How Business Is Becoming a National Education Mentor

In the Year of Blue-Collar Professions, Kazakhstani automobile company Allur is focusing not only on machine tools but also on thinking. One of the leaders in Kazakhstan's mechanical engineering industry has initiated a large-scale program for engineering education for children – from the school desk to the production floor.

The "Allur Myn Bala" project, launched in 2024, is a response to the government's demand for the technical re-equipment of the education system. Its goal is to build a system of early career guidance, identify engineering abilities in schoolchildren, and create a mentoring ecosystem where business acts as a mentor.

"Today, education must not catch up with industry, but develop alongside it. We're not just looking for talent – ​​we're shaping a new generation of engineers from childhood," said Serik Sakanov, a training engineer at Allur University.

The "Allur Myn Bala" project has received high praise from experts in education and industry. According to analysts, this program could become a model for replication in other regions, as well as the basis for developing a state-run engineering mentoring program.

From Interest to Profession. From School to Production

Allur's model encompasses the student's entire journey:

School: developing "career imagination": students are introduced to engineering through workshops, engineering sessions, project assignments, and field trips. The program is integrated into STEM education, where the exact sciences become a tool for practical application and engineering thinking;

College and university: dual education: students complete internships at enterprises, participate in real-world development projects, and work with mentors. At the university level, interaction extends beyond practical training: students choose their thesis topics based on production needs, conduct research at the plant, and defend their thesis in front of expert engineers, integrating academic knowledge with real-world business challenges;

Company: supporting career growth and working on innovations.

Particular attention is being paid to popularizing the exact sciences: mathematics, physics, drawing, and computer science are becoming the "language of the future," through which students learn to see the world as engineers.

Local growth points are already in place.

Kostanay has become the center of the program. The "Bolashak Engineer Allur" platform has been launched at partner schools, where children study robotics, 3D modeling, and learn to create their first prototypes. The project already involves the Nazarbayev Intellectual School, the M. Gorky Gymnasium, and the Lisakovskaya School-Lyceum. More schools in the region will join in 2025.

Furthermore, the ALLUR SPACE ROBOTICS project was launched at the KAZGUU School in 2023, reaching over 1,500 students annually.

An open platform for everyone: business + school + government

Allur emphasizes that the project is open for scaling and invites schools, colleges, universities, international organizations, government agencies, and other industrial companies to collaborate.

"We're not just a manufacturing holding company. We're a mentor for engineering thinking. And if we want a strong Kazakhstan, we must start with schools. The time has come to build factories. But even more important is to build thinking," concluded Aigul Akhmetova, head of R&D projects at Allur.