First BRICS Future Skills Challenge 2022 Events Launched

The preparatory stage of the BRICS Future Skills Challenge international competition has been launched. It aims to identify and develop promising skills while building a network of global cooperation between partner countries in the field of education and technology advancement. The event will be held until December in a remote format, with control centres placed at educational sites of the BRICS countries. BRICS Future Skills Challenge will bring together competitors and experts from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The competition will cover more than 70 skills, 17 of which will be supervised by Skills Development Agency (WorldSkills Russia). Skills centres will be located at the sites of WorldSkills Russia’s network partners.

Moreover, the countries have outlined initiatives and activities that are to be implemented throughout the year as part of the competition. Starting in June, special working groups will be launched to design and develop a skills certification system within BRICS; they will be joined by Russian experts.

The creation and expansion of a network of partner colleges and universities under the aegis of the BRICS Academy of Skills Development and Technological Innovation are currently underway, taking into account the Russian Skills Passport initiative. Skills Development Agency is the platform that will be used for the formation of the BRICS partnership network.

Since April, BRICS Auditorium has been taking place. It is a project that includes forums dedicated to the development and exchange of the best practices in various Future Skills directions.

Also in development are joint educational programmes with universities in Russia and BRICS+ countries in seven skills under the guidance of Skills Development Agency: Space Systems, Aerial Robotics, Industrial Design Technology, Blockchain Technologies, UAV Operation, Machine Learning and Big Data, Web Design.

‘By following the BRICS line of cooperation, we gain the opportunity to create multilateral technological collaborations conducted with regard to promising skills and tools through a multilevel partnership network. This allows us to work with new markets, thus facilitating the further joint creation of new technologies,’ says Ms Alina Doskanova, Deputy Director General for International Relations of WorldSkills Russia.

The first event in preparation for the competition was dedicated to training in the Space Systems Engineering skill for students and teachers from Russia, India and China. It took place at the N. N. Godovikov Polytechnic College. The training was conducted by Alexander Makarov, Head of the College’s Space Systems Laboratory, with the support of WorldSkills Russia.

‘The Space Systems Engineering skill is aimed at designing, manufacturing and testing small spacecraft and their individual systems, simulating flights and obtaining data from space with its subsequent processing. Such classes help to steadily form the knowledge, skills and abilities required from future specialists – meaning, factory and scientific employees in one of the most high-tech fields, the rocket and space industry (RSI). The use of modern high-tech equipment allows for the integration of the skill into the educational process for laboratory works and practical classes, students’ practical training both in aerospace and other educational programmes: radio electronics and circuit engineering, geodesy, cartography and geography, physics and astrophysics, algorithmisation and programming, 3D visualisation and modelling, and others,’ notes Alexander Makarov.

The training included four practice-oriented sessions in the following modules:

·       3D Spacecraft Design

·       Software Architecture and Programming Tools

·       Spacecraft Manufacturing, Maintenance and Adaptation

·       Spacecraft Testing

The programme ended with a final test of the knowledge gained and the issuance of certificates.