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The author analyzes how the modern education system contributes to the formation of socio-economically determined choice of higher education, where the latter includes a decision on continue studying, choosing a university and specialty.The functioning of the higher education system is analyzed in the context of the interconnections of education, the labor market and family resources, which reflect the movement of human capital and current trends in social mobility in Central Asia, as exemplified by Kazakhstan.The article presents data from a study conducted among young professionals aged 21 to 29 years with a different level of education. The sample represents the Republic of Kazakhstan and amounts to 1000 respondents. The survey was conducted using the technique of personal formalized interviews at the respondents’ work place.The data obtained indicate that the expansion of accessibility of higher education in Kazakhstan is accompanied by its stratification, which is projected in the inequality in the labor market for young people with a different «background» of family capital. This trend is hidden. The family’s resource capital affects the range of choice of educational trajectory (level of education, university, specialty), in the future, the level of education and prestige of a young specialist’s university determine career opportunities.

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In the article data presented from the sociological research conducted in 2015 indicate that the participation of youth in politics and the interest is very low. Monitoring of political orientations in the projection on regional identity showed some significant differences: the youth of the “Northern”, “Western” and “Eastern” regions is with a tendency to the “troubled” perception of the political situation, while respondents of “Southern” and “Central” regions with the “neutral” assessment of and with a high degree of political tolerance and displaying the ability to political discourse. The political profile of young Kazakhs is characterized by a greater degree of uncertainty. Also, the boundaries of political preferences are blurred: the main factors of the formation of the ideological and political positions are to the greater extent cultural (preferences and stereotypes) rather than social factors.

This article presented the most significant changes that took place in professional self-determination of young people in connection with economic and social changes of Kazakhstan. The aspirations of young people and their actual steps in choosing the path after school, especially the motivation to form an idea of the future professional activity are considered. Modern practices of educational guidance and professional choice of Kazakhstani youth are analyzed. Sociological research of the features of professional choices of young people in all its versatility opens up new opportunities and prospects in the study: the balance between supply and demand in the labor market. In article we aimed to answer the following research questions: Is the professional choice of young people «alarmingly» unrelated to the labor market needs? What objective and subjective motives guided the youth in a professional choice?  According to the methodology of the study, the sample is 1000 respondents. The survey covers all groups of young people in Kazakhstan – the sample represents young people by gender, age, nationality, marital status, presence of children, level of education, type of employment, degree of religiosity, level of material situation of households and type of settlement. The study results are processed and analyzed using custom software SPSS for Windows (version 21).