Kazakhstan: Online event brings together vocational training partners from both countries

Where are there concrete points of contact between vocational training institutions in both countries, and how can these be turned into sustainable partnerships? This is precisely the aim of the cooperation agreed between the Ministries of Education of Kazakhstan (Ministry of Education, MoE) and the Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth of Germany (BMBFSFJ), and these questions were also the focus of the online meeting.

Exchange formats for genuine encounters

The Central Asian republic is increasingly orienting itself towards a dual model and is resolutely pushing ahead with its development process. Closer involvement of companies plays a central role in this. The impetus also comes from the business community: more than 700 companies with German capital participation are now active in Kazakhstan.

In addition to possible exchange formats and financing prospects, very practical issues that are crucial for genuine encounters were also discussed, such as visa requirements and linguistic communication between participants. Another important goal is to establish direct exchange formats for trainees as well as for trainers and vocational school teachers.

The political tailwind for concrete next steps was emphasised by, among others, the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nurlan Onzhanov, and the Kazakh Deputy Minister of Education, Shinar Akparova. On the German side, Head of Division Stefan Schneider (BMBFSFJ) reaffirmed his interest in a lively exchange.

Nine vocational colleges introduced themselves – and immediately provided impetus for cooperation

The cooperation became particularly tangible in the presentations by the participating Kazakh vocational colleges. They presented their training portfolios: from mining and welding to mechatronics, automotive mechatronics and IT to construction and agriculture. The response was noticeably positive: several promising contacts were made immediately afterwards – partly because numerous German education providers and vocational training institutions were represented.

Tulesov Ashkat Kairatovich from the Centre for Applied Research (TALAP) also gave a concise overview of the state of vocational training and further reform steps. He emphasised the importance of sustainability and digitalisation in vocational training against the backdrop of the green transformation, which met with broad approval from the participants. The online meeting served as a platform for networking, exchange and joint assessment of the status quo – and can thus become a starting point for deeper German-Kazakh cooperation in vocational training.