Kazakh Government to Replace Foreigners

Nearly 18,000 foreigners work in Kazakhstan. This is a third more than last year. Of this number, 12,000 are specialists with high qualifications.

Representatives of Kazak ministries and major oil companies held a seminar in Astana today to discuss the problem of replacing foreign specialists with Kazakh ones.

No major industrial company has so far managed to do without foreign specialists in Kazakhstan. The greatest number of foreign workers are brought to Atyrau and West Kazakhstan Regions, as well as to Astana, where the head offices of companies are located.

The paradox is that Atyrau Region has one of the highest numbers of unemployed people. Specialists say that their low qualifications are the main reason for unemployment.

The Education and Science Ministry is developing its own programs to replace as soon as possible (foreign) specialists (with Kazakh nationals) in major enterprises.

According to the Education and Science Ministry, Kazakhstan will have its own specialists in one or two years' time (this is the period for doing a master's degree). However, it remains to be seen when these graduates will be able to fully replace their foreign colleagues.