Results of the first year of the RT research-and-training clusters functioning were summed up on March 07, 2013 at the meeting of the Presidium of the Cabinet of Ministers of the RT, which was held in the House of Parliament by the Prime-Minister of Tatarstan, Mr. Ildar Khalikov. This information was reported by the Press-Service of the President of the RT.

Opening the meeting, Mr. Ildar Khalikov underlined that the problem of highly-qualified personnel training by educational institutions in cooperation with enterprises has been one of the most urgent for the Republic for many years already. There have been 14 research-and-training clusters created in Tatarstan, with their main concept consisting in educational institutions integration with the labour market.

The Head of the Government stated that a rather grave imbalance is observed in the Republic between companies’ needs and the quantity and quality of graduates. At the same time, according to Mr. Khalikov, some positive examples of vocational training organizing can be given. He shared his impressions of his yesterday’s visit to a college in Aksubayevo.

Mr. Khalikov noted that constant attention to and interest in vocational education institutions on the part of employers are also important.

The Minister of Education of the RT, Mr. Engel Fattakhov, reported about the training clusters’ work results obtained within the period from the day the Cabinet of Ministers of the RT adopted the enactment “On training clusters’ work results obtained within the period  starting from the moment the Cabinet of Ministers of the RT adopted the enactment “On approval of the procedure of forming state order for qualified workers and specialists training in research-and-training clusters of the Republic of Tatarstan” of April 06, 2012. According to the Minister, most efficient work was demonstrated by clusters organized on the basis of KSRTU-KHTI (the former Kazan Institute of Chemical Technology) and the Kazan subsidiary of RGTEU (Russia State University of Trade and Economics). Some arrangements provided for by the federal target program for vocational education development are actively implemented in the former, while in the second cluster the educational institution is actively involving employers – companies working in the respective branches of industry – in cooperation.

Other Ministers made reports on the work of research-and-training clusters in separate branches. There was a series of proposals supported by the Prime-Minister of Tatarstan presented during the discussion. Thus, Mr. Ildar Khalikov noted the importance of continuous curriculum renewal taking into consideration branch innovations. Such indices as the quantity of new training methods and programs developed with participation of employers themselves were offered as cluster functioning quality assessment indices.

Scientific activity carried out by the base higher education institutions is of no less importance, according to Mr. Khalikov. They must participate in innovation projects in their respective industries, which will favour teaching quality enhancement.

As a conclusion the Prime-Minister of Tatarstan expressed a hope that the efficiency of RT research-and-training clusters’ work will grow in future.