HOW DOES ASTANA MOTORS ADDRESS THE CHALLENGE OF ENGINEERING&TECHNICAL PERSONNEL SHORTAGE?
A worldwide trend of digitalization, rapid technological development and recent challenges encountered by the global community have aggravated the shortage of professional&technical staff in the business sector and the industry.
According to the research carried out by Korn Ferry, a leading international organizational consulting company , by 2030 the shortage of skilled labor in the world is likely to exceed 85.2 million people including the most demanded technical professions. A lack of professional specialists is deemed to be unrealized profits. This means that the global economy is going to face a personnel crisis and lose trillions of dollars.
Recognizing the risks applicable to the business and the society, top global companies tend to focus on managing talents within their companies and develop an entirely new HR-strategy.
“People are a key asset of Astana Motors”. Together we have written a successful brand history that is 30 years old. With the development of automotive manufacturing, learning by doing, advanced training, transformation of labor resources, formation of a personnel reserve have become the key point for the further development of Astana Motors. We have created all necessary conditions to enable each and every talented employee hired by the company to “be promoted” to a leading position”, – says Mrs. Elmira Omarova, Head of HR Department, Astana Motors.
Since 2004, an official distributor of Hyundai Auto Kazakhstan being part of Astana Motors has been upgrading the skills of technical specialists, managers of Hyundai dealership centers and enterprises at the premises of a training center in Almaty. The training courses are conducted by trainers from CIS and European countries as well as by Kazakstani trainers certified by Нyundai Motor Company (South Korea). To date, more than 3,000 employees have been trained according to the program of Hyundai training center all over the country. Among the strongest Hyundai specialists in Kazakhstan there are winners of International Technical Specialist Olympiad called Hyundai World Skill Olympics (South Korea), finalists of International Technical Specialist Olympiad of CIS countries.
An expert level of employees having received an international certificate of Hyundai Motor Company enables them to be employed by any dealership center or any Hyundai enterprise not only in Kazakhstan, but also abroad.
120 engineers from South Korea took part in the installation of equipment at the Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan car manufacturing plant. Since the enterprise commissioning, specialists of Hyundai Motor Company have been monitoring the quality of vehicles. In March 2022, Astana Motors governing board was reinforced by Mr. Moon Sangmin who previously held the position of Vice President with Hyundai Motor Company, supervised the innovations direction at Beijing Hyundai factories, and headed the engineering department in charge of automobile manufacture. Thus, Astana Motors creates opportunities for Kazakhstanis to adopt experience in the field of mechanical engineering from one of the world's largest auto groups called Hyundai Motor Company.
Currently the team of Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan consists of more than 700 people including specialists having practical industrial experience, R&D and manufacturing background and employment career in the field of automobile after-sales service. Technical specialists include manufacturing facilities engineers, welding equipment engineers, cataphoresis application line operators, electrical fitters, process engineers, design engineers.
Young people's interest in technical professions is reviving with the development of automotive manufacturing; for example, graduates of Civil Aviation Academy work for Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan plant.
During the first year of operation, specialists of Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan plant mastered more than 1,300 technological operations according to Hyundai Motor Company standards including CKD manufacture of Hyundai Accent and Hyundai Tucson.
To engage a new generation in the profession of a “mechanic engineer”, Astana Motors arranges guided tours to the enterprise for school graduates, students of secondary specialized colleges and universities.
“Career guidance excursions and industrial tours are practiced in many countries of the world. It is great that nowadays Kazakhstani graduates can also get acquainted with various professions where they can apply their knowledge and strengths in the future. The fellows were inspired, gained new knowledge in greater volume. This is the best that we, adults, can give to our children”, – noted Mr. Dias Asanov, JOO.kz school career guide.
“I’m glad I had a chance to visit Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan plant and see the way cars are manufactured, welded, painted and polished with my own eyes. Now I have high hopes for Kazakhstan automotive industry”, – pointed out Nurzhigit Yerboluly, 11 Year graduate.
The enterprise was also attended by students of international schools, college of International Business Academy, Almaty Management University, Esik Vocational and Technical College and Almaty Multiple-Discipline College. The students got acquainted with the enterprise activity, studied the technical process of welding, body painting and assembling Hyundai vehicles, asked the plant employees questions about to way to build a successful career in the field of mechanical engineering.
Management of technical colleges and Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan plant agreed to conduct internships for future car mechanics and motor vehicle fitters at the enterprise.
Astana Motors solves the issue of staff shortage at the market on its own efforts, and prepares the required specialists using its own experience and the experience of foreign partners.
Since 2021, the company employees have raised their competence in Astana Group Academy training center. Here, managerial personnel consisting of managers working for the dealership centers and enterprises are trained and developed.
It is noteworthy that the majority of current Astana Motors leaders including the ones of its distributors, dealership centers and enterprises, have built a successful career within the company, and among them there are employees who came here right from the student bench.
In the last year alone, 12 out of 100 participants of the Leadership Academy program were appointed to leading positions in Astana Motors group.
Source: forbes.kz