The labor shortage in industry is one of the capital’s key challenges. Enterprises are facing an acute shortage of qualified specialists, and this issue took center stage at a meeting of the “Industry, Development, and Support of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises” sectoral council, held at the Astana Chamber of Entrepreneurs.
Olzhas Omar, director of the Labor Mobility Center of the capital’s city administration, spoke about the situation in the labor market and measures to develop the workforce. According to him, it is becoming increasingly difficult for industrial enterprises to find qualified specialists. The problem can only be solved through close cooperation between the government, business, and educational institutions. To this end, vocational training and employment support programs are being implemented in the manufacturing sector.
The education system plays a crucial role in addressing the labor shortage. Bakyt Abenova, head of the Internship and Career Development Office at S. Seifullin Agrotechnical University, noted that educational programs must be structured around the actual needs of industry. The university is implementing practice-oriented education: while the requirements and preferences of employers are taken into account when developing educational programs, academic freedom is preserved, allowing courses to be flexibly adapted to modern realities. The institution is open to collaboration with the business sector and is already implementing several models of such interaction.
Irina Rakisheva, Deputy Director of Astana Polytechnic College, cited a telling example. Since 2013, the institution has served as a pilot site for implementing the dual education system. Today, 11 such programs are being implemented here, involving 660 students and 80 partner enterprises, and the college has a total of 200 mentor companies. Thanks to this, 78% of graduates find employment in their field of study. At the same time, an analysis of the practice revealed some issues: companies are not always eager to accept students and often assign them tasks unrelated to their future profession. This is partly because many students are still minors, but this situation negatively affects their motivation. College administrators urged employers to view students in the dual education system as future colleagues and to more actively integrate them into the professional environment.
In addition to staffing issues, business support tools were also discussed. The Kazakhstani Center for Industry and Export, QazIndustry, presented information on government support measures aimed at increasing labor productivity, as well as promoting domestic goods, works, and services. QazTrade presented existing programs aimed at developing foreign trade and supporting domestic enterprises. These include measures to facilitate exports and reimburse a portion of the costs associated with promoting products in foreign markets.
Representatives from KazakhExport raised issues related to foreign economic support. Adil Mukhanov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of , presented the agency’s tools, including export credit and accounts receivable insurance, attracting investment loans, and providing working capital backed by KazakhExport guarantees. Marzhan Alisheva, Managing Director of Nomad Life, briefed participants on the key aspects of mandatory employee insurance required by law. She explained the objectives and benefits of this mechanism, emphasizing its role in protecting the rights and interests of employees.
The discussion participants reached a consensus: the labor shortage in industry cannot be solved alone. This requires a systematic approach—ranging from updating educational programs and developing dual education to government measures supporting business.
The capital’s industrial sector needs specialists, and today it depends on coordinated action by the government, universities, and enterprises whether Astana can provide the workforce without which the industry’s sustainable development is impossible.
Following the meeting, it was decided to continue joint efforts on workforce supply issues. Particular attention will be paid to aligning educational programs with the needs of industry, implementing new approaches to placing unemployed citizens in priority sectors, and expanding formats of interaction between the Center for Labor Mobility, educational institutions, and enterprises through social contracts, internships, and dual education.
