Abstract
<jats:p>The research focuses on the development of a system of secondary specialized and vocational education in the Aktobe region. Medical and teacher training schools played a leading role in this area. However, the development of the region's manufacturing and economic sectors and a shortage of qualified specialists led to an increased demand for mid-level specialists, prompting the opening of urban and rural vocational schools in the region. This article examines the establishment and development of a nursing school and a teacher training school. The impact of the literacy campaign on education in the region is demonstrated. The authors note the training of personnel directly in production through factory schools and substantiate the need for their subsequent transformation into educational institutions providing vocational education. During the research, the authors conducted a critical analysis of materials collected from the Aktobe Regional State Archives and also conducted a historiographic review of scholarly works. Particular attention is paid to defining the role of mid-level specialists in the country's economic recovery in the first half of the 20th century and identifying the main areas for the development of vocational education.</jats:p>