Training system in the military-industrial complex (MIC)

The Defence Industry operates in unusual market conditions and has a significant amount of unsolved problems. One of the main tasks is to recreate a pool of highly qualified personnel. