Resolution
On December 11-12 the all-Russian conference “St.Petersburg – the Sea Capital of RUSSIA. Manpower policy” organized by the political party “UNITED RUSSIA”, was hold in St.Petersburg.
Representatives of executive and legislative power of federal and regional levels, shipbuilding industry and shipping enterprises, heads of educational institutions from more than 20 regions of Russia, including such big industrial and transport centers as St.Petersburg, Moscow, Kaliningrad, Murmansk, Astrakhan, Nizhniy Novgorod, Kazan, Perm, Khabarovsk, Novosibirsk, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski, took part in the conference.
One of the conditions for successful modernization of transport branch and its complex development is training of appropriate specialists, including those of secondary qualification. But the level at which Russian educational system is positioned today, is unable to meet the demand of economy in qualified specialists. This especially concerns educational institutions of primary and secondary professional education. Evidently, a step-by-step reformation of staff training system for transport branch is required.
In Sea doctrine of the Russian Federation for the period until 2020 a special attention is given to training of staff. One of the principles of national sea policy is “preservation and improvement of staff training system, education and upbringing of the youth”.
On discussing key problems which had arisen in the system of specialists’ training for shipping enterprises and shipbuilding branch, participants of the conference noted the following:
With the purpose of optimization of network of dependent educational institutions and expenses on their maintenance, in 2007 Federal Agency of sea and river transport finished creation of 7 unified educational complexes on the basis of dependent institutions of higher education by adding educational institutions of secondary professional education to them as branches. At the moment work with the branches to eliminate double training of specialists of the same profession in different branches of institutions situated in one city, is being carried out.
System of special contract training of specialists for enterprises of the branch is developing. Thus, according to the initiative of several shipbuilding enterprises and organizations of St.Petersburg, St.Petersburg Naval technical university and trade union of shipbuilders together with administration of the city, a special “Program of training and retraining of staff for shipbuilding industry for 2004-2008” was worked out. The program provides for demands of enterprises for specialists of various levels of education, measures for improving of training quality, introduction of information technologies into educational process, development of material and technical base of educational institutions, measures for securing of young specialists, development of staff retraining system, raising the level of teachers and professors’ skills in educational institutions.
At the same time decline in prestigiousness of marine professions has been observed lately. The main reason of this, according to specialists, is the low level of salary, which is now almost equal with the average salary in Russia. Ratio of the average salary on inland water transport in comparison with the average salary in the country in general had fallen from 1,36 in 2004 to 1,08 in 2007, and on sea transport – from 2,23 to 1,81 accordingly. Solving of the problem of popularization of marine professions, attracting of the youth to the fleet, requires complex work. An important role in this process is played by career-guidance work in educational institutions, development of clubs system of young mariners and informational campaigns in mass media.
Specialists note a fall of the staff training level, including that happening because of the lack and low quality of teaching staff. There is an urgent problem of highly-qualified specialists attracting to teaching practice in the field of shipbuilding and navigation.
Old material and technical base of institutions of secondary professional education also leads to deterioration of the trained staff quality. Absence of modern training and practical vessels and insufficient funding of the training fleet which is in use, does not let the crew acquire skills necessary for providing of safe navigation.
Changes in the legislative base in the sphere of education had led to the loss by college graduates of draft determent in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Introduction of the new reading of Federal law “About military service” led to destruction of the fixed system of continuous training of crew according to the full-time studying within the framework of created university complexes.
Introduction of the Federal law “About amendments in the Law of the Russian Federation “About education” and in the Federal law “About higher and after-university professional education” in the part of holding of the unified state examination and working out the complex of instructive documents of the Ministry of education and science, aimed at its realization, affects development of multistage marine education. Reduction of terms for applying to institutions of higher education of the branch for extra-mural studying, as well as necessity to take the unified state examination within the fixed term hardly lets specialists with secondary professional education, working in shipping enterprises, enter institutions of higher professional education.
A serious anxiety is caused by including of the system of Russian higher education in the field of water transport into the Bologna process. Transition to the two-level system of teaching of bachelors and masters, according to opinion of the universities of the branch, is pointless. Studying by the system of bachelors is fulfilled during almost four years while training of a mariner of the highest qualification requires not less than five years altogether (including model courses lasting not less than three years and a half, and one-year sailing practice).
Further development of the institute of state and private cooperation is required. It is necessary to consolidate legislative and legal base in this sphere and especially in the field of special contract training of specialists.
