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The regional government held a plenary session of the Conference of the industry Consortium of secondary vocational education in the construction sector.

In his welcoming speech, First Deputy Minister of Construction and Housing and Communal Services Aleksandr Lomakin stressed that the country's construction industry is actively developing thanks to state support measures and the implementation of projects aimed at creating modern living conditions: housing construction, reconstruction and modernization of municipal infrastructure, improvement of adjacent territories, and construction of social facilities. This trend implies increased need for professional staff.

"There is a growing demand for qualified personnel, especially in blue collar professions, who have the skills to select and apply innovative technologies and tools that maximize production efficiency at all stages of the investment and construction cycle," Aleksandr Lomakin stated.

At the initiative of the Ministry of Construction, an industry Consortium was created in 2023 to form a national system for the development of construction professional education, the basic organization of which is the National Association of Builders (NOSTROY).

"I am grateful to the leadership of the Penza Oblast and personally to Oleg Melnichenko for the opportunity to hold the conference. This underlines the executive authorities' interest in the issues that we intend to discuss," said Anton Glushkov, President of NOSTROY.

He called interaction between secondary specialized educational institutions and employers a priority in solving the personnel issue.

These tasks are supported by the federal program "Professional Education", in which the Penza Oblast is currently takin part. Penza College of Architecture and Construction opened the cluster "Construction and Road Management". In 2024, 350 people were accepted for training. Specialists are trained in the construction and operation of roads and airfields, buildings and structures, engineering facilities, and welding production.

"The college cooperates with four professional education organizations in the region, and a partnership agreement has been signed with 35 enterprises-employers," said Nikolai Simonov, Chairman of the Government of the Penza Oblast.

The plenary session was attended by members of the Consortium, representatives of regional executive authorities, secondary vocational education institutions, and construction organizations. Heads of relevant ministries of the Penza Oblast were able to share their views on the personnel situation.

The Penza Ministry of Education notes the annual growth of students in secondary professional organizations, including in the field of construction. Career guidance work with children starts at school. Starting from 2023, all schools in the region will implement a single model of professional orientation: a career guidance minimum that allows a child to decide on their professional future and take the first steps.

"Construction organizations should attract employees not only with competitive wages, but also with well-functioning career elevators within companies, and bonuses for young promising employees," said Svetlana Kruglova, Acting Minister of Construction and Road Management of the Penza Oblast.

According to the Minister of Labor, Social Protection and Demography of the region Aleksey Kachan, the most popular specialties in the construction sector are painters, manual laborers, engineers, installers, drivers, and locksmiths.

The conference of the industry Consortium in Penza will last for two days. On the second day, participants will work at the Penza College of Architecture and Construction.