The role of the "Professionals" movement was discussed in Nizhny Novgorod.

      On May 28, in Nizhny Novgorod, as part of the finals of the "Professionals" championship in the competencies of creative industries and IT, a three-day business program was launched. More than 20 discussion events will be dedicated to the central theme "Professionals: The Code of Technological Leadership." Creative industries and information technology will be considered key tools for innovation across all sectors of the economy. The business program was opened by a plenary session titled "Professionals: The Code of Technological Leadership," which took place at the A.D. Sakharov Academy. The central topic of discussion was the role of the "Professionals" movement in creating a new format for workforce training that combines the digital intelligence of the IT sector with the innovative approach of creative industries.

      Vladimir Zhelonkin, Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation, noted that today the system of secondary vocational education directly contributes to Russia's achievement of technological leadership. The "Professionals" championship makes a significant practical contribution to solving this task. It is an important mechanism that connects the needs of the economy, the capabilities of the education system, and the real demands of employers. "One of the key strengths of the championship is its live and direct connection with employers. Today, more than 10,000 companies and enterprises support the championship. Employers are involved in the development of competition tasks, expert evaluation, and the development of competency content. This is a fundamentally important approach because it makes the "Professionals" championship understandable, practical, and significant for the real sector of the economy," said Vladimir Zhelonkin.

      The Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation emphasized that the championship is developing in direct connection with the national development goals of the country. The overwhelming majority of competencies meet the workforce needs of the regions and correspond to the tasks of ensuring technological independence and technological leadership of the Russian Federation. "The "Professionals" championship today creates a unique environment where education, industry, the expert community, and the competitors themselves meet. It is in such an environment that the exchange of practices occurs, relevant technologies are integrated into the educational process more quickly, and students have the opportunity to solve tasks that are as close as possible to real production. Thus, the system of secondary vocational education becomes modern, flexible, and future-oriented," he emphasized.

      Andrey Checherin, Deputy Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, noted that the Nizhny Novgorod Region is hosting the finals of the "Professionals" championship in the competencies of creative industries and IT for the second consecutive year. "Comparing this year with last year, we see: there are more participants and, importantly, more employers. Competitors are working on very complex tasks. I believe that in this case, students from the secondary vocational education system can pose serious competition to university students—such is the high quality of their skills! The "Professionals" championship proves that secondary vocational education today is prestigious. It is especially prestigious to be a student of a college or technical school included in the "Professionalitet" project of the national project "Youth and Children," said Andrey Checherin.

      Irina Osadchaya, Deputy General Director of the ANO "National Priorities" for communication projects, spoke about how the federal project "Professionalitet" of the national project "Youth and Children" has become an effective industry model for training personnel for the country's technological leadership. "Today, the most relevant are meta-skills that ensure rapid adaptation to changes. Colleges and technical schools are producing professionals of a new formation—these are "turquoise collars," specialists who possess clear professional competencies and soft skills that allow them to adapt to changes and apply new knowledge in their work. Such meta-skills are embedded in the educational programs of "Professionalitet," she said.

      The events of the business program will take place over three days across four tracks: "Nurturing the Working Person," "Personnel and Education," "Technologies and Innovations," "International Cooperation." A detailed program has been published on the website of the All-Russian championship movement for professional skills "Professionals."

      The "Professionals" movement is aimed at supporting talented youth, strengthening the personnel potential, and ensuring technological leadership in Russia. It is organized with the support of the Ministry of Education of Russia and is implemented within the framework of the federal project "Professionalitet" of the national project "Youth and Children." The federal operator is the Institute for the Development of Vocational Education.

      The "Professionals" championship is the largest competition of professional skills in the system of secondary vocational education, with the list of competencies formed in accordance with the requests of the real sector of the economy. In 2026, more than half a million people will participate in the finals of the championship. It takes place in three cities: Nizhny Novgorod, Kaluga, and St. Petersburg.