Expectations of Nazarbayev University graduates' employability skills

Abstract

The importance of employability skills has been discussed in Kazakhstan in one form or another. An important direction of current reforms in higher education in Kazakhstan is the relevance of the graduate employability skills to the needs of the labor market. One of the issues in this regard is the lack of collaboration between the industry and universities. Therefore, it becomes crucial to build this collaboration in an attempt to establish that match between what employers demand and what universities teach. This study will explore the expectations of Nazarbayev University graduates" employability skills from the perspectives of employers, NU students, NU administration and faculty. It is important to consider the perspectives of these three stakeholders, as their cooperation is essential to this process of bridging the gap between the labor market demand and graduates" preparedness to meet these demands. The study will also analyze the understanding of the concept of employability in a longterm career perspective.