Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The meeting took place during a visit to the exhibition “85 Years of the SPO System: Strength in Mastery!”
From the transcript:
M. Mishustin: Good afternoon, dear friends!
First of all, I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate you, your colleagues, all the students, and all the faculty on the anniversary of the secondary vocational education system. Three years ago, the President proposed celebrating SVE Day. I hope it has already become a good tradition for you.
The secondary vocational education system trains specialists without whom no economic or industrial sector can develop. We just saw at the exhibition what a difficult journey the vocational education system has traveled over the past 85 years. I already said today, greeting the students at the "Master of the Year" competition, that, of course, there is no such thing as a secondary education system. These systems, I believe, are vestiges of the past, the 1990s. Part of today's exhibition was dedicated to that period.
College graduates now receive an excellent education—a professional education that the country needs. It's an education that enables young people to develop, build the country's industrial and economic shield, and help us achieve the national development goals set by the President.
Today, our country has over 3,200 colleges, attended by approximately 4 million young people. They offer careers in any of 500 specialties across all key economic sectors. Incidentally, today's exhibit showcased professions that were once offered through the secondary vocational education system in the Soviet Union. These are completely different professions from various economic sectors. Today, you can also obtain a wide variety of professions—from modern specialties in information technology, software development, and nuclear energy to medicine, education, tourism, and many others.
Context
Colleges' facilities and equipment are being actively modernized. Program content is being updated. I recall our colleagues from the State Duma, Victoria Valerievna (Abramchenko), actively lobbied to ensure that we allocated appropriate funds for the development of secondary vocational education facilities when the budget was approved.
And of course, we must mention those who teach at colleges, our professors. They regularly improve their skills and enhance their qualifications at the country's leading enterprises, in specially created organizations, such as those in Kaluga or Nizhny Novgorod, and in technology parks. These professors provide students with the most relevant knowledge so that, when they enter production, they can quickly integrate into the process. And it's crucial for us to continue this clustering so that those companies that are, so to speak, at the forefront today—in manufacturing and service creation—can clearly set requirements for who they want to hire.
Independent experts highly rate college graduates' professional readiness. We've studied this specifically. We see that the majority of them—over 80%—find employment very well. This is a significant result, as this wasn't the case until recently.
This is largely due to the demonstration exam, during which young people demonstrate not only their theoretical mastery but also the specific practical skills they acquired during their studies. At the direction of the head of state, this has become the primary form of final assessment.
I'd like to draw special attention to the implementation of the "Professionalism" program, which is well-known to all of you. It involves the creation of general education clusters in collaboration with employer organizations. This year, it was legally enshrined as a form of educational activity with mandatory company participation.
This project began with 70 such associations. In just three years, their number has increased exponentially to 506. It now operates across virtually the entire country, involving approximately 2,500 companies—leaders in their industries. We will certainly continue this clustering. By 2030, we plan to nearly double the number of clusters, with approximately 4,000 companies joining the partnership. This will help us achieve the goal set by the head of state—to train 2 million qualified specialists in the next five years.
The new budget, which is currently being submitted to the State Duma, allocates 105 billion rubles for these purposes over three years.
All these employees will form a community of professionals. This is a unique environment that is actively developing. Today, we also witnessed the active participation of annual competitions where students and teachers demonstrate their knowledge of their fields and skills. This is primarily the high-tech championship, "Professionals." This year, over a million people participated.
Another one is "Abilympics," which you're also familiar with. It's a decade-old movement that helps people with disabilities find jobs. We have over 3,000 partners in our country who create jobs for people with disabilities.
From my personal experience, individuals with disabilities are often more effective and professional than many other specialists. We've been particularly active in this area at the Federal Tax Service.
The "Master of the Year" competition brought together approximately 10,000 teachers and vocational training instructors from across the country. And today, the best will be chosen in Kursk. We just spoke with the finalists.
