Employment in Shymkent is seen as a factor in adapting the labour market to new realities. More than two thousand people have already been enrolled in short-term professional training programmes.

This has proven to be an ideal tool for revitalising and developing the labour market, as well as for engaging citizens in vocational training. Overall, as of early April, according to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, 22,000 unemployed people have been covered by short-term courses. All of them have the opportunity to improve their qualifications and acquire new, in-demand specialisations based on the needs of the labour market. The courses last no longer than six months.

Their key advantage is that participants quickly see tangible results and can apply for potential job openings. The list of the most sought-after professions includes: cook, seamstress, accountant-cashier, hairdresser, tractor driver / agricultural machinery operator, manicure master, and hairdresser stylist.

To train in these and other professions, taking into account the specifics of the qualification being acquired, applicants can contact the career centre at their place of residence. Opportunities are also available for rural residents, for whom these matters are handled by the mayors (akims) of villages, rural districts, and district-level towns.

All necessary conditions have been created in the country for this purpose – training is organised on the basis of educational institutions, where courses are formed according to employer requests, or directly at the workplace with employers. There is also an online format, provided through the list of in-demand professions on the Skills Enbek short‑term training portal. In addition to Shymkent, other leaders in engaging citizens in this type of training include the Aktobe Region, where the number of participants has also exceeded two thousand people, as well as the Turkistan, Kyzylorda, and Kostanay Regions.

During training directly with employers, experienced specialists are assigned as mentors to those taking the courses. At the same time, an employment contract is concluded between the employer and the unemployed person for this period. The trainee receives a salary (equivalent to 20 Monthly Calculation Indices — MCI) transferred by the Centre for Labour Mobility.

The Skills Enbek portal also makes a significant contribution: since the beginning of the year, it has organised online training for 21,600 unemployed people.

The state has also provided other forms of support: those undergoing professional training receive payment for the training itself, a stipend or salary, and travel compensation. Furthermore, if the training takes place outside the unemployed person's place of residence, they are provided with financial assistance for living expenses (reimbursement of housing rental costs).

Olzhas KUANDYK