with 565 thousand students. The volume of the state order for 2024 in technical and vocational education totalled 143 thousand places. The scholarship of students has doubled.

The action plans include: development of the Atlas of new professions and competences taking into account regional peculiarities, transformation of technical and vocational education, training of certified specialists of international level, job creation, protection of rights and raising the status of working professions. Together with enterprises, 1,000 profile classes will be opened in schools.

"The reform of vocational guidance work will allow schoolchildren to learn about new requirements in the labour market, assess career prospects in specific sectors of the economy, and make the right choice of profession. Vocational guidance service in schools will be strengthened, which will fully cover professional diagnostics of students. And also the experience of teaching high school students practical skills and the first working profession on the basis of colleges will be introduced," Gani Beisembayev stressed.

The government has adopted a new per capita funding standard for colleges. The average amount of funds allocated for the education of one student is 437 thousand tenge, and from the new academic year for colleges that have achieved specific indicators will increase more than 2 times and will be 912 thousand tenge on average.

"Preparation of competitive specialists, full provision of educational institutions with modern material and technical equipment, professional development of teachers for us the main priority," the Minister noted.

It is planned to actively involve business structures and investors for development of dual education system and training of specialists on the basis of target order of enterprises.

Currently, 518 enterprises provide patronage over colleges, their number is planned to be increased to 4 thousand. About 8 thousand educational programmes have been developed taking into account the requirements of professional standards, GOSS and WorldSkills standards. This year, colleges and their employers are developing more than 2,000 educational programmes, and 1,500 teachers will undergo internships at production facilities.

Transformation of the vocational education system includes internationalisation of 10 colleges in Kazakhstan. Exchange of experience with foreign colleges will allow students to improve their knowledge in educational institutions within the framework of academic mobility, as well as to improve the professional competence of teachers.

As part of The Year of Vocational Professions initiated by the Head of State, a National Competence Centre will be created in Astana to support and develop students of technical and vocational education.

‘The centre will contribute to the development of professional competencies and skills of students, as well as become a base for retraining, professional development and WorldSkills championships," Gani Beisembayev explained.

One of the key events of The Year of Vocational Professions will be the holding of the first championship of professional skills among Turkic-speaking countries Turkicskills - 2025 in the city of Aktau.

#Education #Government session #Ministry of Education