OECD experts presented a report on the formation of the National Strategy of skills of Kazakhstan
Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan (hereinafter - MTSZN) Together with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (hereinafter - the OECD), a final public event was held, during which the OECD report prepared within the framework of the project «Formation of an effective National Skills Strategy of Kazakhstan» (hereinafter – the Project) was presented.
The event was attended by the First Vice-Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan Akmadi Sarbasov, representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, JSC "Center for Human Resources Development", NCE «Atameken», departments for the coordination of employment and social programs, universities, etc.
The OECD was represented at the event by Mark Pearson, Deputy Director of the Directorate for Employment, Labor and Social Affairs, heads of the Center for Professional Skills El-Isa Mohamed and Andrew Bell, political analysts Stefano Piano, Miso Lee and Sam Thomas, Senior Specialist in Management and Lifelong Learning of the European Education Foundation Jose Manuel Galvin Arribas.
The Project was implemented in the period from May 2019 to May 2021.
Four priority areas were selected for its implementation:
- promoting broad participation in adult education in all forms, with special attention to more vulnerable groups of the population, such as persons with disabilities and the elderly;
- improving the efficiency of the use of skills in the labor market of vulnerable groups of the population, such as young people, the elderly, persons with disabilities and women;
- strengthening the systems of professional development, training and collection of information on the labor market;
- strengthening the professional skills management system.
«3 OECD missions were conducted to implement the Project. During the first, a skills strategy workshop was held, the proposed priority areas of the Project were discussed and approved. As part of the second mission, a diagnostic workshop was held to discuss key factors that are priorities for skills policy. The third OECD mission, due to the epidemiological situation, was carried out in the video conferencing format. A workshop on best practices was held, draft recommendations developed for Kazakhstan were reviewed and key aspects of implementation were identified,» Akmadi Sarbasov said.
During the presentation, the Kazakh side discussed with representatives of the OECD key aspects of the final report on the Project and recommendations for strengthening and developing Kazakhstan's skills system by promoting wider participation in adult education, improving the level of vocational training of vulnerable groups in the labor market, strengthening vocational training and education systems in the labor market, strengthening the skills management system.
The implementation of some recommendations is planned to be carried out within the framework of the National Project for the Development of Productive Employment and Mass Entrepreneurship «Enbek» (hereinafter – the National Project).
«The National Project provides for new tools that contribute to the development of the labor market infrastructure – the creation of digital employment centers, a single window for obtaining support measures for the development of entrepreneurship, the development of online services, the development of skills of labor resources, the creation of an effective model of labor mediation,» Akmadi Sarbasov said.
The OECD is also recommended to strengthen cooperation with private employment agencies and non-governmental organizations to increase the number of vacancies and promote job search services. According to this recommendation, the Ministry of Health will consider amendments to the Rules for the Organization and Financing of Outsourcing services in the field of employment of the population to improve the quality of services provided by private employment agencies.
«The analysis carried out by the OECD is also very relevant because we are currently working to improve the national qualifications system. Thus, our foreign colleagues recommended the creation of a technical body to coordinate the development of a National Qualifications System, as well as the introduction of a reliable certification system. Taking into account the recommendations of the OECD, we have begun to develop a draft law «On Professional Qualifications», which will allow us to systematize all elements of the National Qualifications System, as well as various ways to regulate access to different types of activities through the recognition of qualifications. In addition, the document will approve the certification procedure as one of the ways to recognize qualifications,» the First Vice Minister added.
Akmadi Sarbasov also noted that the recommendations received will serve as an impetus for the introduction of OECD best practices in the areas of strengthening and developing the skills system, forecasting and training of labor resources, as well as the labor market as a whole.