The final municipal forum "Takeoff. Industrial Start" took place in Balakhna.

      About 100 schoolchildren participated in the ninth municipal forum "Takeoff. Industrial Start." The concluding forum of the cycle took place in Balakhna. The project is being implemented by the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Entrepreneurship of the Nizhny Novgorod Region and the regional center "My Business" with the support of the Corporate University of the Government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, the Youth Career Center of the Nizhny Novgorod Region "KUPNO.START," and the regional branch of the "Movement of the First" in the Nizhny Novgorod Region as part of the national project "Effective and Competitive Economy."

      "The forum in Balakhna summarizes the field part of the project 'Takeoff. Industrial Start' and precedes the final event in Nizhny Novgorod. Over six months, nine municipalities, more than 1,000 schoolchildren and students joined the program. Participants got acquainted with the work of more than 70 enterprises from various industries. The strongest teams from each district will present their projects in the final," said Maxim Cherkasov, Minister of Industry, Trade, and Entrepreneurship of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      Earlier, forums were also held in Chkalovsk, Arzamas, Navashino, Dzerzhinsk, Vyksa, Pavlovo, Gorodets, and Semyonov. The program's final is scheduled for April.

      The municipal forum in Balakhna involved schoolchildren from grades 8-11 and college students. A total of 14 teams of 7-8 people each were formed. The program took place in two stages: first, participants got acquainted with the work of industrial enterprises in the municipality, and then presented their vision of the companies in the form of presentations and videos. In their projects, the students showcased the features of the productions, their history, and possible career trajectories.

      "In the Balakhna district, we are systematically building a career guidance system – we work with schoolchildren and parents, develop specialized training, and interact with enterprises, including on targeted training issues. The project 'Takeoff. Industrial Start' organically complements this work: the students get to know the enterprises in the district, try their hand at project activities, and look at modern productions in a new way. This format helps schoolchildren better understand their interests and approach the choice of their future profession consciously," emphasized Anna Tabakova, Deputy Head of the Balakhna District Administration.

      Project participants visited production sites of JSC "Volga" (production of cardboard, packaging, and printing paper), LLC "Uzola" (manufacturing of electrical engineering equipment), LLC "Balakhna Cardboard Factory" (production of various types of cardboard), LLC "NPO Agrostroyservice" (construction of residential and non-residential buildings), LLC "Kartonsnab" (production of corrugated paper and cardboard), LLC "Shipbuilding Yard RPR" (construction and maintenance of small-tonnage and small-sized vessels), JSC "Balakhna Glass" (production of glass products – bottles, mugs of various shapes), LLC "Piteko" (production of ready-made food products and dishes), LLC "CNT-Spectrum" (production of pipeline fittings), Balakhna Interdistrict Forestry, LLC PKF "Luidor" (production of buses and trolleybuses), Energy Complex NiGRES JSC "Volga" (electricity production), LLC "NPO Agrostroyservice" (construction of residential and non-residential buildings).

      The presentations were evaluated by a competition commission, which included representatives from the regional Ministry of Industry, the municipal district administration, the regional center "My Business," and the Youth Career Center of the Nizhny Novgorod Region "KUPNO.Start." Experts assessed participants based on the following criteria: content and depth of topic disclosure, structure and logic of presentation, oratory skills, teamwork, quality of visual design, originality, and career guidance component.

      The first place was taken by the team "New Generation" (Balakhna branch of NNSU), which represented the enterprise LLC NPO "Agrostroyservice." This team will defend its municipality in the project final. The second place was shared by two teams: "Wings 17" (MBOU "School No. 17") – enterprise LLC "CNT-Spectrum" and the team "Step into the Future" (MBOU "School No. 11" – organization JSC "Volga"). The third place was shared by the teams "Paper World" (MBOU "School No. 12") – organization JSC "Volga" and the team "Unity" (MBOU "Lipovskaya OOSH," MBOU "Konevskaya OOSH," MBOU "Istominskaya OOSH") – organization LLC PKF "Luidor." The audience's choice award went to the team "Seven Leaders" (MBOU "School No. 3") – enterprise LLC "Uzola."

      The forum program also included educational activities. In the entrepreneurial track, the students learned about the work of the regional center "My Business" and its branches in the districts of the region, the conditions for starting their own business, and measures of state support for young entrepreneurs. Additionally, in the master class "How to Build Your Career Track?" participants learned about the opportunities offered by the Youth Career Center of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      An interactive zone "Career Opportunities Exhibition" also operated at the forum venue, where participants could communicate with representatives of municipal enterprises: JSC "Volga," LLC "Uzola," LLC "Balakhna Cardboard Factory," LLC "NPO Agrostroyservice," LLC "Kartonsnab," LLC Shipbuilding Yard "RPR," JSC "Balakhna Glass," LLC PKF "Luidor." Employers talked about current vacancies, working conditions, career opportunities for young specialists, and social support measures for employees.

      Moreover, the exhibition featured stands from the regional center "My Business," the personnel center "Work of Russia," and the mobile career point of the Youth Career Center of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      Let us remind you that information about all business support measures at the federal and regional levels can be found at the center "My Business" (мойбизнес52.рф), which operates within the framework of the federal project "Small and Medium Entrepreneurship" of the national project "Effective and Competitive Economy." A hotline "My Business" operates at the center, where all necessary information can also be obtained. The hotline phone number is 8 (800) 301-29-94 (the call is free).

      The national project "Effective and Competitive Economy," initiated by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, represents a set of systemic measures that form the groundwork for a new model of long-term economic growth based on a supply-side economy. It includes federal projects "Small and Medium Entrepreneurship," "Labor Productivity," "Increasing Investment Activity," "Low-Carbon Development," "Development of Technological Entrepreneurship," "Development of the Financial Market," and "Development of Competition."

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