Career · Machines, transport and industry
Truck driver
Carries goods by truck, from food to building materials, and is responsible for safety on the road.
Career overview
What a day looks like
The driver receives an assignment: what to carry, from where and to where. Before leaving they inspect the truck, check that the load is secured, drive the route and watch the road and the condition of the vehicle. On trips there can be long hours at the wheel, nights on the road and weather that changes plans. You have to follow traffic rules and rest times: tiredness on the road is dangerous. The work suits people who like the road and independence, but it takes patience and discipline. Without such drivers, goods would not reach the shops.
Try it yourself this week
30 minutes
Look closely at a mechanism and draw how it works
- Choose a simple thing at home: a door lock, a bike or a desk lamp. You don't need to take anything apart, just look.
- Draw the whole thing and label the main parts.
- Use arrows to show what passes movement to what: for example, where you press and what moves.
- Write down three questions you don't know the answer to, and find the answer to one of them.
What you'll learn about yourself: Whether you're drawn to finding out how things work inside, and whether you have the patience to get to the cause.
What you can do next
Next 3 months
Find out how a product reaches the shop
Pick any product and trace on paper its path from the producer to the shelf. Which vehicles are involved?
In six months
Study the traffic rules
Read the rules from an official source and test yourself on examples. Never get behind the wheel without an adult and a licence.
In a year
Ask a driver
Together with your parents, talk to a truck driver about the work schedule and tiredness, and about the pros and cons of long trips.
What it pays
No verified information is available in this section yet.
Where to study
No verified information is available in this section yet.
How to get into college
College gets you a profession faster than university. You can apply after grade 9 or after grade 11.
- Colleges accept students both after grade 9 and after grade 11. After grade 9 you study longer — about 3 years 10 months; after grade 11, about 2 years 10 months. The exact length depends on the college and the specialty.
Source: kchk.edu.kz (opens in a new tab) - About 80% of students admitted to colleges in the 2024/25 school year study on a state order, which means in state-funded places (in 2023/24 it was about 70%). But each college and each specialty has its own number of state-funded places.
Source: inbusiness.kz (opens in a new tab) - There are also paid colleges. For example, training as a nurse at ADILMED costs 450,000 ₸ per year. Check the price and conditions on the college's website.
Source: adilmed.kz (opens in a new tab)
UNT: which subjects to take for university
The UNT (Unified National Testing) is Kazakhstan's national university entrance test. You need it to get into university after grade 11.
- The UNT 2026 has three compulsory subjects: History of Kazakhstan, Reading Literacy and Mathematical Literacy. On top of these, you take two profile subjects, chosen to match your specialty.
Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab) - In total, the test has 120 questions (maximum 140 points) and you get 4 hours. The format is the same as in 2025.
Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab) - Profile subjects depend on the group of specialties. For example: information technology — Mathematics and Computer Science; nursing and veterinary medicine — Biology and Chemistry; electrical engineering — Mathematics and Physics; law — World History and Fundamentals of Law. The full list is published by the National Testing Center.
Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab) - For creative specialties (for example, media and design), you take History of Kazakhstan and Reading Literacy through the UNT, and two creative exams at the university itself.
Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab) - Some universities have their own admission rules. Nazarbayev University, for example, requires a UNT score of at least 85, a GPA of 4.0 and English at IELTS 6.0 level.
Source: nu.edu.kz (opens in a new tab)
Courses and opportunities
Opportunities near this field
- Programmeenbek.kz job portal (opens in a new tab)
Министерство труда и социальной защиты РК
Who it's for: anyone looking for a job or an internship.
When: all year round.
The government job vacancy portal. It has a section for students and young specialists called «Жастарға» (For young people).
Checked: September 2026
Source: enbek.kz (opens in a new tab) - Programmeup to age 35Youth internship programme (opens in a new tab)
Министерство труда и социальной защиты РК
Who it's for: college and university graduates (not for school students).
When: ongoing, up to 12 months.
A paid internship for graduates (under the terms on enbek.kz, at least 30 MCI (monthly calculation index) per month). The rules have changed before, so check them on the day you apply.
Checked: September 2026
Source: enbek.kz (opens in a new tab) - Programmeup to age 35First job programme (opens in a new tab)
Министерство труда и социальной защиты РК
Who it's for: young specialists (not for school students).
When: subsidy for up to 18 months.
The state helps pay a young specialist's salary for up to 18 months. Check the conditions on enbek.kz.
Checked: September 2026
Source: enbek.kz (opens in a new tab) - ProgrammefreeAtlas of New Professions (opens in a new tab)
Минтруда РК и Центр развития трудовых ресурсов
Who it's for: everyone.
When: reference guide, always available.
Atlas of New Professions: which jobs will appear, change or disappear in the next 5–10 years. Free to read.
Checked: September 2026
Source: atlasbt.enbek.kz (opens in a new tab)
Can you work before you turn 18?
Under Kazakhstan's Labour Code, teenagers can work, but with limits.
- Usually you can work from age 16. From 15 — if you are getting basic or general secondary education. From 14 — only in your free time outside school and only light work. If you are under 16, you need a signature from a parent or legal guardian.
Source: kodeksy-kz.com (opens in a new tab) - From 14 to 16 you can work no more than 24 hours a week; from 16 to 18, no more than 36 hours a week.
Source: kodeksy-kz.com (opens in a new tab) - Under-18s must not be given heavy or hazardous work, jobs with full financial liability, night work, overtime or business trips.
Source: mybuh.kz (opens in a new tab)
History of the career
No verified information is available in this section yet.
Well-known people in this field
No verified information is available in this section yet.