Galina Tokunova
Elena Aleksandrova, the SPbGASU Vice-Rector for Youth Policy, and Galina Tokunova, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management, participated in the strategic session "Human Resources in the Construction Industry: Engagement Strategies and Ways to Overcome the Skills Shortage." The event was organized by the Self-Regulatory Organization "Association of Builders of St Petersburg" in conjunction with the National Association of Builders (NOSTROY) and the online recruiting platform hh.ru.
The strategic session brought together representatives of government agencies, professional associations, construction companies, educational organizations, and labor market experts.
The participants were greeted by the coordinator of the NOSTROY Association for St Petersburg, president of the SRO "Association of Builders of St Petersburg" Aleksandr Vakhmistrov. The reports were presented by: Vasily Ponidelko, Chairman of the Committee on Labor and Employment of St Petersburg; Yulia Kosareva, Chairman of the Committee on Labor and Employment of the Leningrad Region; Valery Uskov, Deputy Chairman of the Construction Committee of St Petersburg; Aleksey Belousov, General Director of the SRO "Association of Builders of St Petersburg"; Ekaterina Sklyarenko, Head of the Marketing Department of hh.ru for the Northwest; Alla Stanislavskaya, Head of the Training and Development Department of Glavstroy St Petersburg; Elena Parikova, Development Director and Head of the NOSTROY Project Office, and others.
Participants discussed the causes of the personnel shortage in the construction industry, current labor market trends, mechanisms for interaction between employers and educational organizations, as well as ways to increase the attractiveness of construction professions.
Elena Aleksandrova stated that SPbGASU is developing a specialty in construction and architecture, "Restoration of Buildings and Structures", with graduates earning the qualification of "Restoration Engineer." She also stated that, together with Kant Baltic Federal University, SPbGASU is participating in the refinement of a new model of higher education in "Architecture," where, in particular, the composition of the core technical and social sciences and humanities programs is being discussed, as well as the possible merger of the architecture and construction disciplines.
Galina Tokunova presented a paper titled "Experience of Interacting with Key Partners at the Faculty of Economics and Management at SPbGASU." She described the faculty's collaboration with the professional community, based on a long-standing partnership with the SRO "Association of Builders of St Petersburg."
The presentation focused on the work of the specialized department of "Management in Construction," created jointly with an industry association. Thanks to this collaboration, educational programs are regularly updated to meet the needs of the construction industry, and students have the opportunity to gain exposure to real-world professional practice while still studying.
The presentation also focused on key areas of collaboration between the faculty and employers. These include dual lectures with practicing specialists, field trips to construction sites, internships at leading construction companies, the completion of final qualification projects at employers' request, the participation of industry representatives in the development of educational programs, as well as joint research and professional development programs.
Special attention was given to SPbGASU's participation in the Northwestern Federal District Construction Industry Consortium, which unites educational organizations, the professional community, and employers to train in-demand specialists and develop human resources in the construction industry.
Participants in the strategic session noted that effective collaboration between educational institutions and employers is a key element in overcoming the personnel shortage. The experience presented by SPbGASU sparked interest as an example of a systematic approach to training specialists focused on the real needs of the construction industry.