"Business Ethics in Sverdlovsk Region"
The Sverdlovsk region, situated in the heart of Russia, is actively developing and expanding educational-production centers (clusters) across multiple key industries. As of 2023, four such centers have been operating in the region, with two centers each in the "Tourism and Services", "Pedagogy", and "Construction" directions, and one in the "Metallurgy" direction [1].
The regional government is supporting innovative industrial enterprises such as NTZMK, a metallurgical plant undergoing modernization with investments focusing on new facilities that integrate advanced automation and high production quality. The government is poised to formalize cooperation agreements between the regional administration, NTZMK, and local secondary specialized educational institutions to create opportunities for graduates to gain practical experience at such innovative enterprises [1].
The Professionalitet programme, a national initiative, now operates over 150 educational and industrial clusters across Russia, including key sectors relevant to Sverdlovsk like mechanical engineering, light industry, forestry, metallurgy, radio electronics, and chemicals. This indicates a strong drive toward industry-education integration aimed at matching workforce skills with industrial needs [2].
Given the significant demand for skilled workers—projected to require over 2.2 million new specialists in civil industries by 2030, with about two-thirds needing secondary vocational education—the Sverdlovsk region aligns its expansion of educational clusters to these needs. Advanced engineering schools have been launched in partnership with nearly 200 high-tech enterprises to boost workforce capacity [2].
However, despite these efforts, the region faces a shortage of highly qualified workers for its industrial enterprises, including those in heavy and military industries. To mitigate this, the region and Russia overall are recruiting skilled foreign labor, notably planning to hire about 1 million Indian workers by the end of 2025. This includes addressing gaps due to labor shortages exacerbated by demographic trends and military mobilization. Migration from other countries such as Sri Lanka and North Korea is also being considered, although with challenges [3].
Investments are not only in workforce development but also in improving working environments and infrastructure for employees in these clusters. For instance, a new administrative and amenity building is being constructed at NTZMK to create comfortable working conditions and support professional development as part of a unified personnel support strategy [1].
Looking ahead, a cluster in the atomic industry is planned to be opened in 2025, and it is reasonable to infer similar initiatives could be underway or planned in other sectors such as the fuel and energy complex. The head of the Sverdlovsk region, Denis Pasler, stated that the goal is to make the region a place where every young person can realize their dreams and unlock their potential [1].
In 2024, four new clusters were opened: one in the "Law Enforcement and Management" direction, one in the "Metallurgy" direction, and two in the "Machine-Building" direction. It is planned to create seven new clusters in 2026, in the industries of construction, transport, mining, fuel and energy complex, metallurgy, radio electronics, and light industry [1].
[1] https://www.sverdlovsk.gov.ru/ [2] https://professionalitet.ru/ [3] https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-foreign-labor-shortage-india-sri-lanka-north-korea/31636434.html
- The federally-funded Professionalitet program, active across Russia, aims to foster industry-education integration, expanding educational and industrial clusters in key sectors such as finance, business, and even education-and-self-development, aligning with the demands of future industrial needs.
- To address the region's workforce shortage, particularly in heavy and military industries, the Sverdlovsk regional government is considering additional education initiatives in emerging fields like finance and business, creating opportunities for the region's young population to gain practical experiences and ensure a skilled workforce for future industrial ventures.
