The academic year has started for students of the Nizhny Novgorod Energy College.

      September 1, 2026 17:41 Society On September 1, the Nizhny Novgorod Energy College (formerly the Nizhny Novgorod Technical School of Urban Economy and Entrepreneurship) welcomed its first students of the new academic year — now recognized as the main platform in the region for training personnel for the energy sector, where the first fuel and energy cluster in the Nizhny Novgorod region has been established as part of the federal project "Professionalitet." "Our region has become one of the leaders and secured a top position among regions in the number of educational-production clusters. This is a natural result of systematic work: we are not just opening new platforms, but building a full-fledged ecosystem for personnel training. For the region, this means guaranteed closure of the personnel shortage at factories, and for our students — a direct path to stable employment and decent earnings right after graduation," noted the Minister of Education of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Mikhail Puchkov.

      The key industrial partner of the college is the energy holding En+. The holding's investments have already allowed for the purchase and installation of the first equipment in the training workshops, fully replicating real production processes. The virtual training complexes "Turbine Equipment of Thermal Power Plants" and "Design and Features of Boiler Units of CHP" were among the first to arrive. The total investment from En+ will exceed 40 million rubles. "For our team, this is truly a historic moment. We have not just changed the sign — we have gained a name that accurately reflects our essence. 'Nizhny Novgorod Energy College' sounds proud, and behind this name stands the work of educators, support from the region, and, of course, the strong backing of our industrial partner in the form of the energy holding En+. 'Professionalitet' is a completely new system for training specialists: students will have access to equipment used by active thermal power plants and heating networks, and teachers will instruct based on real production cases," emphasized Tatiana Lipina, the director of the Nizhny Novgorod Energy College.

      Today, the college is training in the areas of "Heat Supply and Thermal Equipment" and "Electric Stations, Networks, and Their Relay Protection and Automation." Next year, the number of programs will increase to nine. By 2029, the cluster plans to train over 200 highly qualified specialists. Graduates are guaranteed employment at "En+ Teplo Volga" enterprises, as well as access to a unique corporate social package: free higher education for top employees, training at the Corporate University, participation in career planning programs, compensation of up to 90% of expenses for children's summer recreation, and more. "The energy sector needs specialists who understand how processes are structured from the first working day. Therefore, our partnership with the Nizhny Novgorod Energy College is a long-term proactive effort: we are investing over 40 million rubles in training laboratories and workshops, and the best mentors will share their knowledge with students during practical training. Together with young specialists, we will develop the energy sector of the region," noted Olga Dvortsova, the HR director of "En+ Teplo Volga."

      For first-year students, this Knowledge Day was special. Students received gifts from the energy holding and met with the heads of the companies in the group. "When I learned that the technical school became an energy college and joined 'Professionalitet', I was happy — it means we will learn on modern equipment, not just from textbooks. And most importantly — it is already clear where I will work after graduation: the guarantee of employment really removes the question of what to do next," shared his impressions Artem, a first-year student in the field of "Heat Supply and Thermal Equipment." NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on the main events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+