Executive Committee Meeting: Young livestock breeders in the Vitebsk region will receive a monthly bonus of Br1 thousand.
"The creation of large agricultural associations, the improvement of rural infrastructure, and the material stimulation of young specialists will help to return personnel to the agro-industrial complex of the Vitebsk region and revive agriculture. We will allocate funds in the budget for paying supplements to graduates of agricultural universities, in particular, livestock breeders, of whom there are not many. They will receive Br1 thousand monthly. Graduates of 2020 also fall under this decision," noted Nikolai Sherstnev. The head of the region added that to retain personnel, the AIC needs to be modernized. Young specialists are satisfied with the working conditions when they work in high-tech dairy farms.
"There are only 36 thousand workers left in the agricultural sector of the Vitebsk region's economy. The personnel of the region's AIC are aging, the average age of workers in agricultural organizations is about 50 years. If we do not change the situation now, we will lose agriculture in 5 years. We need to create large agricultural associations, build housing, and improve rural infrastructure. People try to move to agro-towns, large settlements, and district centers. We need to create conditions in rural areas that are as comfortable as in such settlements, so that personnel stay there. People will go where it is better," emphasized Nikolai Sherstnev.
The problem of a shortage of specialists in the Vitebsk region's agro-industrial complex has several important aspects. One of the main ones is the low motivation of applicants to enroll in agricultural universities and secondary vocational schools. "To familiarize children with professions in the agricultural sector and increase their interest in these specialties, agricultural classes have been operating in the Vitebsk region for the third year. More than 650 schoolchildren are studying in them. As bonuses for graduates of these classes, admission to universities without exams is provided if the student has at least 7 points in specialized subjects. Young men are also granted deferment from conscription into the army, and replacement of active service with service in the reserve," noted Dmitry Khoma, Head of the Main Department for Education of the Regional Executive Committee.
Statistics show that young people from rural areas choose specialties in the agricultural and veterinary fields. Nevertheless, enrollment in secondary and higher education institutions is not fully met. Nikolai Gavrichenko, Rector of the Vitebsk State Academy of Veterinary Medicine (VSAVM), spoke about the results of testing university graduates. In the first place among the reasons for leaving after mandatory work placement are unsuccessful relationships within the team and with enterprise management, and unsatisfactory working conditions. Salary is only in second place. Half of the respondents were ready to relocate for work if there was an opportunity to improve working conditions.
The retention of personnel in rural areas is largely related to the fact that a small percentage of students study under targeted programs. In this regard, a closer connection with the heads of agricultural enterprises should be established. "We cannot cope without a customer for personnel. Directors of agricultural enterprises can search themselves in their district and nearby settlements for children who want to work for them after their studies. And send them to us for education. We only see the management of such enterprises during the distribution of graduates," said Vitaly Velikanov, Rector of the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy (BSAA).
He worked at the Vitebsk State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and knows the region's needs firsthand. The head of the academy emphasized that agricultural universities have been conducting career guidance for many years, and without it, academies would receive fewer applicants. Representatives of the Vitebsk State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy visit schools in cities and districts annually, talk about the universities, and invite boys and girls to enroll in agricultural specialties. Dmitry Khoma also spoke about this, believing that universities have established more than satisfactory work in this area.
Nikolai Sherstnev noted that modern robotic complexes, automated farms, and large agricultural associations are the future of the region and the country. These enterprises offer good working conditions and salaries because the cost of goods sold decreases due to cheaper production. The region's agro-industrial complex should follow this path. "By creating such working and production conditions in rural areas, we will attract precisely those university and college graduates to the agricultural sector who are lacking in the countryside," emphasized the head of the region.