Such events are crucial. They help align college education with economic needs. Today, secondary vocational education plays a significant role in the country's social and economic development. It combines the resources of the state, employers, and educational institutions to create a modern and innovative training system. Secondary vocational education opens new opportunities for young people, strengthens the regions' human resources, and creates the foundation for Russia's technological leadership.
Dear college and technical school directors, masters, and teachers, thank you very much for your work. You do so much for our youth. Thanks to your knowledge and experience, these young people are acquiring in-demand professions. You are laying the foundation for their professional development and career advancement.
Dear students, it's wonderful that, despite your young age, you've already taken such an important step in your lives. You've chosen a field in which to work. And I have no doubt you'll succeed.
Once again, happy holidays to everyone. Let's chat now. I'd love to hear your ideas, suggestions, wishes, and maybe even questions.
A. Yavgastin (winner of the 2024 All-Russian competition for secondary vocational education teachers, "Master of the Year," and teacher at the Orenburg Humanities and Technical College): Good afternoon, Mikhail Vladimirovich! My name is Artur Yavgastin. I work at the Orenburg Humanities and Technical College. I am currently pursuing a degree in engineering. In five years of teaching, I won a prize in the 2024 "Master of the Year" competition. I am an expert in the "Professionals" and "Abilympics" championships, an expert in the demonstration exam, and the regional competition among enterprises, "Orenburg Professionals." I teach specialized subjects and head the educational and training department.
Through close collaboration with employers, we constantly update our work and educational programs. This ensures that our students acquire the most relevant and in-demand competencies and skills. This is reflected in their working conditions and salaries.
Naturally, this is reflected in the competition, which increases every year. For example, at our college, there were already five people competing for one spot. At other times, I heard, the number reached as high as 18.
This raises the question: how can we improve the effectiveness of the admissions campaign so that the most motivated applicants or those with targeted contracts are prioritized? That is, those young people who will subsequently be guaranteed employment and who want to pursue their chosen profession.
M. Mishustin: Yes, Artur, I absolutely agree with you. Motivation is the most important driver of learning, especially in highly competitive settings. You just surprised me. 18 people per place—that's quite a lot. And do you remember which specialties were so competitive?
A. Yavgastin: At my technical school, the most competitive programs are mechanical engineering, robotics, and aviation, of course.
M. Mishustin: Artur, you've made me so happy. This is wonderful.
In fact, the issue of supporting targeted students has already been resolved by the President. He signed the relevant law, which comes into force on September 1 of next year. Preferential enrollment in the secondary vocational education system will be granted to those who have signed a targeted employment contract.
And in this sense, companies are also serious examiners. They, of course, choose the best. They're already hunting for top students, professionals in secondary vocational education. This is good, and it should be encouraged.
This will definitely motivate the kids; they can find businesses that suit them right away. And it would be good to think about it, to talk to professionals, about how to somehow recognize motivated kids through competitions and Olympiads. The professionals and teachers here are more knowledgeable about this. We will, of course, always support this.
O. Antipina (Director of the Pervouralsk Metallurgical College): Mikhail Vladimirovich, good afternoon! My name is Olga Feliksovna Antipina, and I head the Pervouralsk Metallurgical College in the Sverdlovsk Region. I am pleased to present to you the program for the future of "white" metallurgy.
It so happens that the city of Pervouralsk has become the birthplace of professionalism, since for 14 years now we have been working within the dual education paradigm, focusing on the needs of our employers.
Our best practices include mentoring and targeted training. Over the years, we've created 38 modern laboratories, ten of which are part of the federal "Professionalism" project. Our most important achievement, of which we're proud, is a digital twin of the employer's production process. It's worth noting that the laboratories are now admired by many of our guests. We also place great emphasis on educational processes. And just recently, we won the All-Russian Youth Media Projects Competition in a special category dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the secondary vocational education system.
It is important that our activities attract high interest not only from domestic but also international partners.
In this regard, I have a question for you. While there is an international agreement in higher education, there is no such experience in secondary vocational education.
