Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
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Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University strengthened its position in the federal project "Active Measures to Promote Employment" by the end of 2025, demonstrating improved performance and consistent quality of training.
The goal of the "Active Measures to Promote Employment" project is to help citizens improve their skills and improve their employability or change professions free of charge. The Polytechnic University became a participant in the project following a competitive selection process in 2025. The Labor and Employment Committees of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, as well as employment centers, played a key role in its practical implementation. This collaboration ensured that educational programs meet the regional economy's workforce needs.
In 2025, training was conducted in areas tailored to in-demand professions. The focus was on engineering and technical specialties, digital technologies and modeling, construction, and management and service competencies. Industrial safety programs were also launched with expert support from the Northwestern Department of Rostekhnadzor. A total of nine educational programs for professional retraining, advanced training, and vocational training were implemented, some of which were developed based on individual employer requests. The most popular advanced training programs were "Lean Manufacturing," "Artificial Intelligence Systems Specialist," as well as professional retraining programs "Industrial Safety, Occupational Health, and the Environment at Hazardous Production Facilities," and "Industrial and Civil Construction."
Particular attention was paid to the learning format. The university maintained the academic depth of its programs while ensuring flexibility. In-person modules were combined with access to video materials and digital resources, allowing students to combine their studies with their professional activities. The proportion of students completing their studies while working reached 80%.
Students note the high professionalism of the instructors, the quality of the materials provided, the well-organized learning process, and the content's adaptability for beginning professionals. They particularly appreciated the access to materials on the university's educational portal, which allows students to return to previous material at any time and further explore complex topics. This flexibility creates a comfortable learning environment and allows students to effectively combine their studies with their professional activities.
"I thank the university for the opportunity to undergo professional retraining without interrupting my work and family. The educational process is organized systematically and accessible, especially for those just beginning to explore a new field. Special thanks to the faculty for their attentive guidance and support. The training was comfortable and informative," said program participant Irina Krasnova.
The main outcome was the practical effectiveness of the training. Of the 660 program participants, 601 (91%) were employed or continued working based on their new or expanded qualifications. Monitoring was conducted jointly with regional employment services for several months after the programs' completion. This high employment rate confirms the practical nature of the training and its alignment with labor market needs.
"Rebooting the project's format helped us significantly increase student reach and achieve sustainable employment rates. In 2026, we will scale up the model, strengthening the industry-specific focus of our programs and expanding our engagement with employers and regions," noted Ivan Kurta, Head of the Directorate for Continuing Education and Industry Partnerships.
SPbPU's experience was presented at key expert forums, including the All-Russian Personnel Forum and the St. Petersburg International Labor Forum. The university demonstrated a model for integrating fundamental academic training with applied industrial solutions, as well as an approach to developing continuing education programs in line with long-term economic and technological leadership needs.
The project's implementation resulted from the consolidation of competencies across the university's relevant departments. Significant contributions were made by the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics, and Trade; the Industrial Stream Data Processing Systems Laboratory of the Advanced Engineering School "Digital Engineering"; the Civil Engineering Institute; and the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials, and Transport. University faculty, industry representatives, and industry expert community representatives were involved in the program implementation. In collaboration with the SPbPU Human Resources Directorate, university staff also received the opportunity to participate in the project's training programs.
The results of 2025 allowed the university to expand its participation in the project in 2026. SPbPU's ecosystem of continuing professional education confirmed the effectiveness of its model by qualifying from three federal project providers. In the first half of the year, 18 new programs are planned to be launched and the total enrollment to over 2,000 students.
In 2026, the list of areas will be expanded to address technological leadership and engineering competency development. Priorities include artificial intelligence systems, industrial and environmental safety, oil and gas, mining, industrial process automation, construction, bioengineering solutions, and industrial tourism. The programs will be implemented beyond St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.
Today, the university is addressing its human resources needs within the framework of long-term technological development. We are shaping the program content so that graduates are prepared for real-world industrial and management challenges. The expansion of the quota for 2026 confirms the effectiveness of this model, emphasized Dmitry Tikhonov, Vice Rector for Continuing and Pre-University Education.
Thus, SPbPU's participation in the federal project "Active Measures to Promote Employment" in 2025 has become an effective tool for training personnel focused on sustainable employment, improving the skills of citizens, and supporting the technological development of the economy.
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