Synergy Effect

Representatives of Metafrax Chemicals and the Ural Chemical Technology College (UCTC) discussed the results of their joint work and plans for further cooperation.

The meeting took place on December 7 at the UCTC. The meeting participants inspected classrooms and workshops renovated and equipped with modern equipment in 2023.

The victory in the "Professionalitet" federal project has become a significant event for the UCTC. An educational and production cluster “Chemical Industry” has been created here to train highly qualified specialists for the entire Perm Territory. Metafrax acted as the main employer under the project and added 25 million rubles to the grant of 100 million rubles allocated to the college. These funds were invested in the capital repair, virtual simulators, modern laboratories and new machines. More than 1,100 pieces of equipment, software, and furniture were purchased alone. 13 new areas have been prepared for various types of work, which included fit-up, lathe, welding works, analytical control of chemical compounds, laboratories of extractive metallurgy and technical diagnostics, organic and inorganic chemistry, automation of technological processes, information technology and others.

Specialists for the maintenance and repair of equipment in the technological workshops (POROTS) of the enterprise participated in the installation and acceptance of lathes, adjustment of a band saw, repair of measuring tools. The fitters also provided the UCTC with materials and tools for conducting practices and demo examinations. Workers of the workshop for the maintenance and repair of automated control systems (TSORASU) assisted in setting up laboratory chromatographs and redistillators. The company provides college with consumables, reagents, and laboratory utensils.

An important role in cooperation is played by the networking project, within the framework of which 4 technological classes have been formed at Gubakha schools No. 14 and 15. More than 100 students are trained, also in UCTC laboratories, they participate in field training and competitions, and receive scholarships from the company. Thanks to the project, more and more students after graduating from the 9th grade consciously choose the path of the UCTC-Metafrax Chemicals.

Metafrax continues to support an additional training program in the profile "Chemical Technology of Inorganic Substances" for students of 3-4 courses, which the UCTC has been implementing together with Perm National Research Polytechnic University (PNRPU) since 2020. This year, the company has allocated almost half a million rubles for these purposes.

Together with college teachers, employees of Metafrax Chemicals participate in the training of future chemists, fitters and instrumentation specialists. Today there are 11 such part-time teachers in the company. It’s also not the first year that employees, as experts and mentors, have been participating in the regional championship of professional skills, competence based qualifications, in the preparation of qualification papers by students and passing the final examination. Traditionally, students undergo practical training at the enterprise. This year, 277 students gained practical skills in the workshops of Metafrax.

The meeting participants reviewed the plan of joint work with the college for the next year. It’s scheduled that it will include the continuation of the networking educational project, the signing of contracts on employer-sponsored education, and the allocation of 2.5 million rubles for material and technical support within the framework of the “Professionalitet” project, the development of a program to stimulate teachers and students participating in the project, the implementation of college-based vocational training, training and professional development programs for employees of the enterprise and the holding of UCTC-based corporate competitions of professional skills among employees of Metafrax.

The UCTC remains the main source of training of workers for the enterprise. This year alone, 106 college graduates from different years got a job at Metafrax. In total, the company employs 1,152 UCTC graduates.

Today, 669 students study at the UCTC in seven profiles. Over the past five years, the admission target figures have significantly increased: from 137 to 190. College students have been successfully demonstrating high knowledge and skills at the regional professional skills championship for several years. For the second year in a row, the UCTC has become the best in the region in the competence "Chemical Technology Operator", this year our guys also took the first and the second place in the competence "Repair of Process Equipment of Chemical Industries" and the third one in the competence "Industrial Mechanics and Installation".