Information System for Vocational Guidance, Employment and the Forecasting of Labor Demand: The Case of Kazakhstan

This article proposes an information system offering the functions of vocational guidance and advising, facilitating the search for job and educational institutions for study and retraining and forecasting demand for a range of professions. The system is distinguished from existing ones by its detail and novel approach, and its ability to assess trends in the labor market. In particular, the system can make a forecast of the need for specialists in the regions of Kazakhstan using a "top-down" approach and data on socio-economic development of the country. Another important function of the system is the design of professiograms for the vocations most in demand in Kazakhstan’s labor market. The system also contains the vocational guidance testing module which consists of several independent tests targeted at different groups of population. The job searching module connects potential employers with applicants through vacancy and CV posting options. The educational institution module provides information on available educational programs of different levels.