In the heart of Northern Kazakhstan, in the industrial city of Petropavlovsk, is located one of the key enterprises of the defense-industrial complex — “S.M. Kirov Plant” JSC. This is more than just a manufacturing site: it is a vital element of the regional economic structure, actively involved in industrial modernization, the introduction of new technologies, and the development of human capital.
As part of the Presidential Decree of the Republic of Kazakhstan declaring 2025 the Year of Vocational Professions, the plant has been actively engaged in initiatives aimed at career guidance, support for young specialists, and fostering interest in engineering and technical professions.
Between January and July 2025, the enterprise organized eight excursions for school, college, and university students, with 160 participants in total. A particularly memorable event was the visit of 52 students from Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools in Almaty, Uralsk, and Turkestan — for many, this became their first step toward choosing an engineering profession.
“S.M. Kirov Plant” JSC also maintains close ties with higher and secondary specialized educational institutions, including L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University and M. Kozybayev North Kazakhstan University. As part of these partnerships, memorandums of understanding and social partnership agreements have been signed, a dual education system has been introduced, and opportunities for industrial internships have been provided.
In the first half of 2025 alone, 68 students completed internships at the plant, and many of them expressed a desire to stay and begin a career in the engineering field.
Recognition of the plant’s effective work with youth came in the form of a third-place award in the “Best Internship Base of 2024” category, granted by the Eurasian National University.
For young employees who have chosen to build their careers at “S.M. Kirov Plant” JSC comfortable working conditions have been created: housing is provided in a company dormitory, financial incentives are offered to graduates with honors, free meals are available, and students can be formally employed during summer breaks or even while studying.
Alongside the development of a talent pool, the plant is actively engaged in technical innovation. Today, young specialists at the plant are developing modern communications systems on wheeled chassis (mobile command posts) for the Ministry of Emergency Situations, innovative portable diesel power sources in plastic housings, universal mobile communication units in armored containers, as well as counter-UAV technologies — including FPV drones, anti-drone guns, and vandal-proof telephones. These projects aim to enhance the country’s technological independence and strengthen national defense capabilities.
A vivid example of successful youth potential realization is Adil Zhomartovich Sapargaliev. In 2020, right after graduating from M. Kozybayev North Kazakhstan University with a degree in Transport, Transport Equipment, and Technologies, he began his career at the plant as a radio-electronics assembler. By 2022, he had been promoted to the role of production planning engineer in the wheeled vehicles workshop. Thanks to his high qualifications and sense of responsibility, Adil Zhomartovich has proven himself to be a hardworking and promising specialist, handling the supply of components, coordination of technical documentation, and preparation of manufacturing processes using modern digital tools.
“Working at the plant has given me not only hands-on experience but also the confidence that the engineering profession is a path to real change. Here, you don’t just work — you create something valuable for the country,” says the employee.
“S.M. Kirov Plant” JSC is confidently following a course of sustainable development, investing in human capital, supporting government initiatives, and serving as a model of a modern industrial platform focused on the future.