On September 27, 2023, the Mamandygym – Bolashagym project was launched in AlmaU, which is being implemented as part of the Program to Increase Household Incomes until 2029, adopted by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The Center for Creative Industries of Almaty University Management (AlmaU), commissioned by the Almaty City Education Department, is implementing the project “Atlas of new professions and competencies, taking into account the main socio-economic indicators in the perspective of the development of Almaty until 2030”
The Atlas of new professions and competencies is a collection of professions that, according to experts in each industry, are already in demand and will appear in the near future. The future so close to us in this Atlas will be determined for 5-10 years.
In order to determine which professions will be relevant in 5-10 years, the Foresight methodology is used. Industry experts, representatives of large enterprises of the city, associations and employees of educational institutions of the city were invited to participate in the project. Intensive foresight research is aimed at forming a regional map of the personnel needs of Almaty in such areas as construction, architecture, urbanism, hospitality and service industry, transport and logistics.
The event began with a welcome address by the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Sayasat Nurbek: “The purpose of the Mamandygym – Bolashagym program is the formation of regional maps that take into account the specifics and peculiarities of the region’s economy. In our case, this is a city of national importance, the largest, most important, at the same time economically complex, with great potential for the development of a productive creative component. The task is threefold. There are three main stakeholders in the program. The first is the local executive body, which, during a deep dive, will better and more clearly understand the requests of anchor employers of industry enterprises and SMEs that shape the city’s economy. The second stakeholder is the regional education system. I would like to note that in the areas where the atlas is already being implemented, universities and colleges are updating their educational programs. Educational institutions can review their content up to 90%. Adaptability and flexibility are provided for the duration of training. The third stakeholder is the business, the enterprises themselves, which, through this card, correctly and ahead of time formulate their personnel needs.”
The event was attended by Samgat Yermekbayev, head of the Mamandygym-Bolashagym project group, Bakytzhan Biekova, Deputy Head of the Almaty City Education Department, Dana Shayakhmet, head of the Atlas of New Professions and Competencies of Almaty, Zhanna Tulegenova, head of the Mamandygym – Bolashagym project office in Almaty.
Dana Shayakhmet, head of the Atlas of New Professions and Competencies of Almaty City project: “AlmaU has joined the large Mamandygym – Bolashagym project, which is being implemented throughout Kazakhstan to create an atlas of regional and Almaty as a city of national importance. This atlas will affect which recommendations will be made: on the one hand, which specialties have outlived their usefulness, and on the other hand, which specialties should appear at the university and college levels throughout the city. There will be such atlases in 6 directions. Today we are looking at the service and hospitality industry, construction, architecture and urbanism, transport and logistics.”
Deputy Head of the Almaty City Education Department Bakytzhan Biekova elaborated on the importance of the project: “This project will make a great contribution to the economic development of Almaty city. Because the Atlas of Professions and Competencies has been in existence since 2017. In 2019, the results of the atlas were noted in Aktobe, Khromtau College and a lot of partnership work was carried out. As a result, new specialties have been opened and new educational programs have been launched. This year, funds have been allocated from the local budget of the city of Almaty. In 6 directions, it will be determined which specialties, which competencies will be in demand for the city of Almaty until 2030. As the Department of Education, we annually plan a state educational order. This means that we will be able to carry out work on closing old professions that are not economically oriented. You know that students choose a direction starting from the 7th grade. As a result of the project, we can tell them which specialties will appear in Almaty. This work has already been carried out in a number of regions. It will not only contain descriptions of professions. We will dig deeper: we will determine what skills and competencies are needed to master these specialties.”
The head of the project group of the Mamandygym – Bolashagym program, Samgat Yermekbayev, announced the figures: “Within the framework of the project, 94 in-depth interviews were taken, 1,298 forecasts were made, 916 people took part in foresight sessions. As a result of foresight sessions, 463 specialties were selected in 9 industries. Of these, 239 are new, 95 are transforming, 129 are disappearing professions.”