The admissions campaign at Russian universities is in full swing. The leading universities of Eastern Siberia were no exception. Thus, three weeks ago, Irkutsk National Research Technical University (IRNTU) and Bratsk State University (BrSU) opened their doors to future students. We talk about the progress of the admissions campaign, the current situation on the labor market and the demand for higher technical education in the Irkutsk region in our material.
Photo: BrSU press service
Today, there is a consistently high demand in the labor market for technical graduates. And this is not surprising, given the scale of the personnel shortage, which has almost reached 5 million people. The number of vacancies simply exceeds the number of university graduates. This puts them in an advantageous position; experts in the field of personnel selection call this phenomenon the “employee market.”
Moreover, not only IT specialists are in demand. One of the most relevant specialties in the Angara region with its powerful water resources is energy. Therefore, according to the rector of BrGU Ilya Sitov, applicants who want to become “techies” are definitely making the right choice in terms of professional and life prospects.
“In the long term, the demand for engineering graduates will be very high. Moreover, this applies to Russia in general and our region in particular. New enterprises are being built and existing enterprises are being modernized in the Irkutsk region. The energy infrastructure will develop at a rapid pace in the next decade. Therefore, the need for qualified engineering and technical personnel will only increase, and with it the competition of employers for quality specialists. All this will lead to an increase in wages,” says Ilya Sitov.
This year, IrNITU and BrSU are demonstrating impressive dynamics of the admissions campaign, reflecting the growing interest of applicants in receiving high-quality technical education. This is especially true for energy faculties.
The admissions campaign, which started three weeks ago, is already reaching a record level. According to the latest data, the number of applications submitted is an order of magnitude higher than in recent years. Experts attribute this growth to the improvement in the quality of educational programs and strengthening ties between universities and industry, which provides students with real job prospects in their home region after graduation.
“At the moment, the admissions campaign at BrSU is progressing with positive dynamics, we are not even much higher than the pre-pandemic level. To be honest, we had some concerns that the guys would not be very active in choosing the energy field, because the Unified State Exam in specialized disciplines is quite difficult, as is preparing for exams. But now we can safely say that our fears have not been confirmed; we are receiving hundreds of applications. From morning to evening we see applicants in the university hall. Some come on their own, many come with their parents,” the rector said.
Training quality specialists in the energy industry is one of the strategic objectives of the Russian educational system. The energy holding En+, founded by Oleg Deripaska, has been assisting the universities of the Irkutsk region in this matter for many years. The company participates in the life of universities, helping to equip educational laboratories and dormitories with the latest technology.
“Our guys are now studying in laboratories that exactly replicate the equipment installed at stations in the fields of hydropower, thermal power, and network management. When we compare the level of equipment with other universities in the country, I can honestly say that we are ahead of many other sites,” continues Ilya Sitov. He is convinced that such assistance from the energy holding allows students to grow into full-fledged production workers by the end of their studies, ready to go to work the next day after defending their diploma.
According to universities, on average, in five Over the years, budget places at IrNITU and BrSU have increased by 1.5 times. However, their number is still limited. And in order to enroll, you need to pass the exams with dignity.
Today, a mandatory condition for admission to the energy specialty for eleventh graders is the presence of the Russian language, specialized mathematics and a third optional exam (physics, computer science, social studies). Young energy specialists have excellent career prospects.
“Future students should definitely choose technical areas. Enterprises are ready to provide graduates with the best conditions, and this trend will continue for a long time. The current demand for technical and energy specialties is an excellent chance for guys. In Siberia, in the Irkutsk region, after graduating from university, graduates can start working literally from the first day. And you don’t need to go far from home for this,” summed up Ilya Sitov.