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The Russian national team was represented by 58 competitors and 52 experts from 24 regions of the country and took part in the competitions in all 52 competencies at WorldSkills International.

Apart from high scores the Russian team was fifth in the number of medals won. It took 11 medals, including six gold, four silver and one bronze.

WorldSkills International is an effective tool for personnel training in accordance with world standards and the requirements of new high-tech production lines.

Participants demonstrate their professional skills in the categories Construction and Building Technology, Information and Communication Technology, Creative Arts and Fashion, Manufacturing and Engineering Technology, Social and Personal Services, and Transportation and Logistics.

A total of 78 countries have joined the competition during its half century history. Russia joined in 2012 and has taken part in three world and two European championships.

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Speech at the meeting with WorldSkills-Russia team

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much for your applause. Let me return it to you, because you deserve applause for winning WorldSkills.

All those who worked with you, and you yourselves, put in an enormous amount of work. I am referring to your coaches, experts and teachers. Perhaps you noticed that I just spoke at the Russia Calling! forum that is organised by one of our leading banks – VTB.

I mentioned your victory and recalled that we only joined this movement in 2012 and competed for the first time in 2013 when we placed just 41^st. And now you placed first in total points. This is simply stunning progress.

I would like to congratulate you and our young participants because they also took first place in this segment of professional skills in school disciplines. This is a wonderful result and I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart!

Moreover, this is incredible progress. I am pleased to note that about half of all efforts, all fields were in a very important area for the future – the so-called digital economy. And this is particularly impressive because a modern successful specialist should by all means have this knowledge: skills of the digital economy, robotics and software engineering. You demonstrated these skills and did so brilliantly.

I must say that this inspires pride in you – those who achieve such results – pride in the country, pride in working people because it is owing to them that the economy and the country in general are becoming stronger, more powerful and acquiring good prospects.

Naturally, proceeding from what you have achieved we will draft future personnel training programmes, and this is one of our most important areas. The Government and relevant agencies are taking into account all these modern trends so that colleges and other secondary and higher educational institutions make adjustments to training programmes, including the training of those who work with you, your teachers.

As you know well, next time (apparently, you took part in the ceremony) this event will take place in this country, in Kazan. I am sure that the very fact that we will host WorldSkills will encourage us to continue upgrading the skills, knowledge and methods of training that were so wonderfully displayed with your help this year. I congratulate you and wish you all the best.

Incidentally, how many members did your team have – 58? You did a brilliant job. But the economy needs hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands of specialists like you. Let me congratulate you once again and wish you all the best.

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