In 2025, Kazakhstan recorded a sharp rise in demand for the educational program B126 “Transport Construction.” For the 2025–2026 academic year, 449 students were admitted—more than ten times the previous year’s figure. This demonstrates the growing prestige of the road engineering profession and the strong need for qualified specialists in the industry.
The dynamic development of Kazakhstan’s road sector is driven by extensive construction and reconstruction of highways, maintenance and operation works, and higher quality standards for road-building materials. These processes create a sustained demand for skilled professionals. The road engineer’s role remains vital at every stage of this work and continues to hold key importance for the national infrastructure.
The increase in student enrollment reflects the formation of a new generation of specialists ready to drive the development of Kazakhstan’s road industry and deliver major transport projects across the country.
According to open data, about 200,000 people are currently employed in Kazakhstan’s road sector, with roughly 30% nearing or exceeding retirement age. At the same time, there is a nationwide shortage of qualified personnel—the deficit is estimated at around 2,500 specialists.
To address this issue, through joint efforts by the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and the Kazakhstan Road Research Institute (KazdorNII), 1,000 additional state grants for the “Transport Construction” program have been allocated since 2024 to strengthen the training of qualified road engineers.
The “Transport Construction” program is available at ten leading universities in Kazakhstan:
- M. Tynyshpayev Kazakh Academy of Transport and Communications (ALT University)
- L.B. Goncharov Kazakh Automobile and Road Institute (KazADI)
- Satbayev University
- International Transport and Humanitarian University (official English name not published; translation used)
- M.Kh. Dulaty Taraz Regional University
- A.S. Saginov Karaganda Technical University
- D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University
- S. Toraighyrov Pavlodar State University (Toraighyrov University)
- International Educational Corporation (IEC)
- S. Utebayev Atyrau University of Oil and Gas