The report, "OECD Skills Strategy Kazakhstan: Assessment and Recommendations", identifies opportunities and makes recommendations to improve the activation of skills of vulnerable populations, foster greater participation in adult learning of all forms, build an effective skills information system, and strengthen the governance of skills policies in Kazakhstan.

1. OECD SKILLS STRATEGY
KAZAKHSTAN
OECD Centre for Skills
https://www.oecd.org/skills/centre-for-skills
Andrew Bell, Head, OECD Skills Strategy projects
Launch Webinar

2. AGENDA FOR THE LAUNCH

3. 3
Agenda
Kazakhstan
Time
Paris Time Activity
15.00-15.15 11.00-11.15 Introductory Remarks
15.15-15.45 11.15-11.45 OECD Presentation
15.45-16.10 11.45-12.10 Panel Discussion
16.10-16.20 12.10-12.20 Q&A Session
16.20-16.30 12.20-12.30 Closing Remarks

4. WHY DO SKILLS MATTER

5. Skills are important for economic and social outcomes
Source: Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) (2012, 2015, 2018), World Bank indicators
Labour productivity and the use of reading skills at work, PIAAC 2012/2015/2018
5
AUS
AUT
BEL
CAN
CHL
CZE
DNK
EST
FIN
FRA
DEU
GRC
IRL
ISR
ITA
JPN
KOR
LTU
NLD
NZL
NOR
POL
SVK
SVN
ESP
SWE
TUR
KAZ
USA
R² = 0.2484
0.3
0.35
0.4
0.45
0.5
0.55
0.6
0.65
40000 60000 80000 100000 120000 140000 160000
Reading at work
GDP per person employed, US dollars (PPP), 2011

6. Mega trends are changing and increasing the skills
needed for success in work and life
GLOBALISATION
TECHNOLOGICAL
CHANGE
DEMOGRAPHIC
CHANGE
Rapid development of new
technologies
Emergence of new forms of
work
Expansion of sources of
learning, especially online
More integrated world
economy than ever
Emergence of global value
chains, offshoring and
outsourcing
Increased vulnerability of
some workers
Large expected decline in
working-age population
Important reallocations
towards care services
Need to ensure youth have
the right skills

7. A significant share of jobs is at risk of being automated
Source: Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) (2012, 2015, 2017).
Likelihood of job automation in Kazakhstan and selected countries
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
%
High likelihood of automation (>70%) Significant likelihood of automation (50-70%)

8. Source: OECD Centre for Skills calculations based on the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)
The Covid-19 crisis has led to sudden and radical changes in
labour markets and workplaces
8
Feasibility of teleworking by level of literacy skills
% of workers whose jobs are compatible with telework by level of PIAAC literacy proficiency
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Level 3 and below Level 4 and above

9. WHAT IS THE OECD SKILLS
STRATEGY?

10. 10
The 2019 OECD Skills Strategy Framework

11. 26 National Skills Strategy projects in 18 diverse countries so far
3
Mexico
Peru
Korea
Flanders (BE)
Italy
Kazakhstan
Netherlands
Norway
Latvia
Poland
Slovak Republic
Spain
Portugal Austria
Slovenia
Northern Ireland
(UK)
Lithuania
Luxembourg

12. A whole-of-government collaboration
OECD team
37
National project team
Directorate for Education and
Skills
Economics Department
Directorate for Employment,
Labour and Social Affairs
Directorate for Science,
Technology and Innovation
Local Employment, Skills and
Social Inclusion
OECD Centre for Skills
The Ministry of Labor and Social
Protection of Population of the
Republic of Kazakhstan
Employment Centre of City of Nur-
Sultan
The Ministry of Education and
Science
Social partners (the National Chamber
of Entrepreneurs. Kazenergy
association, Association of IT
Companies, Kasipkor association,
Trade Union of Education & Science)
European Training
Foundation
Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure
Development
Ministry of National Economy

13. 13
13
Building on input from over 100 stakeholders

14. 14
Project timeline and milestones
SCOPING
OBJETIVES
ACTIVITIES
Q4 2019 Q1 2020 Q2 2020 – Q1 2021 Q2 2021
ASSESSMENT RECOMMENDATIONS PUBLICATION AND
LAUNCH
> Introduce the project
> Discuss and agree on key
goals, timelines and outputs
> Map the skills system
(actors, policies, outcomes
etc.)
> Identify key challenges
> Draft concrete policy
recommendation
> Test policy recommendations
with policy makers and experts
> Publish final report
> Disseminate the findings
of the project
Scoping Mission
> Skills Strategy Seminar
> Bilateral meetings
Assessment Mission
> Workshop
> Focus group meetings
> Bilateral meetings
> Meetings with experts
Recommendations
Mission
> Workshop
> Focus group meetings
> Bilateral meetings
> Meeting with experts
Launch
> Public launch of the
Report

