University graduates to have opportunity enter labor market

ASTANA. March 20. KAZINFORM /Rizvana Sadykova/ Our guest today is Leila Akhmetova, Expert of the ?Samruk Invest?, Master of International Law and Economics of the World Trade Institute - Switzerland. The institute is a consortium of three leading universities of Switzerland: University of Bern, Neuchatel and Freiburg Universities.

I was born in Almaty city to the family with three children. Both my parents are chemists; they married while studying at the Kazakh State University, the Department of Chemistry. Like many children of that time I went to the Kazakh school at the age of seven. In relation to my father?s diplomatic service my family moved to Belgium where I attended an ordinary secondary school in Brussels.Due to this fact French became my first foreign language. Following my parents? advice I participated in district, city and national Olympiads and it helped me obtain the University scholarship. I graduated from the Eurasian National L.N. Gumilyov University with honors, my major is the world economics. On student exchange program I went to China where I studied two academic years, after which I received a certificate for a course in Chinese. After graduating from the Eurasian National University, I applied to the "Bolashak" scholarship program to study at the World Trade Institute in Bern, Switzerland. It was certainly difficult to study there together with the experts from various countries, some of which had already their own companies or executive posts. The teaching level was very high, lectures were legnthy enough; it was difficult to get used to the examinations in a new format - absolutely different from the university requirements in Kazakhstan. In addition, the examinations were every week, the test score being automatically included in the transcript, i.e. you are not given a second chance to take it. As a result, I was able to receive the diploma of Master of the International Law and Economics, ? the magna cum laude degree. The experience of good education give you an opportunity to succeed in life; to find a job; to use your knowledge and skills. I think if each of us had professional responsibility, many things could change in our country. The Bolashak scholarship holders? experience abroad is not only gaining knowledge; the program also helps develop self-discipline; answer the challenges and the most important thing ? to appriciate the value of your family and relatives. But unfortunately, there is such moments, especially in times of a crisis when it does not matter what kind of education you have ? foreign or Kazakhstan, it is not important what skills you have - the main requirement for the employers is your experience. And usually, even the most elementary position requires a minimum of 3 years experience. But tell, please, from where the yesterday?s student could get the experience? From where the university graduates could get experience if he/she did not have an opportunity to find a job? What about our freshmen? Can they find jobs? What about the quality of learning in our country? There are really many young specialists who do not have an opportunity to enter labor market. This issue also concerns the Bolashak graduates as it is believed that they have overestimated demand.There should be some balanced policy. There are also a lot of young and middle aged women who have problems with their employment. After all, it is not a secret that in case when women and men have the same professional level during the crisis the company would dismiss primarily women-employees. Notwithstanding the woman is the only breadwinner or she has an unemployed husband? I think there should be an individual approach to each case of reduction or dismissal. This issue also concerns the Bolashak graduates as not all Bolashak graduates have jobs. We would really appreciate if the government and private sector initiate different programs, like traineeships when the employers have a certain percentage of vacancies for the graduates. Probably it would be better to send young specialists to certain work places, to rural areas and other regions. It is quite important to let them realize their abilities in those spheres where they will be able to benefit the society and justify the confidence of the state.