The number of people wishing to obtain a second specialty at the Vitebsk Technological University has increased tenfold

January 28, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA/. The number of people wishing to obtain a second specialty and undergo retraining at the Vitebsk State Technological University has increased tenfold over the past four years, Irina Sementchukova, Dean of the Faculty of Professional Development and Retraining, Candidate of Economic Sciences, told a BELTA correspondent. Today, more than 400 students are undergoing retraining at the university at the higher education level in seven specialties, while in 2005, only 42 people in three specialties graduated from the retraining faculty. At the same time, the number of people wishing to increase their competitiveness in the labor market significantly exceeds the university's retraining capacity. The most popular specialties among potential students are "Financial Management in Industry," "Banking," and "Information Systems Software." Among the retraining students, in addition to citizens with higher education, there are also students from all four Vitebsk universities who seek to obtain a second specialty in parallel, thereby significantly expanding their future employment opportunities. The development of labor market mobility and the increasing demands on the qualifications of modern employees create a stable demand for additional education and require constant updating of the list of retraining specialties, Irina Sementchukova noted. Four new retraining specialties were opened at the faculty in the 2009-2010 academic year, and the first groups of students were enrolled. Thus, with the support of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Housing and Communal Services Department, the university introduced a retraining course in "Economics and Production Management in Housing and Communal Services," with the first students being 60 people from all regions of the province. The curriculum includes the study of 23 economic and technical disciplines. At the suggestion of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, retraining in "Consumer Goods Expertise" has begun at the university. Also, for the first time, groups have been enrolled in the specialties "Accounting and Control in Industry" and "Graphic Design." The university strives to respond promptly to the labor market situation, including by organizing short-term professional development courses. Annually, the list of areas in which the university offers professional development is updated by 70%. In 2010, VSTU will organize courses for the first time on the organization and management of joint housing complexes, 1C accounting, computer graphics, and quality management systems in educational institutions. The constant development of new retraining and professional development areas allows the university to promptly meet the needs of the Vitebsk region for qualified specialists, Irina Sementchukova believes. -0-