15. WHAT ARE THE PRIORITY
AREAS FOR THE PROJECT IN
KAZAKHSTAN?

16. Policy Priorities
Focus of on-going OECD project
from EDU Directorate
Priority area 2: Fostering greater
participation in adult learning
Priority area 1: Improving the
activation of skills of vulnerable
populations
Priority area 3: Building an Effective Skills Information System
Priority area 4: Strengthening the governance of the skills
system

17. PRIORITY 1:
Improving the activation of
skills of vulnerable
populations

18. Kazakhstan’s expenditure on Active Labour Market Policies
(ALMPs) is relatively low
Expenditure on ALMPs (% of GDP)
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
%
OECD average = 0.52%
Source: OECD (2020[26]), OECD Labour Database, http://dotstat.oecd.org/?lang=en; for Kazakhstan, information
was provided by the MLSPP

19. Opportunity 1: Improving the accessibility and quality of public
employment centres
Selected recommendations:
Recommendation 1.1
Recommendation 1.2
Recommendation 1.4
Adopt and utilise digital communication
tools to ensure the continuation of services
during and following the COVID 19 crisis.
Improve jobseeker profiling tools to enable
upfront intervention, by allowing
caseworkers to set up individual action
plans.
Increase the number of caseworkers and
improve their working conditions so as to
improve motivation and the quality of
services provided.
Percentage of unemployed registered with public employment services
Key findings:
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
%
Source: For data on Kazakhstan, OECD calculations based on information provided by the Bureau of National Statistics
and MLSPP. For data concerning OECD-Europe, OECD calculations based on Eurostat (2020[7]), European Union Labour
Force Survey (EU LFS), https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/microdata/european-union-labour-force-survey.

20. 20
Opportunity 2: Strengthening the effectiveness of active labour
market policies (ALMPs) for vulnerable populations
Selected recommendations:
Recommendation 1.7
Recommendation 1.8
Carry out a rigorous impact evaluation to
assess the effectiveness of ALMPs to inform
policy.
Scale up expenditure on activation
programmes with a proven track record and
capacity to secure the achievement of stated
objectives.
Key findings:
• ALMPs in Kazakhstan generally have
very broad eligibility criteria and are
characterised by poor targeting
• The expenditure on ALMPs remains
relatively low by international comparison.

21. 21
Opportunity 3: Promoting family policies for a more equitable
sharing of unpaid and paid work
Selected recommendations:
Recommendation 1.10
Recommendation 1.12
Increase the supply of affordable, high-
quality childcare facilities.
Facilitate the uptake of flexible leave
options and encourage their use among
employers.
Key findings:
• The supply of high quality and affordable
early childhood education and care
facilities is limited
• Flexible working options are not very
common

22. PRIORITY 2:
Fostering greater participation
in adult learning of all forms

23. Participation in adult learning is comparatively low
Source: Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) (2012, 2015, 2017).
Participation in adult learning in the past 12 months
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
%
Participated in formal and non-formal education Formal education only Non-formal education only

24. 24
Opportunity 1: Strengthening the supply and quality of adult
learning opportunities
Selected recommendations:
Recommendation 2.1
Recommendation 2.3
Strengthen the provision of courses to
improve foundational skills, especially in rural
areas, by integrating them into existing
programmes and introducing new delivery
models.
Introduce a strong certification and
monitoring system to certify the quality of
non-formal adult learning opportunities.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Kazakhstan (urban)
OECD average
Kazakhstan (rural)
OECD average
Kazakhstan (urban)
Kazakhstan (rural)
OECD average
Kazakhstan (urban)
Kazakhstan (rural)
Numeracy
Literacy
Problem
Solving
%
Key findings:
Proportion of adults with low levels of skills in literacy,
numeracy and problem solving skills
Source: OECD (2019[7]), Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) (2012, 2015, 2017), http://www.oecd.org/skills/piaac/data/
with calculations from the Information and Analytical Centre within Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Education and Science.

25. Opportunity 2: Increasing motivation to engage in adult learning
Selected recommendations:
Recommendation 2.5
Recommendation 2.6
Recommendation 2.8
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
%
Did not participate – and did not want to participate
Participated – but did not want to participate
Develop a shared vision on the importance
of adult learning based on extensive
consultations with stakeholders.
Consider launching a specific strategy for
adult learning to foster better co-operation
and co-ordination among ministries and
stakeholders
Review training plans in state-owned
enterprises to ensure that they enable all
employees to develop a broad set of
technical, foundational and soft skills.
Adults not wanting to participate in education and training
Key findings:
Source: OECD calculations based on OECD (2019[7]), Survey of Adults Skills database (PIAAC) (2012, 2015, 2017),
www.oecd.org/skills/piaac/.