Is it possible to establish intergovernmental agreements for colleges and technical schools? This would help us develop international cooperation.
M. Mishustin: You know, Olga Feliksovna, this is an excellent idea. It's quite simple, but it's not talked about much. In fact, I'm sure that in many countries, neighboring countries, and our friendly countries… I just recently returned from Minsk, where heads of government from other countries discussed the education system at length. And, of course, sharing best practices, including the possibility of concluding special agreements to develop these programs, is very important.
Such an order will be issued, and I will ask Sergei Sergeyevich (Kravtsov) to consider it. I think the State Duma could also be helpful here. Our dialogue with parliament is very active.
Thanks for the great idea. We'll definitely develop it.
O. Antipina: Thank you.
Yu. Moiseev: Hello, Mikhail Vladimirovich, my name is Yuri Igorevich Moiseev, I am the director of the Volgograd Polytechnic College named after Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky.
We joined the Professionalism program in 2023 and have been fortunate to have developed very well over the past three years.
The college now houses a training and production complex. We're lucky, too—we're located right next to a mineral water deposit. We extract it from a depth of 125 meters and bottle it on a real conveyor belt.
Students work at this facility. And it's crucial that they acquire professional skills; chemical analysis lab technicians train there every day. They also develop cross-professional skills there, such as lean manufacturing and occupational safety. And our students graduate with a work record book and real-world work experience.
But we haven't stopped there; we're expanding. We have an IT team that creates virtual simulators for chemical production. And this is a job that's really in demand.
Thanks to the support of our Volgograd region and our governor, Andrei Ivanovich Bocharov, we are developing very well. Our strategic partner, the chemical company Kaustik, orders actual products from our training and production complex and supports us not only financially—approximately 250 million rubles have been invested in the college over the past two years. Our college is at their heart; they are the true champions of our production.
In this regard, we would like to thank you for the legislative opportunity to create such production facilities. We believe such production facilities should be supported, and therefore we ask for your assistance. We will cultivate true working patriots of Russia at this facility and in our colleges.
M. Mishustin: Thank you very much, Yuri Igorevich. Without a doubt, the educational and production complexes are a key part of the "Professionality" program. And this clustering, or the connection of enterprises with education systems, is the key to the effectiveness of education in the secondary vocational education system. Therefore, we will undoubtedly support, promote, and implement all the right practical developments.
I'm very pleased that this has resonated so strongly with young people, both in their hearts and minds. The head of state outlined all of these initiatives several years ago. You know that the national development goals contain a very serious task facing the country, one that simply cannot be achieved without an appropriate level of education in this area. And the educational and production complexes are the foundation for acquiring practical skills, something that businesses expect from graduates.
O. Khalepo (Director of the Novgorod Construction College): Good afternoon, Mikhail Vladimirovich, I am Olga Anatolyevna Khalepo, Director of the Novgorod Construction College. Today, the college is more than just an educational institution; it is a center for the development of engineering talent. We have completely renovated our facilities, created new workshops and laboratories, and opened training and production areas. And thanks to your support, in 2023, we renovated two dormitories located on the college campus. As a result of this work, the competition for admission to our college is now 18 applicants per place.
M. Mishustin: Olga Anatolyevna, we just spoke with Artur (Yavgastin). Could you please tell me what specialties the 18 people are assigned to?
O. Khalepo: These are two construction areas: “Applied Geodesy” and “Construction and Operation of Buildings and Structures.”
Since 2024, we've been part of the "Professionality" project. We partner with 21 construction industry organizations. Together with our partners, we're opening industry-specific departments at their facilities to facilitate rapid training, and we're introducing lean technologies not only into the educational process but also into our partner companies.
Together with them, we're expanding and deepening our training programs, introducing innovations. And we're already seeing results. Our partners are ready to work with us to change educational and professional standards. And positions that previously required higher education are now accepting our students with secondary vocational education. Not even future graduates, but those still in school.
