The best welder will be chosen in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

      On April 22-23, 2026, the regional stage of the All-Russian professional skills competition "Best in Profession" in the nomination "Welder" will take place. The competition will be held in Nizhny Novgorod at the production base of the LLC "Head Certification Center of the Upper Volga Region" (Heroes Ave, 11a). The event aims to promote skilled trades, improve quality and safety standards in welding work. It is implemented within the framework of the national project "Personnel" on the instruction of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. "The competition 'Best in Profession' is a real assessment of a worker's qualifications, not just a contest. Welders today are among the most sought-after specialists in the region: enterprises need professionals capable of working on modern equipment and ensuring the safety of structures. The competition not only identifies the best but also sets a high standard for the entire industry. Winners and prize-winners receive not only monetary prizes but also the opportunity to qualify for a higher grade and salary. It is important for us that skilled trades become prestigious, and the qualifications of masters are confirmed through honest public competition," noted Igor Pantyukhin, Minister of Demography and Human Capital Development of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Citizens of the Russian Federation aged at least 21, with a secondary vocational education or who have undergone vocational training in the profession of "Welder" with at least three years of work experience, are invited to participate. A mandatory condition: the contestant must be employed as a welder, electric gas welder, manual arc welder, or manual arc welder with a melting covered electrode for the entire duration of the regional and federal stages or have the status of an individual entrepreneur. "The competition tests are designed to challenge participants to the maximum. First, theory: a test of 20 questions covering welding technology, labor protection, fire safety, and reading blueprints. Plus, an oral solution of a production case. Then, practice: welders perform manual arc welding in various spatial positions, including arc cutting, assembly on tacks, cleaning and inspecting seams, as well as setting up equipment. Each stage is as close as possible to real tasks in production. I am confident that our participants will demonstrate a high level of skill," emphasized Elena Vidyaeva, acting director of the Nizhny Novgorod Human Resources Center "Work of Russia." Applications for participation in the regional stage are accepted on the "Work of Russia" portal until April 17, 2026: https://konkurs.trudvsem.ru/luchshiy/all_nominations/nomination?nominationCode=8#bip_request. Documents can be submitted in two ways: through the employer (if they have an account on the portal) or independently by logging in through "Gosuslugi." The winner will have the right to represent the Nizhny Novgorod Region at the all-Russian final. Recall that in 2025, the winners and prize-winners of the federal stage of the professional skills competition were Nadezhda Stepanova (LLC "Brig," 1st place in the nomination "Seamstress"), Alexander Petrov (JSC "OKBM Afrikantov," 1st place in the nomination "Miller"), Sergey Snegov (LLC "Gazprom transgaz Nizhny Novgorod," 2nd place in the nomination "Excavator Operator") and Oleg Petrov (LLC "Gazprom transgaz Nizhny Novgorod," 3rd place in the nomination "Bulldozer Operator"). Recall that in 2025, the All-Russian professional skills competition "Best in Profession" became part of the federal project "Labor Man" of the national project "Personnel," implemented on the instruction of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. The best results from the federal stages of the competition receive monetary rewards: for first place — 1 million rubles, second place — 500 thousand rubles, and third place — 300 thousand rubles. The organizer of the competition "Best in Profession" is the Ministry of Labor of Russia with the support of federal and regional authorities, all-Russian associations of trade unions and employers. The operator of the competition is VNIIT labor.