26. Selected recommendations:
Recommendation 2.10
Recommendation 2.12
Recommendation 2.13
Increase incentives and support offered to
adults with disabilities to minimise barriers
that prevent them from accessing learning
opportunities
Consider introducing training leave
legislation and compensatory mechanisms
to increase take up of learning among adults
who currently report being too busy at work.
Establish local training networks to reduce
financial barriers for SMEs, especially in
under-performing rural regions.
Obstacles to participation in adult learning
Key findings:
Opportunity 3: Removing barriers to participation in adult
learning
0 10 20 30 40
Did not have the prerequisites
Something unexpected came up
Lack of employer’s support
Course/programme offered at an
inconvenient time/place
Other
Childcare or family responsibilities
Too expensive
Too busy at work
%
OECD average Kazakhstan
Source: OECD calculations based on OECD (2019[7]), Survey of Adults Skills database (PIAAC) (2012, 2015, 2017),
www.oecd.org/skills/piaac/

27. PRIORITY 3:
Building an Effective
Skills Information
System in Kazakhstan

28. Many firms suffer from skills shortages in Kazakhstan
Percentage of firms that identify low skill levels as a major constraint to
the performance of productive activities
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
%
Source: OECD calculations based on World Bank data (2019[6]), Enterprise Surveys,
http://enterprisesurveys.org/en/enterprisesurveys

29. 29
Opportunity 1: Strengthening skills assessment and anticipation tools
Selected recommendations:
Recommendation 3.2
Recommendation 3.3
Adopt an integrated approach by combining
qualitative and quantitative methods to
achieve robust skills analysis results.
Promote dialogue among relevant ministries,
sectoral and regional experts throughout the
process of production of SAA tools.
Key findings:
• Substantial skills mismatches and
shortages exist in the labour market
• In Kazakhstan, the culture of SAA is
relatively undeveloped, reflecting a short
history with SAA practices
• There is limited dialogue when it comes to
the production of SAA tools among
relevant stakeholders

30. 30
Opportunity 2: Creating an enabling environment for an effective
skills information system
Selected recommendations:
Recommendation 3.4
Recommendation 3.6
Improve the frequency and coverage of
quality data on skills and labour markets by
strengthening statistical surveys and
expanding administrative data collection.
Provide adequate training opportunities to
key actors, including policy makers and
researchers involved in processing and
analysing data on skills and the labour
market.
Key findings:
• Insufficient coverage, frequency and
continuity of data collection in Kazakhstan
are key obstacles preventing research on
skills and the labour market
• More could be done to train individuals to
carry out skills analysis

31. 31
Opportunity 3: Enhancing the use of skills information to inform
policy making and stakeholders’ choices
Selected recommendations:
Recommendation 3.8
Recommendation 3.10
Develop diverse communication and
awareness mechanisms to reach out to all
relevant users.
Introduce a consolidated portal to provide
individuals with access to information on
skills needs, labour market trends and the
availability of study/work opportunities.
Key findings:
• The dissemination of skills information in
Kazakhstan is fragmented and not always
tailored to the needs of different users.
• Existing career guidance services could
be improved to take into account the
findings of skills assessment and
anticipation exercises

32. PRIORITY 4:
Strengthening the
governance of the skills
system

33. Pillars for strengthening the governance of skills systems

34. 34
Opportunity 1: Strengthening co-ordination and co-operation
across the whole of government
Selected recommendations:
Recommendation 4.1
Recommendation 4.3
Strengthen the remit of the National
Council for Development of Social and
Labour Sector by specifying a clearly
defined mandate and introducing a
combination of inter-ministerial working
groups and technical bodies.
Establish a common evaluation and
assessment framework for skills policies
to help inform future strategies via an
inter-ministerial working group.
Key findings:
• Kazakhstan has the potential to improve
both horizontal and vertical coordination
and cooperation
• To support effective horizontal and vertical
governance, Kazakhstan could strengthen
assessment and monitoring practices

35. Opportunity 2: Strengthening stakeholder engagement in skills policies
Selected recommendations:
Recommendation 4.5
Recommendation 4.7
Recommendation 4.8
Introduce a technical body to co ordinate
the development of the NQS.
Strengthen mechanisms to engage stakeholders
in policy development, for instance, by improving
stakeholder participation in the National Council
for Development of the Social and Labour Sector.
Develop a single digital platform to promote
exchange on skills policies between the
central government and external
stakeholders.
Key findings:
• To further develop of the NQS/NQF,
Kazakhstan needs to better involve and
coordinate non-governmental
stakeholders
• Previous governance traditions might still
be a barrier for modernising dialogue
practices with and among stakeholders

36. 36
Opportunity 3: Better aligning and co-ordinating financing arrangements
Selected recommendations:
Recommendation 4.10
Recommendation 4.11
Increase public funding in primary,
secondary and tertiary education to improve
skills outcomes of youth, by reallocating
funding from other policy areas, raising
additional tax revenue and increasing
contributions from employers.
Introduce a training levy to increase the
financial contribution of employers to VET,
adult learning and ALMPs, following
extensive consultations with employers.
Key findings:
Initial funding of primary, secondary and tertiary education as
a percentage of GDP
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
%
Government Household
Source: OECD elaboration based on World Bank data (2020[7]), Education Statistics - All Indicators,
https://databank.worldbank.org/source/education-statistics-%5e-all-indicators

37. To learn more about the OECD’s work on skills visit:
www.oecd.org/skills/
THANK YOU!