IRU member KazATO has signed up to implement IRU Examiner through its training centre to strengthen national capacity for professional training, examinations and certification.
With IRU Examiner, the KazATO Training Centre, accredited by the IRU Academy since 2002, will expand its activities beyond training to include structured examinations and certification, applying consistent standards and methodologies throughout the qualification process.
The initiative aims to advance professional qualifications across the road transport sector and contribute to the development of a more comprehensive qualifications system in Kazakhstan aligned with international standards.
Looking ahead, KazATO seeks to build sustainable national expertise by transferring international knowledge and best practices to local professionals, ensuring that these capabilities can be maintained and further developed within Kazakhstan.
This work is being pursued through international cooperation, including the Modernising Road Transport project, which supports the advancement of professional qualification programmes for drivers, road transport managers and drivers.
Building ADR capacity
The transport of dangerous goods is one of the first areas where this approach is being put into practice.
Kazakhstan has been a contracting party to the UN ADR Agreement since 2001. KazATO is now reinforcing the practical capacity required to support its implementation, including through ADR Train-the-Trainer and pilot activities.
By developing its own qualified ADR instructors, KazATO aims to build a sustainable national pool of expertise and ensure that knowledge gained through international projects can be transferred to a wider range of transport professionals.
An important step in this direction is Kazakhstan’s participation in the work of the UNECE Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (WP.15). For the first time, a Kazakh representative will take part in its sessions, strengthening the country’s engagement in the practical implementation and further development of ADR.
In the longer term, IRU hopes that professional qualification approaches for drivers and road transport managers will gradually be extended to domestic freight and passenger transport operations.
KazATO could play a greater role in developing national professional expertise, contributing to the further improvement of Kazakhstan’s professional qualifications system in line with international best practices.