Russia has integrated a professional skills competition and an independent qualifications assessment system.

The Skills Development Agency, together with the National Agency for Qualifications Development, successfully implemented a pilot project to integrate the Agency's competition criteria with the state qualifications verification system as part of the Final of the International Hi-Tech Future Skills Competition. This is a significant development, opening new perspectives for assessing professional skills in Russia.

During the competition, which took place from November 10th to 14th, for the first time in the history of the national qualification system, an independent assessment of qualifications was conducted directly on the competition site. This unique experiment allowed competitors to simultaneously compete for medals and take a professional exam and receive an official state-issued document.

The project was implemented in strict accordance with the instructions of the National Council under the President of the Russian Federation for Professional Qualifications and is aimed at harmonizing the international standards used by the Agency with domestic professional standards and qualifications.

Key elements of a successful pilot project:

1. New status of the Agency. To conduct the assessment, SDA officially received the status of a Center for the Assessment of Qualifications in Construction, which is registered on the official portal of the National Agency for Qualifications Development.

2. High level of qualification. For the pilot, the complex Level 5 qualification – “Electrical Equipment Installer-Adjuster” – was selected, which emphasizes the high standard of the assessment.

3. Modern infrastructure. The actual platform for conducting the independent qualification assessment was a high-tech platform for the "Electrical Installation" competency, created with the support of the project's key partner, IEK Holding JSC, which ensured an unprecedented level of material and technical support for the exam.

4. Unique assessment tools. Integrative assessment tools were developed specifically for this project, synchronizing the requirements of the professional standard "Electrician" and the international specification of the skill "Electrical installation" of the "Hi-tech" competition.

5. Official support. The pilot project received official support from the Council for Professional Qualifications in Construction, which confirms that the procedure complies with all industry requirements.

"Combining the championship and independent assessment formats is a breakthrough in the development of the national qualifications system. We recognize that demonstrating the highest level of skill at Agency competitions can and should be a direct path to obtaining a state qualification certificate. This makes the system more flexible and practice-oriented, eliminating duplication of effort for specialists while creating additional motivation for them," noted Maria Elkina, Director General of the Skills Development Agency.

Two competitors took part in the pilot assessment: a participant in the main competition from the Roscosmos State Corporation and a demonstration-format participant from the Ural Polytechnic College – Interregional Competence Center.

Both specialists performed brilliantly, successfully completing the theoretical and practical portions of the exam and achieving the required score. The final reports from the independent qualification assessment have been submitted for registration in the Register of Independent Qualification Assessments on the National Agency for Qualifications Development portal.

The successful implementation of this project lays the foundation for scaling up the practice to other skills and competitions, which will contribute to the further development of a comprehensive and effective personnel training system in Russia that meets the challenges of the times and global standards.