Absence of a well-founded strategy of development and placement of productive forces, mechanisms of accounting of demands of the labour-market while training of staff of the necessary qualification slows down forming of the state system of staff training and does not help to adapt it to the market conditions.
Participants of the conference draw attention of leaders of the political party “United Russia” to drawbacks hindering supplying of shipbuilding branch of industry and shipping enterprises with highly qualified professional staff. In this connection participants of the conference address Congress of the political party “United Russia”, Chairman of the Supreme Board of the party B.V. Gryzlov, Bureau of the Supreme Board, General Board, Central executive committee and Coordinator of the project “St.Petersburg – the Sea Capital of Russia” A.N. Chilingarov, with a request to fulfill the following actions:
1. With the purpose of improving of prestige value of professions connected with shipbuilding and navigation, attracting and securing of professional staff at enterprises of this sphere:
1.1. Consider ratio of the average salary on water transport as compared with the average salary in Russia in general, as intolerably low. Special attention should be given to the fact that wage cut on sea transport began in 2006, during the period of expiration of Branch tariff agreement on sea transport which in accordance with the current legislature is the only statement determining minimal level of social and labour guarantees. With the purpose of overcoming of these negative tendencies, the Union of Russian ship-owners ought to be asked to prepare and conclude a new Branch tariff agreement on sea transport.
1.2. Ministry of regional development of the Russian Federation (department of housing policy) and Administrations of subjects of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to consider issue about measures aimed at providing of the branch’s employees with affordable accommodation and municipal halls of residence. In particular, employees of the Northern centre of shipbuilding and ship repair ought to be provided with accommodation and halls of residence so that professional staff of Severodvinsk could be secured.
1.3. In order to arouse students’ interest in the future profession, heads of educational institutions of the branch of all levels ought to be recommended to consider and hold continual career-guidance work among students, including determining of work conditions, prospects of career development and growth of income at enterprises of the branch.
1.4. Consider problem of youth’s orientation to acquiring of sea professions, as an important one. In order to attract schoolchildren to educational institutions of primary, secondary and higher education which train staff for shipbuilding, ship repair and navigation:
1.4.1. Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to develop a system of special marine forms in schools of general education.
1.4.2. Taking into account that according to Decree of the government of the Russian Federation dated November 15, 1997 ¹ 1427 “About ratification of standard thesis about military school (military boarding school)”, bodies of executive power of subjects of the Russian Federation and bodies of local government are entitled to found military schools (military boarding schools) on their own. Administrations of subjects of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to consider possibility of creation of naval schools (military boarding schools).
1.4.3. Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to work out a legislative base regulating work by the unified scheme of Clubs of young mariners which form juveniles’ professional orientation in the sea branch.
1.4.4. In order to acquaint the general public and juveniles in particular, with results of successful work of shipbuilding industry and shipping companies, Ministry of transport of the Russian Federation together with Federal agency of press and mass communications ought to work out and hold a regular informational campaign in mass media of federal and regional levels, which will be devoted to work of enterprises of the branch. For that it is necessary, first of all, to consider removing of information about work of enterprises of civil shipbuilding from the secret list, as an essential issue.
1.5. On graduating, students of educational institutions of secondary professional education are called up to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. On finishing military service, less than half of the trained staff return to work in the branch. According to specialists of the branch, one-year draft determent will help graduates to acquire necessary work experience in enterprises, which will increase likelihood of their return to the branch on finishing the military service. In connection with this, Ministry of defense of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to consider possibility of providing of draft determent for three years for graduates of primary and secondary professional educational institutions of professions that are not numerous or most important in enterprises and sea transport.
1.6. It is necessary to consider periods of working in shipping companies as alternative civil service. Taking into account peculiarities of transport functioning, this will help to attract staff into organizations of water transport that are under control of federal bodies of executive power, because in accordance with the legislature of the Russian Federation, alternative civil service is provided for in organizations which are under control of federal bodies of executive power or bodies of executive power of subjects of the Russian Federation. Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and Ministry of public health and social development of the Russian Federation in accordance with legislature of the Russian Federation, ought to be asked to work out the following government regulations.
1.7. The need of taking entry examinations in the form of the Unified state examination in three subjects within the term provided by Ministry of education and science, makes it almost impossible to acquire higher professional education for people who have long professional seniority in the fleet. The fixed term of taking the Unified state examination coincides with the period of navigation that does not let specialists with secondary professional education pass the Unified state examination and, therefore, continue the process of studying. In connection with this, Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to consider the issue of transfer of the term of taking the Unified state examination for specialists working in the shipping sphere.
