Skills Technology Foresight in Practice: The Case of the Atlas of New Professions of Kazakhstan

Abstract

In order to meet the demands of building a workforce prepared to confront 21st century challenges, Kazakhstan initiated a national project guided by the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) efforts to bridge the gap between educational systems and the labor market. The “Atlas of New Professions of Kazakhstan” utilizes a Skills Technology Foresight methodology developed originally by the SKOLKOVO Education Development Center in partnership with the ILO. This article reflects not only on key results of the project but also on the process of engaging a wide array of stakeholders on the impacts and implications of new and emerging technologies as well as some of the methodological implications of engaging in such work. Outcomes from this project have ramifications for national labor and education policy with specific attention as to how students and families can make future-oriented career choices.