The prospects for the development of the light industry of Belarus were discussed at a meeting of the EEC in Vitebsk

At an off-site meeting of the Expert Advisory Council (EAC) under the Presidium of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus, held in Vitebsk under the leadership of the Chairperson of the Council of the Republic, Natalya Kochanova, issues of developing light industry enterprises and proposals for strengthening personnel training were discussed, BELTA correspondent reports.

This is the sixth off-site meeting of the current convocation, and this time the central theme of discussion was the development of "Bellegprom" enterprises and the promotion of their products in both domestic and foreign markets. "Today, this is a strategic segment of our country's national economy. This sector includes over 2,000 organizations employing more than 82,000 people. Most enterprises have been modernized, the system of inter-industry interaction is supported, and export ties have been established with many countries. However, despite the developed production base, the domestic light industry faces certain difficulties. Our President pays special attention to this area, and the budget support provided to the industry's enterprises for modernization and stable operation is evidence of this," noted Natalya Kochanova. The Chairperson of the "Bellegprom" concern, Tatyana Lugina, spoke about the situation in the industry. "Products of light industry enterprises are exported to 95 countries worldwide. Belarusian flax is the country's calling card and a global brand. Our textiles and knitwear are a recognized mark of quality. In addition, light industry enterprises are addressing import substitution issues. Positive results have been achieved in the "Bellegprom" concern's economy over 10 months. Industrial production has grown by 6%, revenue from sales by 14.3%, and net profit has increased 2.8 times, amounting to Br260 million," said the head of the concern. At the same time, the personnel issue in the light industry system is one of the top priorities, as some enterprises lack specialists and workers. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that students in vocational schools receive multiple unrelated professions, for example, a seamstress and a hairdresser. Despite this being done to increase the competitiveness of young specialists in the labor market, it leads to a shortage of personnel for light industry enterprises, as after mandatory work experience, novice employees leave for the service sector in pursuit of easy money. Natalya Kochanova noted that personnel training for this industry should be conducted where there are

conditions - equipment, qualified specialists, and a strong scientific base, and also emphasized that a new system for training specialists should be considered - in several related professions, which will provide career growth prospects for young people.

As for VSTU, the enrollment in technical specialties is carried out not only based on the needs of the region and the country, but also on the demand of applicants for engineering professions. The rector of the university, Andrey Kuznetsov, noted that for more effective work, the university needs to purchase modern equipment, which, together with the university's strong scientific schools, will strengthen the training of highly qualified personnel.

The heads of enterprises of the "Bellegprom" system spoke about the strategy they adhere to in their work. Thus, the Orsha Flax Mill launched a pilot project for selling its products through an online store, through which supplies will be made to remote regions of Russia. An important component of the enterprise's successful operation is the corporate spirit and the attitude of directors towards their team. Social guarantees, joint events to unite different generations of workers, construction of new housing for young specialists - these forms of personnel retention were discussed by the participants of the meeting.

Summing up the speakers' presentations, Natalya Kochanova noted that cooperation between enterprises, universities, secondary vocational schools, and schools is important for the development of the light industry. "For children to become interested in the professions that you need at your enterprises, schoolchildren need to be told about them. Go to schools, career guidance work should start there," the speaker emphasized.

Source: belta.by