2. OJSC “United shipbuilding corporation” ought to be recommended to consider issue of expediency of creation under this holding of an employment agency or another organization with regulating function and civilized regulation of temporary redistribution of manpower in enterprises of the branch, excluding private companies’ influence in employment of highly qualified employees. This will help to assign temporarily unemployed workers from one enterprise to another one in a mobile and efficient way.
3. With the purpose of solving of issues of work realization in the sphere of employment in shipbuilding organizations, the State Duma of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to consider the issue of working out of principles of applying of hired labour and, in case of expediency, make corrections in government regulations. That is in particular:
3.1. It is necessary to fix clear rules regulating hired workers’ labour, working conditions of which must be close at their most to working conditions of workers provided for by the Labour Code of the Russian Federation.
3.2. Work out a mechanism of protection of subjective rights and legal interests of hired workers.
3.3. Work out a mechanism of relations between employment agencies and enterprises.
3.4. It’s necessary to solve problems of salary regulation.
4. With the purpose of improvement of the quality of training of staff and development of the system of retraining and raising the level of specialists’ skill:
4.1. Consider continuation of work of optimization of a network of branches of universities of sea and river transport as necessary, in order to eliminate doubling of training of specialists for the same professions in different branches of universities situated in the same city. Also, subjects of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to hand educational institutions providing training for sea and river professions of primary professional education, to institutions of higher education of sea and river transport, with transfer of volumes of their financing to the federal level.
4.2. Admit that training of the ships’ crew has a specific character connected with the necessity to fulfill labour functions under conditions of sea environment and corresponding peculiarities of regulating of labour relations in the form of service and discipline regulations. In this connection, Regulations of marine educational institutions fix special daily routine for cadets (certain uniform, daily routine, performance of duties). Standard clause about educational institutions of higher professional education provides for peculiarities of functioning of higher educational institutions organizing training of sea vessels’ crew in accordance with international requirements. Also, a special order of material security in the part of provision with food, uniform and scholarship has been provided for. This specific character of the system of marine education significantly differs from the common system of professional education. Therefore, Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to make corrections in the Standard Clause about educational institutions of higher professional education of the Russian Federation , where it must be provided that functioning of educational institutions of higher professional education, in the part of realization of programmes of training of specialists of sea vessels’ crew, in accordance with international requirements, is regulated by a corresponding standard clause ratified by the Government of the Russian Federation.
4.3. Representatives of higher educational institutions of the branch admit inexpediency of transition to the two-level system of bachelors and masters. In connection with this, it is necessary to ask Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation to keep single level training of specialists for professions connected with shipbuilding and navigation.
4.4. Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation ought to be addressed with a request to consider issue of working out of modern standards of professional education, which agree with international standards and take into account demands of employers of the branch.
4.5. Specialists admit the need of development of the system of industrial education and probation periods. In connection with this, Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation, Ministry of industry and trade of the Russian Federation and field ministries and departments of subjects of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to consider issue of transition of a part of educational process to industry by creating research-and-production complexes of various forms.
4.6. Head of the Northern centre of OJSC “United shipbuilding corporation” ought to be recommended to consider issue of possibility of creating of “Northern regional institute of retraining and raising the level of specialists’ skill” on the basis of Sevmashvtuz, which will help to reduce expenses and improve effectiveness of such education.
4.7. Taking into account St.Peterburg’s positive experience in realization of the programme of training and retraining of staff for shipbuilding industry of St.Petersburg for 2004-2008 (Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 21.09.2004 ¹1585), heads of Northern, Western and Far Eastern centres of CJSC “United shipbuilding corporation” ought to be recommended to popularize this experience in training of staff for shipbuilding of the Russian Federation.
4.8. Renewal of teaching staff in sea and river educational institutions and their staffing considering field education of teachers ought to be considered as necessary. Therefore, Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to fix a higher level of salary contributing to increasing of prestige of the teaching staff.
4.9. Create conditions for high-quality competent education and retraining of teachers in universities of shipbuilding type in modern enterprises and design offices. Therefore, Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation and heads of universities of shipbuilding branch ought to work out and finance programme of raising the level of skill of teaching staff and organize an uninterrupted system of raising the level of teaching staff of educational institutions in accordance with requirements of international standards.