The construction industry is developing rapidly. Graduates are now needed who are proficient in digital technologies and can operate complex equipment. As a college director and industry insider, this is a priority for me in training such personnel.
Dear Mikhail Vladimirovich, in this regard, I propose launching a pilot project to adapt the model with the assignment of two qualifications – secondary vocational education and higher education.
How it works: A unified educational program is developed based on two educational standards. Students in their junior years gain practical training, working with complex equipment, and implementing digital technologies. In their senior year, they conduct research and project work. This program culminates with the defense of a real-world project, tailored to the needs of the industry or a specific enterprise.
As a result, a student who completes college receives two degrees—one from a vocational school and one from a higher education institution. They become even more competitive in the labor market. And a one-stop shop provides a diverse selection of skilled workers.
It's clear that this project won't be feasible for all majors. But, for example, in the "Construction and Operation of Buildings and Structures" major, we're 100% sure to implement it. What do you think of this initiative?
M. Mishustin: Olga Anatolyevna, it's very interesting. In principle, the integration of the secondary vocational education system and the higher education system is natural. I'll repeat again that the term "higher education" is inappropriate here if we're talking about top-class professionals who graduated from college.
We definitely need to think about how to do this correctly. We'll undoubtedly need the opinions of experts, including those from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. And we'll definitely consider which specialties can accommodate this. Because you're absolutely right: a student who has acquired practical skills knows how to operate complex equipment. The equipment is very complex these days—from CNC machines to laser welding—all of this requires extensive knowledge. And meeting the requirements for this specialty in order to obtain a higher education is a natural step.
But I think we'll task the Ministry of Education with thinking about how to organize this. I'll ask you to submit your proposals through Sergei Sergeyevich (Kravtsov). And be sure to include the specialty. You mentioned construction, but related specialties are likely also included.
By the way, let's talk about geodesy and cartography, as you mentioned. Victoria Valeryevna (Abramchenko) understands well that if a surveyor has received a basic education, they can then move on to several specialties related to land management, as well as specialists in mass appraisal, real estate, and many, many other fields, with the addition of new knowledge.
Thank you. We will definitely look into your initiative.
O. Khalepo: Thank you very much.
A. Zenkina (Director of the Smolensk Academy of Urban Planning and Architecture): Dear Mikhail Vladimirovich, good afternoon!
My name is Anzhelika Vladimirovna Zenkina, I am the director of the Smolensk Academy of Urban Planning and Architecture.
Our educational institution was also one of the first participants in the federal "Professionalism" project in construction. And today, we can already speak about its first results. We have significantly updated our educational programs. We have created training laboratories and training grounds with the most modern equipment. Employers have taken a fresh look at us. And today, they are active participants in our educational process for training future specialists.
It's great that the federal program for capital repairs of colleges is being implemented in conjunction with the federal "Professionality" project. This program is renovating not only classrooms but also student dormitories. We participated in this program, and the renovation of a 450-bed dormitory is currently nearing completion. It's a student housing complex with a modern design, new technology, and furniture. Our students—future architects—developed the designs for all the rooms, hallways, and corridors themselves. All the furniture that will be installed in the renovated dormitory spaces was also handcrafted by our students. We operate a training and production facility for furniture manufacturing. All the equipment and machines for this facility were purchased through the federal "Professionality" project.
In general, both these projects—Professionalism and the federal capital repair program—are very important, as they give the younger generation the opportunity to realize their potential. But I think the most important thing is that they provide a sense of security and care.
Dear Mikhail Vladimirovich! We, the administrators, teachers, and students of Smolensk region colleges, are grateful for the changes being implemented in the secondary vocational education system. But let me agree with you: the term "secondary vocational education" doesn't quite suit us.
M. Mishustin: You shouldn’t call it that, I think you should call it “special education.”
A. Zenkina: Quite simply “professional”.
We're certainly working hard, and we still have many ideas and projects ahead, much to repair and modernize. We sincerely hope that the federal "Professionalism" project and the federal capital repair program will continue to be implemented. Then, even more young people will strive to learn their trades and become professionals in their fields.
