Artem Matyash, Nikolay Svirin, and Viktoria Vinogradova at the opening ceremony
On 11 September, the grand opening of civil engineering classes took place at the Yanino Education Center (Vsevolozhsky District, Leningrad Region).
The project is being implemented with the support of the Construction Committee of the Leningrad Region, St Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (SPbGASU), and the "Rastsvetay" Group. Welcoming remarks were delivered by Egor Nikitenko, Chairman of the Construction Committee of the Leningrad Region, and Andrey Voropaev, Head of the Administration of the Vsevolozhsk Municipal District of the Leningrad Region. A trilateral cooperation agreement was signed by Nikolay Svirin, Director of the Yanino Education Center; Viktoria Vinogradova, Vice-Rector for Continuing Education at SPbGASU; and Artem Matyash, General Director of the "Rastsvetay" Group.
"Today, we signed an important agreement that opens up concrete opportunities for you: meetings with professionals, site visits, work with modern technologies, tours of university laboratories, and—most importantly—the chance to try your hand at the profession before even entering the university," Viktoria Vinogradova said, addressing the schoolchildren.
Two tracks of study are available for students:
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an engineering and construction track for tenth-grade students, where they will study mathematics and physics in depth, as well as gain insight into modern technologies and the specifics of the construction industry;
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a supplementary education program series titled "Digital Construction Class" for eighth-grade students, designed to teach basic engineering competencies and Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies.
Practical training for schoolchildren will be a key component of the project. Plans are in place to involve specialists from SPbGASU and representatives of the construction industry in the sessions. Students will have the opportunity to work on real professional tasks, explore modern technologies, and visit construction sites as well as university laboratories.
"Thank you to our partners—St Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering and the "Rastsvetay" Group! Your programs and real-world case studies serve as the bridge between the classroom and the construction site, between the blueprint and the finished building. Thanks to this collaboration, students gain an understanding of how the industry operates—not in the abstract, but right here in the Leningrad Region—as well as the challenges currently facing builders and designers and the skills that are in high demand," said Nikolay Svirin.
Students in the engineering classes attended their first session right at the opening ceremony. They had the opportunity to ask guests about in-demand professions, initial internship opportunities, and career prospects within the region's construction sector. Additionally, the students discussed—alongside experts—the roles of specialists on construction sites, the organization of construction operations, industry growth prospects, and the potential of information modeling technologies. In particular, they learned about the application of laser scanning and 4D modeling technologies within the construction industry.
According to Egor Nikitenko, the development of engineering and construction classes is driven by the region's growing need for skilled personnel. Specialized training enables students to gain early exposure to promising career paths and map out their future professional development.
A trilateral agreement between the Yanino Education Center, SPbGASU, and the "Rastsvetay" Group provides for the further development of joint educational projects. Areas of cooperation include practical sessions, meetings with professionals, site visits and tours of university laboratories, as well as work on real-world industry tasks.
The launch of engineering and construction classes in Yanino marks another step in establishing a continuous educational pathway—"school–university–enterprise"—that enables aspiring professionals to gain insight into the field and acquire initial practical experience before even entering university.