4.10. Heads of the Northern, Western and Far Eastern centres of OJSC “United shipbuilding corporation” together with leading regional educational institutions of the sea field ought to be recommended to create a system of training and retraining of specialists, using bases of knowledge of leading enterprises and design offices of the branch, based on drawing of leading home and foreign specialists of enterprises, research institutes and design offices to teaching activity.
4.11. Consider problem of providing of students and cadets with sailing practice to be an acute one. It’s necessary to renew material and technical base, especially training fleet, and educational institutions of all levels of education. In connection with this, Ministry of industry and trade of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to work out and fulfill the programme of producing of practical training vessels. Ministry of finance of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to provide for financing of the programme of producing of practical training vessels and acquiring of required vessels for needs of educational institutions.
4.12. Consider problem of lack of modern textbooks and method literature for professions of sea and river transport as urgent. Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to solve the problem of providing for issuing of sufficient quantity of textbooks for the aforementioned professions.
5. Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to consider issue about correcting and supplementing of the list of professions of primary professional education with professions demanded in shipbuilding enterprises, training for which has not been carried out in professional technical institutions before, especially such professions as ship painter and sticker.
6. Government of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to consider issue of including of the following professions in the list of professions for training of scientists, specialists for organizations of defense-industrial complexes for 2007-2010 (according to Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 30.12.2006 ¹854):
180103 – ship energy plants;
180201 – systems of power engineering and automation of ships;
180104 – ship equipment.
7. There is a broad application of combining of professions of navigator and ship operator on vessels of river fleet. Such organizing of labour leads to reduction of staff of ship’s crew. At present time educational institutions of secondary professional education in accordance with state standard dated 20.03.2002 ¹ 09-2407-b give qualification of “technician-navigator” to their graduates studying for profession 180408 “Navigation on inland water ways and in coastal sailing”. According to the current clause about graduating of members of crews of inland navigation, these graduates receive only one working diploma of navigator. Standard for this profession, which had been valid before, provided for acquiring of qualification of “technician-navigator with the right of running of ship energy plants”, which allowed to graduate with qualification of mechanic assistant. Changing of qualification in this profession led to destruction of established system of ship control and redundancy of graduates of educational institutions in shipping companies. In connection with this, Ministry of transport of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to change state standard, so that graduates would acquire qualification of “technician-navigator with the right of running of ship energy plants”.
8. For delivery of cargoes from river Lena to rivers Olenek and Yana, and also to Tiksi, there are 20 vessels of class “O”, “M” and “M-PM”, which are traditionally used. Distances of the sea routes are: for transition from river Lena to the Olenek is 125 km, to Tiksi – 65 km, to river Yana – 393 km. Officers of these vessels, 115 people in number, were staffed with specialists of combined professions who had diplomas issued in accordance with the order of Ministry of navy dated 29.12.1983 ¹276. At present time, according to the current clause about graduating of members of crews of sea vessels, vessels which are put to sea, including the area from estuary of river Lena to Tiksi, where navigation is carried out strictly by the fairway, furnished with proper navigation signs, must be equipped with crew in accordance with requirements of international convention “About training and graduating of mariners and performance of watch” (have a good command of English, know international conventions and have several-month experience of working in the open sea”. Training of such specialists with providing them with proper documents for using in short-term sea transitions does not have any objective and economic ground. Working conditions of commanders of ship mechanical and electromechanical professions and people of rank of vessels of combined “river-sea” navigation with the purpose of security of sailing both in sea and river, are, as a matter of fact, the same. However, Clause about graduating of members of crew of sea vessels (ratified by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 04.08.1999. ¹900) and Clause about graduating of members of crew of vessels of inland navigation (ratified by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 31.05.2005. ¹ 349) do not accept such sameness. In connection with this, Ministry of transport of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to solve the issue of compatibility (sameness) of diplomas of commanders of ship mechanical and electromechanical professions and qualification certificates of people of rank (sailors, motor-mechanics, cooks) for vessels of combined “sea-river” navigation.
9. Ministry of economic development of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to consider issue of increasing of federal financing according to the programme of retraining of unemployed citizens, so that they could acquire professions required in enterprises of defense and industrial complex. Allotment of financial resources for this programme is expedient to be arranged not only via Employment Centres, but also directly to the enterprises and factories’ schools.