M. Mishustin: Anzhelika Vladimirovna, you're absolutely right. There was also a special presidential initiative to upgrade college infrastructure. We've carried out that instruction.
We have allocated 56 billion rubles for these purposes over the next three years. By 2030, we plan to renovate—and allocate additional funds for—more than 1,400 different college facilities.
Therefore, this is a large-scale program to ensure that the infrastructure is the most modern, technologically advanced, and innovative, and that it is primarily suited to modern production and the modern economy.
A. Zenkina: This is very cool.
N. Kitaeva (Director of the Ulyanovsk Aviation College): Good afternoon, Mikhail Vladimirovich. I am Natalya Nikolaevna Kitaeva, Director of the Ulyanovsk Aviation College – Interregional Competence Center.
Our college trains professionals in over 20 professions and specialties. We have achieved a 100% graduate employment rate. As a resource center for the aircraft industry, we understand that our primary goal is to ensure that every graduate finds employment in our industry. The federal project "Professionalism" is successfully addressing this challenge.
We were the first to join it in 2022. Together with our city-forming enterprise, Aviastar. I know you've been there and visited the enterprise. We've been working quite successfully together.
But a true professional isn't just a set of strict competencies. They must also be a person with a strong character, a core of strength within, and values that they carry throughout their life.
Feeling and understanding our responsibility for each student, we at the college have launched a social project called "Stepping into Immortality." The project is dedicated to the memory of our fallen graduates, who studied at the college in different years, pursued various professions and specialties, but were united by one thing: they sacrificed their lives to protect us and fulfill their military duty. And through the example of our students' heroism, we instill in them a sense of pride in their country and a sense of patriotism.
All of our project's activities are integrated into the educational process. As part of our nationwide projects, we hold weekly flag raisings and lessons on important events at the Wall of Remembrance. We have an Alley of Remembrance, where we planted chestnut trees. Near each chestnut tree is a memorial plaque listing information about our hero and their awards. Naturally, this alley has become a magnet not only for students, teachers, and parents, but also for residents of the entire Novy Gorod neighborhood. People come there to sit in silence and reminisce.
You can read the Book of Remembrance on the college's website, where we've posted all the information about our heroic graduates. We opened an exhibition featuring actual artifacts from the war zone and personal belongings of our students. Over a thousand people visited the exhibition.
Of course, this is the energy of the entire college, the entire staff, all the students. In their free time, the students repair the UAZ vehicles we send them. We've woven hundreds of camouflage nets. Our welders build potbelly stoves. My job as director isn't just handing out instructions, but to unite all this energy, this passion, and channel it into tangible action. Our project is a practical embodiment of patriotism. And we really want every student to understand that the college is a big family where every graduate and student is remembered and loved.
Actually, we're not alone, Mikhail Vladimirovich. Colleges and technical schools are very actively helping those participating in the special military operation. Workshops are working for victory. We're forging victory here, in the rear. Parents, students, and teachers would really like this work to be seen and appreciated.
Perhaps, Mikhail Vladimirovich, we should consider a system of incentive and distinctive badges for educational organizations that actively participate in assisting special military operations.
M. Mishustin: Natalia Nikolaevna, thank you very much. Thank you for your work and for such a patriotic attitude.
This isn't just in colleges, it's in schools and all educational institutions across the country. I know—I visit many such sites in the regions—how students feel about the memory of heroes dating back to the Great Patriotic War, and, of course, about those heroes who participated and are participating, many of whom gave their lives, in special military operations, and about their families.
This movement needs to be celebrated. But to ensure we do it right, we will prepare and issue all the relevant instructions. I think we absolutely must involve our "Defenders of the Fatherland" foundation. It works extensively with the families of special military operation participants, with those who returned from special military operations and are working in the SPO system. I saw how many masters, especially those with a patriotic spirit, are passing on their knowledge, skills, and, among other things, their attitude toward their homeland and country to the young people.
