Published on: 2026-07-30
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
From August 21 to 26, the final of the “Professionals” professional skills championship in industrial competencies will be held in Kaluga. The competitions will take place at the Federal Technopark of Professional Education. The organizer is the Ministry of Education and Science with the support of the Government; the federal operator is the Institute for the Development of Professional Education; the regional organizer is the Kaluga region.
“The ‘Professionals’ Championship is one of the brightest stars in the constellation of professional skill championship movements of the ‘Youth and Children’ national project. These competitions help reveal the participants’ potential and demonstrate that they are in demand by the country’s leading enterprises. It is expected that the final of the ‘Professionals’ Championship in industrial competencies will bring together 14 thousand talented young men and women from all over Russia and 30 friendly countries in Kaluga. The participants will compete in 14 advanced competencies: from industrial robotics and space systems engineering to mechatronics and optoelectronics. I wish the finalists to feel healthy enthusiasm, discover new opportunities, and find like-minded people,” said Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.
The solemn opening ceremony of the championship final will take place on August 21 at the Central Sports Palace venue. The competition program will begin on August 22. College and technical school students will showcase their skills in the main category, young specialists from industrial enterprises will compete in the industrial category, and representatives of friendly nations will participate in the international category.
“Today, vocational education is actively developing and incredibly in demand. The ‘Professionals’ Championship is one of the key tools that helps synchronize training with the demands of businesses. At the competition venues, employers set real production tasks for the contestants, and the participants demonstrate that they are already ready to handle them. This is how we keep workforce training relevant in strategically important areas,” said Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov.
The business program of the championship final will take place in the format of the Forum of Secondary Vocational Education (SVE) and will be dedicated to the topic “Window of Opportunities: Business and SVE.” Discussions will be held on four thematic blocks – “Cultivating the Working Person,” “Personnel and Education,” “Technology and Innovation,” and “Global Cooperation.”
“The labor market is changing rapidly. We must respond to this and adapt the education system to the demands of employers. A seven-year forecast of workforce needs has been prepared in the Kaluga region. The number of government-funded places in colleges is increasing in response to enterprise requests. Over five years, their number has grown by 20%. All colleges and universities have centers that assist in job searching, new specialties needed by the region’s economy are being opened. The employment rate of graduates is one of the best in the country. Seven of our educational institutions are among the top ten in the national ranking. We need young professionals! The professional skills championship is a good incentive for young people not only to show what they are capable of but also to demonstrate to their peers the value, demand, and beauty of the chosen specialty. I am confident that the championship movement will develop and become even more attractive to youth,” emphasized the governor of the Kaluga region, Vladislav Shapsha.
In addition to the competitive part and the business program, a career guidance program for schoolchildren will be organized at the Federal Vocational Education Technopark site, including master classes by leading specialists, meetings with experts, and interactive sessions to help young people decide on their future profession. Guests of the final will also be able to visit an exhibition featuring booths of partner companies with the latest industrial developments.
The winners and prize-winners of the final, as well as their mentors, will receive Government-established awards ranging from 100 thousand to 300 thousand rubles depending on their placement. Over 10 thousand companies and enterprises support the participants of the “Professionals” movement. This year, they have already offered more than 50 thousand internships and job vacancies to the contestants.
The “Professionals” movement is aimed at supporting talented youth, strengthening the personnel potential, and ensuring technological leadership of Russia. It is organized with the support of the Ministry of Education and implemented within the framework of the federal project “Professionalism” of the national project “Youth and Children.” The federal operator is the Institute for the Development of Professional Education.
The “Professionals” Championship is the largest event in the vocational education system, with the list of competencies formed according to the demands of the real economic sector. In 2026, the championship final will take place in three cities (Nizhny Novgorod, Kaluga, Saint Petersburg).
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