ERG develops the National Qualifications System
Establishment of the Professional Qualification Recognition Center solves several problems in a row. For employees, it is an opportunity to validate officially their qualifications obtained both through training and practical experience. For the company, it is a tool for systematic management of staff competencies, ensuring transparency and uniform assessment standards, as well as increasing production efficiency and safety. For the industry and the state, it means development of the National Qualifications System, strengthening confidence in professional assessment, and reducing staff shortages.
- “In his Message, the Head of State noted that the country needs highly qualified specialists of working professions. This year has been declared the Year of Working Professions, and for us this is not just a formality, but a guide to action”, comments Shukhrat Ibragimov, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of ERG about the Center opening. “The creation of the Center is part of our long-term strategy for human capital development. We are building a system where every employee can officially confirm his level, strengthen his professional reputation, and be confident that his skills are in demand in the labor market.”
Opening of ERG Professional Qualifications Recognition Center was the significant event for the mining and metallurgical complex of Kazakhstan overall. The project is implemented with the support of Pavlodar Region Chamber of Entrepreneurs and industry experts, thus ensuring its compliance with state requirements and best practices of independent qualifications assessment.
- “I am confident that this ERG Center and those planned to be opened in the future will become part of the integrated network operating according to international standards in partnership with foreign organizations. Their activities will ensure broader coverage of key industrial regions, create new opportunities for enterprise employees, and increase their qualifications recognition both within the country and abroad. I would like to note that success of such initiatives is impossible without close cooperation between business and the education system. It is the cooperation between enterprises and educational institutions that creates an ecosystem of continuous training for the mining and metallurgical complex of Kazakhstan, from vocational training to qualifications assessment and recognition. This is a model for the future, where education and production go hand in hand”, said Askar Biakhmetov, Vice Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
At the first stage, ERG PQRC will evaluate 12 key professions: slinger, ferroalloy smelter, metallurgical crane operator, electric gas welder, manual arc welder, electric welder, blaster, shaft man, excavator and loader operators, and heavy truck drivers. The recognition procedure is performed both on voluntary or mandatory basis, depending on the legislation. The Center is open not only for ERG employees, but also for specialists from other companies, students, graduates, and contractors.
- “The Professional Qualifications Recognition Center will become part of ERG digital personnel management and development system. We link the results of independent verification to training, career growth, and job requirements. This makes personnel decisions accurate, reduces risks in production, and fosters a culture of responsibility for professional standards”, emphasized Serik Shakhazhanov, CEO of ERG Kazakhstan.
Aksu was chosen as the location for the Center opening not accidentally— one of the largest ferroalloy producers in the world and the center of the Group energy division are located here, thus ensuring convenience for assessment procedures and accessibility for specialists in the region.
In future, ERG plans to expand the list of professions and open similar centers in Rudnyi and Khromtau. The company also intends to integrate the results of qualification recognition into ERG corporate training system, enabling automatic accounting of employee qualification levels in HR systems.