I can also recall how, as children, we attended special lessons with veterans of the Great Patriotic War and learned about how they fought and achieved the difficult goals the country faced during the Great Patriotic War. The veterans were always eager to attend these lessons and share their stories with us.
These movements must be encouraged. We will definitely consider them. And I would ask you to pass on your ideas and developments to our Ministry of Education.
N. Kitaeva: Thank you very much.
M. Mishustin: Thank you for your initiative.
E. Pyltsyn (fourth-year student at Shatura Power Engineering College, ambassador for the "Professionality" project): Good afternoon, Mikhail Vladimirovich! I am a fourth-year student ambassador at Shatura Power Engineering College in the Moscow Region. I am studying for a degree in "Automation of Technological Processes and Production (by Industry)."
This year, the School of Economics and Management celebrates its 90th anniversary, and over this remarkable period, the technical school has trained numerous specialists for the energy sector throughout our country. More recently, we have also been graduating specialists for IT, the chemical industry, and other sectors of the economy.
Professional teachers, who themselves participate in competitions, prepare us so that we can practically assemble any system with our eyes closed.
We've created laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment under the national project and the "Professionalism" program. I personally trained in the additive manufacturing lab, which is equipped with state-of-the-art computers, 3D scanners, and printers. We use them to create prototypes and print. We use them both in our own work and for our employers.
Our employers are primarily energy companies: Mosenergo, Mosoblenergo, Rosseti Moscow Region, and PJSC Unipro. I am a targeted student at PJSC Unipro, Shaturskaya GRES No. 5 branch. I am completing an internship as an instrumentation and automation fitter and receive a targeted stipend, a government stipend, and an increased stipend from the technical school. I am the head of the "My History" department of the "Victory Volunteer" public movement. I have received various awards, including the "Tourist of Russia" title for participating in a hike on the Solovetsky Archipelago. I am a donor and recently joined the youth parliament of our Shatura municipal district.
Mikhail Vladimirovich, as a Professionalism Ambassador, and his team are involved in the lives of schoolchildren. We provide them with career guidance and professional meetings with future employers when possible. We also hold master classes to help the students decide on a career. Because the choice is so wide these days. Some people want to pursue a career in IT, for example, or in construction… As Olga Anatolyevna (Khalepo) said, the students can't decide right away.
I'd like to propose making the "Professionalitet" Ambassadors Festival an annual event, as it will help us exchange experiences with young people from other regions of our country and neighboring countries. This will allow us to make interesting decisions, find new career guidance methods, and connect with mentors who can guide us down the right path.
M. Mishustin: Zhenya, of course I support you. I'm absolutely certain you'll find many people who share your attitude. And what's also very important is that this is interesting for kids who haven't yet decided on a career: it's absolutely true that from the age of 14 or 15, kids in school are looking for ways to apply their knowledge, interests, and skills.
Many people simply don't know about the vocational education system and how many issues and problems that interest young people can be solved there.
This kind of career guidance and this kind of communication are absolutely necessary. We need specialized people for this – ambassadors or ambassadors, depending on who we're recruiting. And why not? This can be done with colleagues from neighboring countries, with students who are perhaps willing to come to our colleges. I know of many examples of students from CIS countries studying at our colleges and, conversely, our students enrolling in such specialized institutions. Therefore, I fully support this. I think it should be implemented. I am absolutely certain you will reach an agreement. And, of course, government agencies and ministries will support you.
A. Malakhov (winner of the "Professionals-2025" championship final in the "External Piloting and Operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles" competency, fourth-year student at the N.N. Godovikov Polytechnic College): Hello, Mikhail Vladimirovich. My name is Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Malakhov, and I am a fourth-year student majoring in "Operation of Unmanned Aerial Systems" at the N.N. Godovikov Polytechnic College.
