Social Responsibility
Contribution to the Training of Future Engineers in Kazakhstan
During almost 28 years of partnership with Kazakhstan, Chevron has implemented a wide range of initiatives aimed at developing local human resources, training employees, and developing small and medium-sized businesses. Chevron’s social investments have also helped to realize the creative and educational potential of local people.
One of these initiatives is implemented by the «Caravan of Knowledge» project team in partnership with Chevron. Project manager Zarina Biyumbayeva is telling about Chevron’s «Caravan of Knowledge» project.
The oil and gas industry requires specialists with a technical background - in other words, those who know advanced mathematics; are able to analyze data; automate processes, in particular through machine learning; and have an understanding of cybersecurity. There are still relatively few such professionals. An example from a recent report by Deloitte, states that only 15% of oil and gas workers in the U.S. possess such skills, while the demand for them is on the rise. Similar skills gaps occur in other areas as well.
One of the solutions is STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics). This is a set of instructional techniques used to cultivate scientific and mathematical thinking, technical skills, and creative approaches in problem solving. STEAM subjects in a narrow sense include mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, and robotics. However, in a broad sense they can cover all subjects in curricular and extracurricular programs.
This is achieved by following STEAM principles:
- Multidisciplinarity. Subjects are not taught separately. For example, to explain the oil production process, teachers can use mathematics, geography, chemistry, and physics in combination (which is exactly what specialists actually do).
- Project/Problem-Based Learning and Inquiry-Based Learning. Using these techniques, students do not solve the usual textbook problems, but rather create their own research projects, prototype devices, or study real-life problems under the guidance of teachers. For example, they take water samples and assemble filters to purify water; build a demining robot; or design mini-layouts of oil rigs.
- Providing Learning opportunities for all, including girls, children with developmental disabilities and other socially vulnerable groups.
STEAM education was introduced in Kazakhstan during the last decade. A number of schools in Kazakhstan (e.g. the Republican Physics and Mathematics School and the Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools) as well as private initiatives, including programming and robotics clubs, use STEAM-based curricula.
Despite its advantages, STEAM education is still the privilege of only a few Kazakhstani educational institutions. Training a new generation of teachers in STEAM methods, forming a professional STEAM community, improving the quality of education and enabling the training and advancement of professionals sought after in the labor market are the goals of the Caravan of Knowledge, which is pursuing its mission with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan and Chevron.
The evidence for this includes the results of a survey on the state of STEAM education in Kazakhstan conducted by Caravan of Knowledge, feedback from attendees at the conference on ‘Education in Kazakhstan: National Model STEAM’ convened by Caravan of Knowledge in January 2021 and other activities carried out by the organization.
Thus, 67.5% of teachers questioned during the survey by Caravan of Knowledge fully or partially agree that STEAM methods help students learn science and technology subjects better. More than half of the teachers who responded prefer modern teaching practices for better results; 79% note a shortage of STEAM courses and workshops as well as a lack of support for professional advancement.
We believe that the launch of the project in 2020 was timely and successful. Our plans are very ambitious:
- Design a national strategy for developing STEAM education in Kazakhstan to propose and implement common standards for teacher accreditation and STEAM education for school students, where they do not exist currently;
- Introduce the Jana Talap program aimed at preparing certified STEAM trainers;
- Introduce the Tanym program aimed at generating a video library of STEAM lessons developed by Kazakhstani educators that would help teachers and students visually grasp STEAM methods and topics in the school curriculum;
- Develop the STEAM Saryarlar program aimed at training STEAM ambassadors from among experts and educational professionals.
We are confident that the partnership of the state, businesses and civil society will help us bring science and technology education in Kazakhstan to a new level; and we invite all those interested in implementing this important mission to join our team.