10. With the purpose of conformity of quantity and level of trained professional staff with current and prospective demands of employers of the branch:
10.1. Absence of mechanisms of accounting of demands of the labour market while training of staff of a necessary qualification slows down forming of a high-quality state system of specialists’ training. In connection with this, Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to work out and create federal and regional system of forecasting and monitoring of current and prospective demands of the labour market for staff of various professions and qualifications, including global tendencies.
10.2. Determination of final numbers of admission of young people into federal institutions of professional education is fulfilled without accounting of the balance of the labour market’s prospective demand and employment of university graduates. Therefore Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to take into account demand of enterprises of shipbuilding and ship repair spheres, as well as enterprises of water transport while determining final numbers of admission of young people into federal enterprises of professional education.
11. With the purpose of consolidating of cooperation of state bodies, enterprises and educational institutions of professional education in the field of staff’s training for the branch:
11.1. Heads of shipbuilding enterprises ought to be recommended to provide unconditional fulfillment of actions of realization of the State plan of training of scientists, specialists and workers for organizations of defense-industrial complex in 2009-2010 (Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 30.12.06. ¹ 854), by providing for cooperation with educational institutions of a respective field.
11.2. Economic stimulation of employers, made public at the first meeting of presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation presided over by V.V.Putin while considering main tendencies of taxation policy on 2009-2011, ought to be considered as the best way of securing of graduates. In his speech at the mentioned meeting V.V.Putin noted that one of the most effective state instruments of providing for the rate of growth of economy and solving of social problems is the taxation instrument. One of the innovations in this sphere is introduction of additional taxation preferences which will be granted to those who use educational services, acquire or build accommodation for employees. Means which employers assign for these purposes in the interests of their employers ought to be included in the prime cost at most, and, therefore, made free of profit tax. Therefore, Ministry of finance of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to support this offer and provide support of this initiative in the State Duma of the Russian Federation.
11.3. Admit necessity of continuation of forming of the legislative base for organizing of system partnership of the state, enterprises and professional education in the sphere of special training of specialists. Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to make corrections in Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated September 19, 1995 N 942 “About special contract training of specialists with higher and secondary professional education”. At the same time it is important to define degree of responsibility of all parties.
11.4. Special contract training contributes to a fuller meeting of customer’s demands for the level of specialists’ training and to the graduate’s quick (already on the stage of studying) adaptation to working conditions. One of the most important methods of shipping companies’ participation in training of specialists ought to be the order of special contract training regulated by legislature of the Russian Federation, which determines responsibility of both graduate and employer according to the assumed responsibilities. In connection with this, shipping companies ought to be recommended to be guided by a settled order of special contract training and provide full information about current working conditions to educational institutions while concluding agreements.
11.5. Admit necessity of broadening of the system of special contract training of specialists and determining of graduate’s responsibilities by means of concluding of agreements. In case of disavowal of assignment or pre-term dismissal from office, means spent by the employer on special training and providing of sailing practice, must be refunded. Special attention must be given to the fact that several Russian shipping companies using river vessels on inland water ways, are under more complicated conditions in comparison with sea shipping companies. This especially concerns Siberian rivers. Those companies cannot afford special contract training because it implies compulsory financial expenses of employer for educating of a “special” cadet. Therefore, it seems expedient to use potential of education credit, at present applied within the framework of the experiment, by changing conditions of its granting. This will help to release shipping companies’ own means while refunding of the education credit by the borrower (graduate) may be fulfilled during the process of work, which also stimulates working in a shipping company. Therefore, Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to draw marine and river universities and shipping companies to participation in the experiment with education credits.
12. During the last years it’s been observed that there is a tendency of reducing by Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation of specialists’ training in educational institutions of transport sphere for enlarged groups of professions 030000 “the Humanities” and 080000 “Economy and management”, on account of the wrong field of professions concentrated in these groups, for transport educational institutions. Participants of the conference note inexpediency of such actions, because the transport complex requires specialists in economy and jurisprudence. Training of specialists in the field of transport law is fulfilled in accordance with conventions of correspondent international organizations, as well as multilateral and bilateral intergovernmental agreements. With this purpose training of specialists of humanitarian field in transport universities includes working out and realization of special programmes containing studying of marine law, laws of international organizations, law of international security, and is provided for by qualified teaching staff. Economy and management in transport also considerably differ from corresponding modes of activity in other branches. Therefore Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to stop reducing of specialists’ training for the aforementioned professions.
13. State Duma of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Russian Federation ought to be recommended to consider issue of including of northern extra charges for regions of the Far North and the Far East into price structure while forming of the State defense order, and make corrections in corresponding government regulations.
