More than 50% of specialists of working professions employed in agro-industrial complex
Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov at the Government session reported that in the agro-industrial complex of Kazakhstan today are more than 300 thousand producers, which provide employment for 1.1 million people, including professionals working professions 595 thousand people or 55%.
He noted that taking into account the coefficient of family, each specialist employed in the industry provides income on average three people. Thus, agriculture directly or indirectly affects the financial well-being of 4 million people, which makes it one of the key sources of social stability.
“In order to involve the population in the working professions, incentives implemented by the government are available to farmers, along with other sectors, such as subsidising the cost of housing, wages for young professionals and under the “generation contract”.’ The Ministry also provides various measures of state support through the Agrarian Credit Corporation, Kazagrofinance, social-entrepreneurial corporations,” Aidarbek Saparov noted.
It was noted that one of the key steps to popularise the Year of Vocational Professions was holding the first Forum of Agricultural Workers last year, where 80 people (75%) out of 107 awarded with state awards of workers of agro-industrial complex were machine milking operators, mechanics, cattle breeders, shepherds. Taking into account the Head of State’s instruction, the practice of honouring agrarians from the working professions will be annual.
The Minister stressed that in recent years modern agriculture has been modernised and has become more technological and highly productive. In parallel, the status of agricultural workers is also growing, which should be further raised by increasing wages, applying an increased coefficient to social benefits of villagers.
In addition, it is proposed to consider the possibility of increasing the rate of subsidies for housing construction in rural areas. The proposed measures will raise the prestige of agricultural labour professions and retain people in rural areas.
Modern agriculture, along with basic vocational knowledge, requires new skills in working with digital systems and high-tech equipment, including artificial intelligence.
“In order to improve the quality of personnel training, 9 professional standards will be developed and updated in 2025, as well as educational programmes in agrarian training areas. This will make it possible to train specialists in modern professions, such as operators of machine milking, drones, grain processing and other areas related to the application of high technologies,” Aidarbek Saparov added.
The Year of Vocational Professions in 2025, taking into account the planned investment projects, according to the data of the regions, is about 3.5 thousand people.
In order to train personnel of secondary specialisation, 63 agrarian colleges function, where 12.5 thousand people study, 70.4% of whom receive education under the state order.
At present, work is actively under way to develop dual education in colleges. For example, Agrarno-technical college in Akmola region cooperates with Agrofirma Rodina, Novoishimsk agrotechnical college of North Kazakhstan region partners with AZKO LLP, Kostanay region college cooperates with large agroenterprises of the region, including Olzha Agro.
“In all regions, agreements of intent are concluded with agricultural producers on the organisation of industrial practice and employment. Wide information work is important for all measures taken and planned. For this purpose it is necessary to finance the creation and replication of relevant content in social media, on television. All this will ensure the growth of attractiveness of working professions, improve labour conditions, attract new personnel, which, ultimately, will ensure the development of the agro-industrial complex,” Aidarbek Saparov concluded.
Source