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- Convenors:
-
Judith Parker
(Teachers College/Columbia University)
Gulnara Medeubekova (Centre for Integrative Anti-Racism Studies, University of Toronto)
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- Theme:
- EDU
- Location:
- Posvar 4217
- Start time:
- 27 October, 2018 at
Time zone: America/New_York
- Session slots:
- 1
Long Abstract:
How are Kazakhstani universities preparing students for the future of work? What skills are critical for ensuring that students and recent graduates can thrive in an increasingly competitive and tech-driven world, and how do youth perceive these opportunities? What models of university-industry collaboration currently exist among Kazakhstani institutions of higher education, and how can these be adapted to ensure that universities are preparing students for the economic and social demands of the market?
This panel will consider various perspectives on the roles of higher education institutions in enhancing students' employability - from students' own perceptions of career opportunities and job placement challenges, to institutionalized partnerships between universities and industry/business, to the role of language training and gender in workforce development.
Panelists will draw on data including interviews with 3,000 students from 7 regions of Kazakhstan, surveys of higher education institutes around the country, and interviews with industry representatives. In addition, panelists will consider workforce development initiatives and collaboration with government, industry, business, international and local organizations.
Accepted papers:
Session 1Paper long abstract:
The problem of employment and career growth is one of the acutest for Kazakhstani youth, particularly in regions of the country. In this regard, the following research issues are considered in the article: (A) what impedes the realization of professional/personal plans of youth? (B) What are the main difficulties experienced by young people in finding a job? (C) What is the determining factor in hiring young people? A survey of 3000 students from seven regions of Kazakhstan was conducted within the framework of the research project. The differences in students' opinions are statistically reliable.
Undergraduates from Almaty, Aktobe and Shymkent universities believe that social apathy and low activity of young people are the main barriers to the implementation of professional/personal plans of youth. Students of Atyrau, Kostanay, and Taldy-Korgan consider that young people are not in demand on the labor market. Students of Astana think that lack of finance is the main reason for this. The differences in students' opinions are statistically reliable.
"Everywhere you need work experience". This is the main difficulty in finding jobs for young people. Although most students do not have current employment, they would like to combine their education and work. Also, students identify difficulty to find a job in their specialty; lack of information on the labor market, of "steep" acquaintances, and of business communication skills. Thus, students define both external and internal barriers when finding jobs. As a decisive factor in the recruitment, students again point out the importance of professional job experience and the appropriate education. Such controversial factors as availability of acquaintances and personal qualities vary and differ significantly between regions.
The issues examined made it possible to identify trends in labor activity of the youth. Information and psychological support of youth in their professional intentions contribute to a socially mature personality with a consciously responsible goal-setting. The research data were reported in a public lecture on the Nur Otan party, discussed at a roundtable with the academic community. Series of articles are published in the Bulletin of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
Keywords: student, youth, youth employment, labor market.
Paper long abstract:
Critical to workforce development, industry partnerships with universities have the potential to enhance academic curriculum and instructional strategies, strengthen students' skills and employability, and promote institutional advancement. This paper examines and highlights strategies that universities in Kazakhstan successfully employ to engage in meaningful collaboration with industry, from extracurricular activities to formal internship and employment programs, to advisory boards and councils. The paper addresses institutional and external challenges to partnership efforts, and suggests strategies to mitigate these difficulties.
Drawing on surveys and interviews with universities around Kazakhstan and industry representatives in Almaty, the paper seeks to provide evidence how university and industry collaboration enhances students' employability, while also addressing the skills gap and industry perspectives on training necessary to equip graduates to enter the workforce. The paper draws from current international best practices in university-industry engagement, and highlights the concrete efforts of Kazakhstani universities to employ and sustain successful methods of engagement. In the paper, I argue that a number of universities already represent successful examples of international best practices. I also suggest practical strategies and concrete examples that universities can draw from in their efforts to develop fruitful linkages to industry that increase students' skills and prepare them for the workforce of tomorrow.
Paper long abstract:
"Workforce development in Kazakhstan: The Role of Multilingual Instruction".
Fatima Duisebayeva - Kazakh National Agrarian University, Head of Foreign Languages Department, Professor, Ph.D., Almaty , Kazakhstan. E-mail: fatimad2004@mail.ru
This paper explores the workforce development in Kazakhstani higher education and preparation of students and recent graduates for the future work, thus meeting the economic and social demands of an increasingly competitive labor market. The study highlights relevant foreign and national comparative research and practice in the thematic area of the panel, providing the theoretical analysis of scholarly approaches, as well as practical and methodological implications on the basis of implementing multilingual instruction at Kazakhstan's higher educational institutions.
The paper considers the role of multilingual instruction and particularly English language training in workforce development through the case study of Kazakh National Agrarian University, the leading agricultural university in Kazakhstan. I argue that successful approaches include increasing English language learning services accessibility, and promoting initiatives where language preparation is integrated into university programming. The paper focuses on the conceptualization of ME in the context of the educational framework, i.e., simultaneous teaching in three languages - Kazakh, Russian and English. ME implementation comprises reforming state standards and curricula with the aim of introducing new courses and electives in English language , which will enhance students' employability and contribute to their succeeding in professional settings. The paper is based on data including interviews with students, graduates, multilingual faculty from Kazakh National Agrarian University, industry representatives and surveys of higher education institutions around the country. The paper also draws from materials including international professional competency frameworks, as well as my own experience of supervising the Institute for Multilingual education for four years.
The paper results will provide the higher education community in Kazakhstan and elsewhere with recommendations for developing multilingual instruction to help ensure that students achieve their professional career goals.
Key words: workforce development, competitive labor market, multilingual instruction, enhancing employability.
Paper long abstract:
The main aspects of this research deal with the interrelation between quality of education and employability of graduates, interconnection between the gender discrimination and restricted employment opportunities of women.
The paper argues that the quality of higher education and training of highly qualified and employable specialists are the important prerequisites of sustainable social and economic development of society. Nowadays higher education institutions must provide high quality student centered learning and permanent adaptation of study programs and teaching methods to diverse expectations of labor market. Employers manage the labor market. It is necessary to strength University-Business-Government network and involve employers in the design and evaluation of study programs.
The paper includes survey of 1.342 Kazakh Ablai Khan University graduates of 2017 in terms of employability:
- to explore whether the University trains employable graduates?
- to examine whether gender discrimination affects the employment opportunities of graduates?
- to explore how employability and educational quality can be changed through the human capital development and modernization of curriculum?
- to analyze University partnerships with employers.