As part of the business program of the federal stage of the "Best in Profession" All‑Russian Professional Skills Competition in the "Flame‑Cutting Torch Operator" category, a roundtable was held on the topic "The Shortage of Skilled Workers With Vocational Professions."
The meeting brought together experts fr om various fields: representatives of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Kuzbass and the Ministry of Education of Kuzbass, the Kemerovo territorial organization of the Mining and Metallurgical Trade Union of Russia, and representatives and HR experts from industrial companies – partners of the ProLom cluster under the federal "Professionalität" project.
The primary goal of the discussion was a constructive exchange of views and successful corporate practices in providing qualified skilled trades workers, as well as a discussion of collaboration experiences within the "Professionalität" educational clusters.
The central question participants sought to answer was: "How can employers, together with the government and the education system, build the workforce potential that industry needs today – and will need tomorrow?"
The situation in the labor market is extremely acute. According to August 2026 data, with unemployment at a historic low, 93% of employers report a shortage of the competencies needed on the shop floor.
To address the shortage of skilled trades workers, the Russian Government is implementing the federal "Professionalität" project. It is a key state initiative to modernize Russia's secondary vocational education system amid a skilled labor shortage. The program was developed in 2021 and officially launched on September 1, 2022. The ProLom cluster joined the federal project in 2023.
Tatiana Fenzel, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Kuzbass, spoke about the labor market and joint efforts to set enrollment targets for in‑demand professions in the region – targets based in part on employer surveys.
Business representatives – partners of the cluster – are pinning their hopes on close cooperation with technical schools. These educational institutions are uniquely positioned to supply industry with skilled trades specialists.
"Today, everyone needs skilled hands," noted Tatiana Vlasova, head of the training center at KAMSS Group of Companies. "What keeps young people in the region is the stability of the company and the variety of employment formats we offer. We've noticed, for example, that rotational work schedules resonate with young people – for them, it's a chance to prove themselves, a kind of adventure. We opened our own training center as a facility for professional development, but today we're thinking bigger. Each of us is doing a lot at our own enterprise, but the strategic solution is one: grow talent together."
Marina Veklich, Deputy General Director for Human Resources at JSC SGMK, spoke about this kind of close interaction between business and educational institutions.
"Our company is actively involved in the federal ''Professionalität'' project. Both the competition and the college venue wh ere the 'Best in Profession' competition is being held are our contribution to training personnel for the industry's needs," she emphasized. "We already have results: more than 600 students are studying under targeted contracts, and 91.6% of the entire incoming class have signed targeted agreements with guaranteed employment."
The competition is not just about identifying the best. It's about showcasing standards of excellence, communicating the value of skilled labor, and building a talent pipeline. Students see that the flame‑cutting torch operator profession is about precision, responsibility, and highly sought‑after qualifications. Overcoming the skills shortage is only possible through joint efforts – changing young people's perceptions, strengthening the prestige of skilled trades, and investing in human capital and family values.