Sustainable
development of the energy sector is impossible without quality training of
engineering personnel, taking into account Russia's special national
characteristics, conditions and goals. The consequences of the ongoing
education system crisis and shortage of specialists for ensuring the country's
technological sovereignty cannot be ignored. Evolution of the engineering
education system must be fair, comprehensive and inclusive so that all sectors
of society might benefit from the change. To ensure sustainable development,
government, educational institutions and industry must be actively involved in developing
long-term training strategies. High-quality engineering education is not only
the future but also a necessity of the present. Such conclusions were reached
at the session “Engineering Workforce to Ensure Technological Sovereignty and
Global Leadership in the Domestic Energy Sector” held as part of Russian Energy
Week 2024 (REW).
KEY CONCLUSIONS
Education and people are the key basis for the existence
and sovereignty of the state
“We are a country-empire washed by
both seas and oceans, so we should always remember that education and people
are the basic framework that determines the very existence of the state. Today
it is called sovereignty,” Vladimir Litvinenko, Rector of St. Petersburg Mining
University.
Development of further education will help attract
young personnel into the industry
“We started
with energy classes. We take school children and give them extra lessons in
physics and mathematics. We organize tours for children in the fifth class and
above to all of our enterprises, and hold role-playing quests. We organize full
involvement, taking them either to college or to an institute,” Natalia
Albrecht, Deputy General Director for Human Resources, En+.
Introducing the mentors will improve education in
higher educational institutions
“We
preserve not only professional but also develop general cultural, humanitarian,
social competencies and knowledge. Higher education means intellectual
development, culture. Higher education is about values. And, in this sense, of
course, this part of future standards will be filled with content that meets
the challenges of the 21st century and the situation the country is in,” Dmitry
Afanasiev, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian
Federation.
PROBLEMS
Shortage of personnel in energy-related industries
“We have switched to a two-level Bachelor-Master
system <...> Now, what do we have in this respect? We did an analysis.
<...> Of the students who graduated with a Bachelor's degree specializing
in energy, only 3 to 12% went on to work at enterprises,” Vladimir Litvinenko,
Rector of St. Petersburg Mining University.
Shortage of engineering personnel to ensure
technological sovereignty and global leadership of the domestic fuel and energy
industry
“First, it
is the quality of school education, primarily in the natural and mathematical
disciplines. We know this trend – a drop in the number of those taking the USE
in physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology and an almost level average score
for those leaving secondary school. This problem has been raised by the
President to priority level. On his instructions, a draft concept for improving
the quality of science education and science disciplines in secondary schools
has now been developed. There will be an expert discussion starting in 2025, a whole
set of measures, changes in school subjects, the quality of teacher training,
and a lot of other things: popularization, career guidance in engineering,
technology and science. All this should have a systemic effect,” Dmitry
Afanasiev, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian
Federation.
Not enough physics lessons in schools
“An engineer should know physics in the future. And pass the USE in
physics. As a start. Physics lessons are two hours a week, starting from the
7th class. So, even if a student suddenly decides to take the USE in physics, they
will not pass it unless they attend a specialized class. So, the system, the
programme we have at the moment, effectively predetermines that students don't
know physics and, since they don't know physics, they won't go to engineering
universities,” Oksana Dmitrieva, Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal
Assembly of the Russian Federation.
Insufficient funding and facilities
“And whether we like it or not, engineering training today <...>
costs somewhere around 400,000 – 600,000 roubles a year per student,” Vladimir
Litvinenko, Rector of St. Petersburg Mining University.
SOLUTIONS
New indicators for evaluating universities
“Never, in
recent years, has employment been a key indicator of university assessment.
From this year on, it will become one. The Ministry of Labour is now preparing
a national employment rating for all universities, in all areas. It provides
feedback for employers, for applicants, parents, and for universities that are
underperforming,” Dmitry Afanasiev, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher
Education of the Russian Federation.
Improving energy education and popularizing the
engineering profession
“[An important aspect is. – Ed.]
popularization of prestige, status, engineering profession, engineering
activity,” Dmitry Afanasiev, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of
the Russian Federation.
“Children,
students from the second year receive a scholarship, sign apprenticeship
contracts and come to work for us. This is the only opportunity to anchor kids
to these enterprises, to help them make a choice,” Natalia Albrecht, Deputy
General Director for Human Resources, En+.
* This is a
translation of material that was originally generated in Russian using
artificial intelligence.
For more
information, visit the Roscongress Foundation’s Information and Analytical
System at
roscongress.org
