NQF inventory Kazakhstan

The country’s NQF is influenced by the EQF and the Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area. Progress has drawn heavily on international support, especially from the World Bank. It is now working with national authorities and actors on the “KZ Skills and Jobs Project”, 2016-20. There are many international projects linked to specific areas of development as well. Recently, the cooperation with Russia has been intensified in the framework of the policy coordination of the countries in the Eurasian Economic Union. Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation lead in the development of qualification systems and it is expected that the coordination between the reforms in the five EAEC countries will be strengthened.

Related instruments and references include the state classifier of occupations; the Union-wide classifier of workers’ professions; the unified tariff manual of workers’ professions; qualifications manual; the state compulsory educational standards in TVET; and the state compulsory educational standards in higher education, both created in 2012 (with amendments in 2016).

Kazakhstan had 23 active sectoral qualification frameworks, and there number is expected to grow until 38 in 2020. The SQFs classify industry requirements for each qualification, levelling by complexity and demand of skills required. SQFs are used to certify industry personnel.

Kazakhstan has an ambitious programme for developing occupational standards, 449 were developed until 2016, when the approach changed. By 2020, 560 new occupational standards should be available. Atameken coordinates the development of occupational standards.

The World Bank project “KZ Skills and Jobs” is used to invite sectoral bodies to develop new sets of sectoral qualifications and occupational standards..
In HE, more than 60 universities in the country have signed the Bologna Process.
 

Descriptors are knowledge, skills and competences, competencies (personal and professional) and ways of achievement.

A qualification is defined as “an official recognition of the value learned competences for the labour market and further education and training, giving right to carry out work”  (NQF,  March, 16 2016).

The framework allows for progression but links between the various sectors of education and training should be strengthened. In particular, levels 6-8 remain the preserve of higher education institutions and their qualifications.

Since 2012, expected learning outcomes have been systematically used in educational standards for different types of education. Occupational standards are seen as essential for defining qualifications and learning outcomes. Hence the emphasis on the development of occupational standards. While standards are mentioning learning outcomes, this does not mean that they are systematically used in teaching and learning and assessment.

The NQF covers VET, post-secondary and higher education qualifications as well as qualifications for adults.

The KZ QF is an 8-level structure.  Currently, levels 6 to 8 are reserved to degrees awarded in higher education. Levels  2 to 4 are reserved to qualification for TVET education. Level 5 is reserved for post-secondary education. The newly introduced Applied Bachelor Degree at Level 5 is part of Technical and Vocational Education, but there are identical level descriptors for these qualifications as for academic bachelors awarded by higher education institutions that sit at level 6. The applied bachelor is not a real short cycle qualification as the duration is typically four years.

The Joint Order 8022 of 19 October 2012, adopted by the Ministries of Health and Social Development and Education and Science specified the structure of the national qualification system: the NQF, the Sectoral Qualifications Framework and occupational standards. A plan to elaborate the National System of Qualifications was adopted in 2013 (governmental regulation N° 616 of 18.06.2013) and in accordance with amendments to the Labour Code the first official Occupational Standards were developed. The Labour Code mentioned as well the NQF, Sectoral Qualifications Frameworks and Assessment. The Labour Code has been amended several times since 2012. By Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan (# 616. June 18, 2013) the Gradual Development Plan of  National Qualification System was approved.

The Ministry of Health and Social Development established a coordinating council for the NQS in 2014. In 2016 in accordance with the Labour Code and the Law on the National Chamber of Employers Atameken, the responsibility for Occupational Standards passed to the Chamber. The NQF was formally confirmed on 16.03,2016 by the tripartite committee for social partnership and regulation of social and labour relations. In 2017 an interdepartmental Committee under the Dep. Prime Minister established the programme for productive employment and NQS, including a new classifier for employment and 70 new occupational standards. In 2018, new methodologies for Sectoral Qualifications Frameworks and for Occupational Standards development were adopted.

TVET and HE is regulated by the Law on Education, 2015. The Labour Code regulates the National Qualification System.
 

The structures are complex and coordination is not always ensured. A National Council for Personnel Training is formally in the lead. The Main Directorate for Skills and Jobs in the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population leads the development of the National Qualifications System. The Ministry of Education with support of different entities such as Kasipkor (methodological innovation centre supporting the development of Technical and Vocational Education) and the Centre for the Bologna Process (supporting higher education reforms). The Ministry of Education is responsible for developing competency-based Education Standards. Line Ministries under the government work with sectoral committees or sectoral councils. Sectoral committees and sector experts of professional associations with methodological support from Atameken and the World Bank are working in Sectoral Qualifications Frameworks on the development of occupational standards. In the new methodology adopted in 2018, this starts with a mapping of occupations in each sectors.

The MES develops State Education Compulsory Educational Standards for qualifications and occupations.

16 sector councils operate to oversee skills development. They have also led development of the significant numbers of occupational standards.  Businesses are gradually becoming more engaged in VET, including in qualifications and curricula. The National Chamber Atameken leads these developments, including the establishment of sector qualifications frameworks, the development of occupational standards and the accreditation of Centres for the Certification of Specialists.
Sector representatives do not feel enough involved in the decision-making processes and have concerns about the use of occupational standards in education. The coordination between the key ministries and the National Chamber could be strengthened. The developments in the Bologna Process and those linked to developing more relevant qualifications could be better linked.
 

While the country is resource-rich and can fund some of its TVET initiatives, it also relies on donor support, notably in the NQF from the World Bank, that acts as well as a resource for organising targeted development of occupational standards.

Sector-led testing and certification is now implemented in many sectors. Accreditation of providers and programmes has progressed but needs to look more at validating qualifications and at assessment procedures, paying special attention to adapting to the learning outcomes paradigm.

There is no national register or database yet. Atameken, the employer body, is managing 3 registers for occupational standards, for certification centres for specialists (both at national level) and for certificated specialists (at regional level). 449 occupational standards were developed before Atameken became responsible for occupational standard. Since then 88 new standards have been adopted, from 23 functioning sectoral qualifications frameworks. Many more are in the process of development. For 2019, 480 occupational standards should be developed and 38 sectoral qualifications frameworks. In total 560 occupational standards are planned until 2020. 34 Centres for the certification of specialists exist in the register. In 2017, 6,400 specialists were certificated.

Mechanisms to monitor the effectiveness of the NQF’s implementation are not clear.

Providers are influenced in qualifications and curricula via the country’s membership of Bologna. Many sectoral organisations are now involved in the development of occupational standards and the certification of specialists. In VET a number of competency-based programmes is being introduced.