Atyrau Oil & Gas
Strengthening Local Expertise: How ILF Develops the Next Generation of Engineers in Kazakhstan
Anastassiya Rueckert, Senior Marketing Specialist
In Kazakhstan’s energy sector, long term success depends not only on proven reserves and advanced technology, but above all on people - engineers who can think globally while applying strong local expertise. At ILF Consulting Engineers in Kazakhstan, the development of young professionals has become a strategic priority, closely aligned with the country’s ambitions to strengthen its engineering capacity and enhance global competitiveness.
As part of the international ILF Group, the Kazakhstan office combines deep local knowledge with global engineering standards, offering young engineers a clear and realistic pathway for professional growth, international exposure, and leadership development.
From University to Industry: Investing in Kazakhstan’s Young Professionals
The development of the next generation of engineers begins well before young specialists join project teams. For ILF Consulting Engineers in Kazakhstan, investment in human capital starts at the university level, supporting talented students and creating a structured transition from education to professional practice.
As part of this commitment, ILF Consulting Engineers sponsors scholarships for outstanding students from Nazarbayev University, Satbayev University, and Atyrau Oil & Gas University, selecting top students from each institution. This initiative reflects ILF’s long term approach to nurturing local engineering talent and strengthening Kazakhstan’s professional capacity.
These scholarships are integrated into a broader development model. Scholarship recipients are invited to join ILF as interns, where they gain early exposure to real engineering projects, international standards, and professional teamwork, bridging the gap between academic knowledge and industry practice.
Internships as the First Step of a Professional Career
“Seeing students grow from interns into confident engineers is one of the strongest indicators that our development approach works. Early exposure to real projects makes a lasting difference.”
Nurgul Terlikbayeva, Regional HR Manager
This approach allows ILF to grow experienced engineers from interns, ensuring continuity of knowledge and the consistent application of international engineering standards. Over time, many interns progress into junior and senior engineering roles, contributing to long term workforce stability and expertise retention.
Growing Through Responsibility and Real Projects
From their first day at ILF Kazakhstan, young engineers are treated as full members of project teams. They work on real oil and gas and infrastructure projects, contributing to tasks that meet international quality and safety standards, always under the guidance of experienced colleagues.
This early responsibility accelerates professional development, enabling young specialists to build technical competence, confidence, and decision making skills. At the same time, they gain exposure to global project environments, interdisciplinary cooperation, and international ways of working capabilities essential for engineers operating in today’s energy industry.
International Trainee Program: Global Experience for Early Career Professionals
The International Trainee Program (ITP) is the ILF Group’s flagship development program for early career professionals. Through structured international assignments, training, and coaching, the program provides young engineers with an intensive introduction to ILF’s global project environment.
Young engineers from ILF Kazakhstan complete international assignments at selected ILF offices, including Munich (Germany), Ottawa (Canada), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Ploiești (Romania), Vienna and Rum (Austria), Warsaw (Poland), Tbilisi (Georgia), Oslo (Norway), and Bangkok (Thailand). These are not symbolic exchanges, but fully integrated placements within active project teams. During their assignments, participants gain hands on experience in diverse engineering environments and are exposed to different regulatory frameworks, project execution models, and engineering cultures -experience that directly strengthens their professional capability upon returning to Kazakhstan.
«The international assignment strengthened my professional development through direct involvement in global project work across a range of complex engineering environments».
Markhaba Rakhmatullina, Senior Mechanical & Piping Engineer
After completing the program, participants return to Kazakhstan, applying and sharing the knowledge gained abroad within local teams. In this way, the ITP supports both individual career growth and the localization of international expertise.
Working Abroad Initiative: Flexible International Mobility at Later Career Stages
In addition to the International Trainee Program, ILF offers the Working Abroad Initiative, a separate, employee driven program designed to support international mobility at various career stages.
The Working Abroad Initiative is neither a trainee program nor a job portal. Instead, it provides a structured platform through which employees can express interest in working at another ILF company worldwide, based on personal development goals and business needs. The initiative supports the ONE ILF philosophy by strengthening cross company collaboration, encouraging cultural exchange, and retaining talent within the Group.
Employees submit an Interest Form via the Employees Portal for participating ILF companies. Local HR teams coordinate the process, while managers evaluate opportunities based on project requirements and organizational needs. To ensure meaningful placements, the initiative is intended for employees with a genuine interest in international experience and long term contribution.
By offering flexible mobility beyond formal trainee programs, the Working Abroad Initiative allows experienced professionals to broaden their expertise, gain international exposure, and return with insights that strengthen teams in Kazakhstan.
Club of Young Engineers: Building a Global Professional Community
Professional development at ILF extends beyond formal training programs. The Club of Young Engineers (CYE) plays an important role in connecting young employees across countries, disciplines, and generations of experience.
In Kazakhstan, the CYE serves as a dynamic platform for professional and personal exchange. Informal networking is complemented by leadership talks with experienced professionals, enabling young engineers to learn directly from senior colleagues. Visits to other ILF offices worldwide, including Meet & Greet sessions and technical excursions to industrial facilities, provide opportunities to exchange experience with peers and gain practical insight into different project environments. International CYE activities further reinforce the ONE ILF spirit and a shared passion for engineering and continuous development.
Team building activities - such as sports events, running marathons, and mountain hikes - strengthen collaboration and foster a strong sense of community beyond the workplace.
Learning for the Long Term
All development initiatives are supported by the ILF Academy, which offers a wide range of training programs for employees at every career stage. With a strong focus on virtual learning, the Academy enables global participation while supporting sustainability goals.
Training goes beyond technical topics to include leadership, communication, intercultural skills, and resilience - competencies increasingly important for engineers working in international project environments.
In a rapidly changing industry, this balance of local strength and global opportunity equips the next generation of engineers with the skills, confidence, and professionalism required to shape the future of Kazakhstan’s energy sector.