On May 22nd, the regional stage of the All-Russian Professional Skills Competition «Best in Profession» in the «Flame-cutting Torch Operator» category will take place in Novokuznetsk.
Kemerovo Oblast is hosting the event. At the regional level, organizational support is provided by the Kuzbass Ministry of Labor and Social Protection in partnership with JSC SGMK (Siberian Mining and Metallurgical Company).
The competition will be held at the ProLom training and production cluster. As part of the 'Professionalität' program – a federal initiative to modernize vocational education – a facility unique in Russia with a full-cycle industrial training site was equipped through the joint financial and organizational support of both SGMK and the Novokuznetsk Mining and Transport College named after V.F. Kuznetsov.
Twelve representatives from the scrap processing industry as well as Kuzbass's chemical industry will compete for the title of best flame-cutting torch operator in the region. Another twelve flame-cutting torch operators – all working in scrap processing – will represent Tomsk, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, as well as the Krasnoyarsk and Altai Territories during the interregional stages of the competition, which run concurrently with the regional stage. Participants will take a theoretical test and demonstrate pinpoint precision in practical metal cutting.
«Until recently, the lack of a federal state educational standard for professions in the scrap and metal recycling sector held back development. With support from the Kuzbass Ministry of Education, SGMK took the initiative to develop and implement a new federal state educational standard for secondary vocational education for workers in Russia's scrap processing industry. In December 2025, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation decided to add the 'Flame-cutting Torch Operator' category to the roster of professions featured in the federal stage of the 'Best in Profession' competition. This landmark decision underscores the importance and prestige of the flame-cutting torch operator profession while opening up new opportunities for skilled specialists», said Denis Kraev, CEO of JSC SGMK.
Winners of the regional competition will advance to the federal stage, which will be held at the same venue in September of this year. JSC SGMK will serve as the organizer of the federal stage in the «Flame-cutting Torch Operator» category. Partners include Noviy Vtormet and the ProLom Union SRO Association of Scrap Processors. Flame-cutting torch operators will represent their respective regions and compete for the grand prize of 1,000,000 rubles (approximately $10,500 USD). An official awards ceremony will take place in Moscow at the end of the year.
Since 2025, the competition has been part of the «Human Labor» Federal Project under the national «Personnel» initiative, launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The project aims to attract young people to working-class professions and raise the prestige of industrial labor.
The All-Russian «Best in Profession» competition is held in two stages – regional rounds and a federal final for each category. The winners of the federal stages receive cash prizes: 1,000,000 rubles (approximately 11,100 USD) for first place, 500,000 rubles (around 5,550 USD) for second, and 300,000 rubles (about $3,330 USD) for third.
The «Best in Profession» competition is organized by the Russian Ministry of Labor and Social Protection with support from federal and regional authorities, as well as national associations of trade unions and employers. The competition is operated by the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Labor.