Mikhail Mishustin: “Highly-skilled specialists form the core of enterprises across all sectors of the economy, even the most innovation-driven and technologically advanced ones, in any organisation operating in the social sphere. We need to start with forming a flexible and, most importantly, effective system for training specialists, that is driven by economic demands.”
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:
Colleagues,
Today, we will take a close look at the critically important Human Resources national project which is directly or otherwise involved in achieving each particular national development goal.
Highly-skilled specialists form the core of enterprises across all sectors of the economy, even the most innovation-driven and technologically advanced ones, in any organisation operating in the social sphere. Competent employees are a valuable asset, especially now that the President has set the goal of strengthening industrial, technological, financial and economic sovereignty.
However, there are labour market disproportions and imbalances against the background of low — under 3 percent — unemployment rate and dynamic growth in the number of employed people. Real sector enterprises need primarily employees with background in engineering. When I talk with the corporate heads during my trips around the regions, almost all of them bring up the staffing issue.
Once implemented, measures included in four federal projects, namely, Labour Market Management, Education for Labour Market, Active Measures to Promote Employment, and Man of Labour, all four of which will be included in the new national project, will seriously enhance the involvement of our people in employment within the next six years and balance out the labour market accordingly.
Forming a flexible and, most importantly, effective system for training specialists that is geared up to the demands of the economy and is capable of quickly adapting to changing conditions is a top priority. In order to get a comprehensive result, it is imperative to be clear-minded about the kind of skills that will be needed within the next three to five years. We must be mindful of the technological trends, industry development strategies, as well as national projects, infrastructure programmes, and corporate investment plans.
Acting upon the instructions of the President, we are drafting a forecast for staffing needs which will have a direct link to the universities and colleges’ enrollment targets so that we can use it to calculate the parameters of professional training relying on the national rankings of educational institutions primarily from the point of view of employment and salaries offered to their graduates.
It is critical to create a trajectory for a person to follow that goes from school to college or university, and leads to employer.
The President noted that the vocational training system should include approaches that would prepare young people for their professional careers and open up many opportunities for them to fulfil their potential across a variety of industries and in different regions of our country.
This is crucial since graduates find it quite difficult to find employment today.
In this regard, the national project should include steps to develop targeted training and occupational practice and, of course, career guidance programmes for young people, such as Best in Profession, More than a Job, National Employment Fair, Festival of Professions and others, which will serve as reliable guides and help make one of the most challenging steps in life which is to choose a profession to your liking and calling.
All of them, as well as the entire package of measures designed to even out existing labour market imbalances, to support the employed people, and to help them, if need be, to change profession or to obtain new skills will form a solid foundation for forming labour supply in the future.
Importantly, organisations and enterprises should have access to services, which their employees can use to acquire additional sought-after skills.
The so-called technical aspect is also of great importance in these matters. I mean creating proper conditions for applicants looking for suitable vacancies and for businesses that are ready to hire specialists. It is imperative to build a clear and straightforward interaction between employers, educational institutions and employment services. Special personnel centres will be created for this purpose. The unified digital platform Work of Russia which contains up-to-date information should operate efficiently. At the same time, it is necessary to improve monitoring and labour market analysis tools and provide citizens with high-quality public services.
Colleagues, economic growth and social development will largely depend on the effective implementation of measures under the Human Resources national project. Therefore, it is very important for all branches of government — federal and regional executive authorities — as well as the business community to work as a team when addressing the challenges lying ahead.