Where did all the engineers gone? This question often arises by Ukrainian entrepreneurs recently. Indeed, it is strange why it is so difficult to find an employee with the necessary knowledges and skills when in Ukraine more than 70% of the population have higher education, which makes our state one of the leaders in the number of bachelors and masters in the world?
There are a number of factors that have led to a decrease in the number of workers in various industries: a decrease in the number of the country’s population, excess mortality over fertility, and labor migration. But mostly it is the unwillingness of school graduates to receive the education of an industrial engineer. Most want to become an economist, manager, lawyer or IT specialist, as these specialties are now considered the most prestigious: graduates have a chance to work in comfortable conditions and receive decent wages.
Is the situation with technical branch really so bad? Our volunteers decided to talk about this with the deputy director of “Yuzhgiproruda” LLC, Tsiban Pyotr Viktorovich during the Job Fair “Polytech-2019”.
– How do you think, is there a shortage of qualified personnel in your industry in Ukraine?
– Yes, and not only in ours. In Ukraine, there is an acute shortage of doctors, teachers, engineers, and agricultural workers. Now it’s hard to find not only a good turner, locksmith, welder, but also a good engineer, builder, plumber, mechanic, technologist. And the situation is in no hurry to change. Only technological engineers work at our enterprise and we are in short supply. At the same time, we communicate with our customers and they have the same situation: a shortage of electricians, installers, track workers, truck drivers, crane operators, excavator’s drivers. Many have gone abroad, or do not want to work on the conditions offered by Ukrainian employers.
An interesting situation has developed with engineers in Kharkov: there are 200-300 people of qualified personnel who move from one enterprise to another as soon as more attractive working conditions become in the latter. For some reason, no one wants to work. We offer salaries of up to 20,000 hryvnia, we are ready to give the necessary knowledge. We demand only a desire to work and still we can’t find people.
Now it’s hard to find not only a good turner, locksmith, welder, but also a good engineer, builder, plumber, mechanic, technologist. And the situation is in no hurry to change.
– Is there a sufficient level of knowledges among the graduates of NTU “KhPI” to get your job?
– Basically, we get graduates of universities with insufficient knowledges. Many have a lack of experience. For such man to become a specialist in our enterprise, he need to work in this area for at least three years.
But, in my opinion, the level and quality of knowledge acquired at a university depends on the students themselves. This year, a graduate of your university came to us (NTU “KhPI” – approx. auth.), now he is studying at the postgraduate study at the Faculty of Energy (the faculty of energy is now part of the Institute of IEEE – approx. auth.) And he has fairly solid knowledges even though he is an electrician. He has proved himself well and we plan to retrain him for work with us.
For some reason, no one wants to work. We offer salaries of up to 20,000 hryvnia, we are ready to give the necessary knowledge. We demand only a desire to work and still we can’t find people.
– How can anybody find out about your open vacancies?
– Most workers come to us after university practice. We also come to different universities with a presentation of our company, at job fairs. Of course, we place ads on rabota.ua, work.ua. We do not apply to the Employment Fund, because usually the wrong people are sent to us from there.
in my opinion, the level and quality of knowledge acquired at a university depends on the students themselves
So, we were convinced that the situation with engineers in the labor market of the Kharkov region is critical, and not only in the mining industry. Organizations lack qualified personnel and are forced to take on the function of training the necessary specialists. And also we were convinced that basic knowledges can be obtained at universities and this is what guarantees future long-term cooperation with the enterprise. An industrial engineer in Ukraine is now a prestigious specialty, a qualified specialist has a chance in the future to get a job with decent working conditions.
“Yuzhgiporuda” LLC is a comprehensive general design and research organization engaged in designing of new and reconstruction of existing quarries, mines, other mining facilities, as well as transport, energy, repair facilities and housing and civil facilities of mining enterprises. According to her projects, the largest mining and processing enterprises were built in the CIS countries and the world. By order of the Ministry of Industrial Policy of Ukraine, “Yuzhgiporuda”, as the main contractor, took part in the development of the “Norms for the technological design of mining enterprises with an open method of developing mineral deposits”. The organization’s sphere of competence also includes the solution of issues of power supply, complex mechanization, automation and communications at mining enterprises, the development and implementation of industrial control systems for the control and management of transport flows, rock mass and energy carriers.