In August, he represented the Moscow team in the External Piloting and Operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles competition at the finals of the Professionals-2025 professional skills championship, where he won two gold medals: in the main and industrial classifications.
Until the very end, it wasn't clear who would win. The competition was fierce. I prepared long and hard, on weekends and during breaks. At the championship, I met interesting people in my field. We exchanged experiences and ideas for preparing future competitors for the championship.
I am currently interning at the international company Dronico Aero, which specializes in drone and hot air balloon shows.
I am grateful to the college, its director, Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhailov, the deputy directors, the faculty, the staff, and especially my parents and expert mentors who walked this difficult path to the championship with me. Without them, there would have been no victory.
This academic year, I'll be taking my final exam, as will many of the students who won prizes. Each of them demonstrated their skill, their will to win, and their resilience in challenging situations. Therefore, Mikhail Vladimirovich, I have a question: can our achievements at the championships be counted as passing the demonstration exam?
M. Mishustin: Alexander, I'd like to say right off the bat: of course, it's possible. But there are always nuances related to the regulatory framework and qualification requirements. As for the approach, I completely agree. Let's then ask the Ministry of Education to look into the regulatory framework, and the State Duma could also get involved to implement such things. I think it's obvious that the guys who have spent so much time and become the best in the country should be rewarded in some way. Especially since this would certainly correspond to, so to speak, incentives for acquiring new knowledge and skills. Therefore, we are giving this instruction to the Ministry of Education. And I ask you to present your corresponding ideas and forward them to Sergei Sergeyevich (Kravtsov).
A. Malakhov: Good. Thank you.
V. Molodtsova (fourth-year student at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, winner of the "Professionals" championship in the "Design and Manufacturing of Prostheses and Orthoses" category): Good afternoon! I'm Violetta Sergeevna Molodtsova, a fourth-year student at the Institute of Secondary Vocational Education at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. This year, I took second place in the "Design and Manufacturing of Prostheses and Orthoses" category at the "Professionals" championship.
This competency isn't my core competency, as I'm studying Information Systems and Programming. I gained quite a few of the skills and abilities I needed to secure a top spot in the finals thanks to the college, but through extracurricular activities. I'm very grateful to the college for this opportunity. Because I was able to learn about a very important and socially beneficial competency that's actively developing in our region, something I hadn't even considered before.
Now I see this specialty as a possible path for my further professional development and am looking for a place to practice that is related to prosthetics.
I'm also very grateful for the championship and glad to have the opportunity to test my knowledge and skills at such a large-scale event. It's a powerful test of stress tolerance, the ability to follow a task, and skills in general. Also, thanks to the introduction of a team module at the competition this year, I was able to work as a team. It was an interesting and unusual experience, because usually in college we complete assignments alone.
I would also like to give the floor to my fellow countryman Taras, who took part in a similar championship.
T. Veresov (winner of the high-tech championship in the "Exoskeleton Development" category, prize winner of the "Professionals" championship in the "Mechatronics" category, graduate of the St. Petersburg Technical College of Management and Commerce): Good afternoon, my name is Taras Vitalievich Veresov, and I am a graduate of the St. Petersburg Technical College of Management and Commerce in the "Mechatronics and Mobile Robotics" field.
Currently, I work as a technician at my local college, conducting practical classes for students, and also doing mentoring activities.
Participating in professional skills competitions helped me achieve this. I am the overall winner of the High-Tech Championship in the "Exoskeleton Development" category, as well as a prize winner in the "Professionals" Championship in the "Mechatronics" category.
In fact, these types of activities greatly help children and students discover their talents. They provide the opportunity to gain practical skills, work in a team, and even try out the latest innovative equipment.
I'm currently still involved in the championship movement, but now as an expert mentor. I help students find their voice and realize their talents.
M. Mishustin: Thank you, guys, Violetta and Taras. I'm listening to you – you're so well prepared, you speak so professionally about your skills and your ideas.
