Topic: “Year of Vocational Professions: The Energy of People”

On October 3, 2025, the Thematic Panel Session of the FIC Working Group on Energy, Ecology and Oil & Gas Industry was held at the Palace of Independence in Astana as part of Kazakhstan Energy Week – 2025.

The session was dedicated to the Presidential initiative declaring 2025 as the “Year of Skilled Professions” and brought together representatives of government, business, and academia.

Key discussion points included:

• How the Ministry of Science and Higher Education is aligning education with labor market needs to prepare energy professionals (Mr. Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan);
• Zhanar Shaikievna Zharlygasova, Head of the Office of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, outlined current efforts to modernize the energy sector, implement green transition goals, and prepare skilled personnel capable of working with digital technologies and on large-scale projects. She highlighted key achievements this year and plans to further strengthen collaboration between education and industry to prepare specialists for Kazakhstan’s 2030 targets;
• The role of vocational and technical training in shaping Kazakhstan’s energy future, and the need for closer cooperation between government, industry, and academia (Dr. Waqar Ahmad, President, Nazarbayev University);
• Strategic initiatives to prepare the next generation of energy professionals (Ms. Aigul Barmenkulova, Finance and Corporate Relations Director, Shell Kazakhstan);
• Labor market modernization and the promotion of skilled professions (Mr. Nurlan Tazhibaev, Deputy Chairman of the Migration Committee of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan);
• Building the “Kazakhstani specialist” brand through corporate practices and digital skills integration (Mr. Serik Shakhazhanov, General Director, Eurasian Group LLP);
• Addressing workforce challenges brought by the energy transition and measures to build a flexible and future-ready labor force (Mr. Konstantin Gabriel, Director General, Air Liquide Munay Tech Gases LLP).

Moderator Erlan Dosymbekov, Chairman of the Kazakhstan Foreign Investors’ Council Association, emphasized that the future of Kazakhstan’s energy sector is inseparable from the development of human capital, and that stronger collaboration between government, business, and academia will ensure a skilled workforce for sustainable and innovative growth.