Implementing Dual System in Kazakhstan

Since 2015 Kazakhstan has been developing a Road map for the development of dual education mainly driven by the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs. However, despite the attractiveness of the dual system in Kazakhstan, there are barriers that need to be encountered when transferring one system from one country to another. Vocational training is considered to be a gateway to the labor market. Approximately two thirds of all people recruited by companies in dual system programs are directly hired by the company, once the training is completed. Once hired, students will become employees with a specific qualification, getting a good salary and having the advantage of already knowing the company, the procedures, some of the peers, the organizational culture and values. Conversely, in Kazakhstan barely 10% of recruited students are offered a job position. The period of practice is short and does not allow to provide all the necessary professional skills. Furthermore, supervisors want to get paid for the extra job of training a person and students are not motivated since are not getting paid. At most, employees will cover their accommodation and travel costs. Only in very exceptionally cases, bright students may get some extra money as incentive or for performing specific tasks that provide added value to the employer. Moreover, there is a gap between vocational education and HE (levels 5 and 6).Seizing the opportunity of new Law , within the new autonomy given to HEIs, KAZDUAL will elaborate a model for internships, co-tutoring of students, conducting ongoing monitoring of student performance based on practice-based education and introducing modern forms of professional training based on best practices from EU partners. One of the main goals is that there is a continuation of learning skills (technical and knowledge-based) between the programs offered at vocational education level and HE level in 3 selected fields.