Violetta, it's wonderful that you've become so passionate and found a direction that will lead you to new professional skills. I'll even ask Sergey Sergeyevich (Kravtsov) for help. You mentioned prosthetics; I know of several wonderful projects in the country. We'll definitely keep you informed. And if you don't mind, we'll give you your contact information so we can contact you. There's a significant development in both approaches and technologies right now. I was told about 3D modeling, 3D printers, and a lot more. It's quite complex, innovative, but very important and significant for the country.
What you said, Taras, makes me happy. You're working in mechatronics; you've already become a technician. Just recently, it was so sad to see that our control systems were practically never used on CNC machines. But today, we have a whole host of companies, as you're probably well aware, that produce systems. One of them is Mechatronics, which makes control racks for CNC machines.
The important thing is that you've found your calling, I think. And it needs to be seriously developed. Thank you for your stories, guys. I wish you continued success in your professional endeavors.
R. Balayan: (winner of the regional championship "Abilympics-2024", prize-winner of the national championship "Abilympics-2024" in the "Web Development" competency, 3rd-year student of the Moscow College of Modern Technologies named after Hero of the Soviet Union M.F. Panov): Hello, dear Mikhail Vladimirovich!
My name is Rachya Balayan, I am 18 years old, I was born and study in Moscow, currently in my 3rd year at the Panov College of Modern Technologies, specializing in Information Systems and Programming.
I've been interested in web development since childhood and have been building websites since I was 13. I've been a member of the Abilympics movement for several years now. Last year, I won the Moscow championship and placed second in the national finals in the Web Development category.
This year, I also made it to the national finals, which I'm very happy about. I also work as a programmer at the research and development company Bolid. I'm working on three projects at once—from a high-load video surveillance system to an internal corporate neural network and software for scheduling developer tasks.
The most important thing I realized while participating in the Abilympics movement is that it doesn’t matter whether you have an illness or not, it doesn’t matter who you are, what matters is the effort and discipline you put into solving a problem and achieving a goal.
I also realized that I can share my experience and knowledge with others quite effectively. I shared my experience with some Abilympics participants and now I share my experience and knowledge with a small group of students. I prepare them for interviews and help them find jobs. And it's true: employers really do chase motivated students, inviting them to interviews, and so on.
I'm currently learning new technologies, preparing for the National Olympiad, working, and sharing my knowledge with others. I'm thrilled to grow with such a strong community as Abilympics.
M. Mishustin: Rachya, thank you very much for sharing your story.
The Abilympics movement is truly important. The key is that it allows everyone, regardless of their disability, to have fair access and to build a community. The results speak for themselves. You've shared your successes. You've already received several job offers. Keep up the good work!
We will absolutely continue to support this movement.
And if you have any ideas – I know sometimes you can’t say everything personally – please pass them on to Sergei Sergeevich (Kravtsov).
R. Balayan: Thank you very much. And in honor of the occasion, could we take a commemorative photo with you?
M. Mishustin: With pleasure, it would be an honor for me!
I want to thank you again, guys. You and the teachers who came here today.
All the ideas you expressed are very important. And I also want to compliment you. How nice to hear competent Russian speech! You all spoke without notes, completely prepared. And that was very nice to hear. Your Russian is excellent. Thank you for that. And, of course, to your teachers.
S. Kravtsov: Mikhail Vladimirovich, thank you so much for your support. It's safe to say that colleges are truly developing, with 54% in engineering majors. And today, colleges are truly focused on our country's economy and helping the war effort.
Thank you very much for your congratulations, Mikhail Vladimirovich.
V. Abramchenko: Thank you very much, Mikhail Vladimirovich. I was very pleased because the students demonstrated, not just in words but in action, that the working person in our country is still valued above all else. And what we've been able to overcome—you mentioned this at the very beginning, when you launched the "Professionalism" project—is that we've been able to overcome the negative trend of everyone going into higher education. Now we have practically the same ratio as in the Soviet Union: 70% of students choose colleges, 30% go on to higher education. This is very important. Thank you for that.
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