Difficult, interesting, great!

Representatives of the main professions – unit operators, operators, engine operators of pumping and compressor units – on April 18 opened a series of professional skill contests among employees of Metafrax Chemicals.

For the first time, the organizers held a competition of the main professions on the basis of the Ural Chemical Technology College (UCTC), which allowed the participants to fully demonstrate their practical skills and mastery. We will remind that UCTC participates in the federal project "Professionalitet", an educational and production cluster of the Chemical Industry sector has been created here to train highly qualified specialists for the entire Perm Region. Metafrax acted as the main employer within the framework of this project.

Welcoming the participants of the competition, the Technical Director of the company Andrei Eremeev noted the importance of professional skills competitions for improving professionalism and sharing experience. The participants were also greeted by Konstantin Foteev, Head of the Production and Engineering Department (PTO), Alexander Grom, Chairman of the trade union organization, Elena Bolotova, Head of the Human Resources Department, and Mikhail Voroshilov, Deputy Director of the UCTC.

11 unit operators, operators, engine operators of production and auxiliary workshops of the enterprise and one student of UCTC became participants of the professional competition this year. Traditionally, they had to show theoretical knowledge and practical training. The theory consisted of two tests – 60 questions in 60 minutes. The assignment included both general questions and questions on occupational safety and industrial safety. The participants coped with this test confidently and quickly.

The practical part includes three stages. In the laboratory, the participants had to prepare two solutions of a given urea concentration according to the mixing rule, having calculated the amount of starting substances before that. Here, participants could earn a maximum of 20 points.

- All the contestants coped with the task, but with different results. Only one person managed to score the maximum number of points – Oleg Shvetsov, - said Lyudmila Parshakova, an expert of the stage, a teacher at UCTC.

The stage located in the fitter's shop turned out to be the most productive. Here, participants had to install a plug on laboratory stands simulating a section of pipeline with shut-off valves, as well as mark items on the diagram. According to the expert, the teacher of UCTC Vladimir Kuzovlev, all participants coped with the test, showing one hundred percent tightness. Three participants received the maximum score here at once: Rustam Nurmukhametov, Dmitry Russkih and Egor Vanyugov. The rest were close to the maximum, including the girls – Maria Boytsova and Irina Podyapolskaya.

The most insidious, according to the contestants, turned out to be a computer simulator, on which they had to start the shell-and-tube heater. Here, some participants had difficulties.

At the award ceremony, Deputy Director for Personnel and Social Affairs Rashid Shakirov thanked all the participants for their courage and skill, and together with Konstantin Foteev they presented diplomas and memorable gifts to the winners.

Oleg Shvetsov, the operator of the water supply and disposal workshop, was recognized as the best among the workers of the main professions this year. Rustam Nurmukhametov, engine operator of methanol compressor units, became the silver medalist. Not only knowledge, professional competencies, but also task completion time became a key factor in the results of the competition. It was time that decided the outcome of the third place. Out of the two participants who showed the same amount of points, Danila Kosov, an operator of the urea synthesis workshop, rose to the third step of the podium, 20 minutes ahead of his opponent.

The main competitive bonus for the winners will be an increased salary during the year.

The organizers also noted the high level of training of the 4th year student of UCTC Egor Vanyugov, who managed to compete with the employees of the enterprise, taking sixth place.

- The tradition of conducting professional tests at Metafrax has been going on for many years. I'm glad this tradition continues. The competition unites process engineers from different departments, stimulates them to raise their professional level and strengthens the prestige of the profession," Konstantin Foteev noted.

The chairman of the trade union organization of the enterprise, Alexander Grom, also encouraged the contestants – members of the trade union. According to the feedback from the participants, everyone liked the new format of the competition.

- The college's base allows you to fully express yourself, to show practical skills, previously, it was not so, - shared the winner Oleg Shvetsov. – There is excellent equipment here, modern simulators that are close to real production. The impressions from the competition are only positive, not all the tasks were done as well as possible, but there were no big difficulties, I coped with everything. I have been participating for the second year, last year I was the silver medalist. Such a format, when not only tests, but also real practice, when you can do it with your hands, shows the preparation of the contestants more objectively."

The participants thanked the organizers and experts of the competition.

- Difficult, interesting, everything is great! - This is how the new format of the competition was evaluated in the final by its repeated winner, the current silver medalist Rustam Nurmukhametov.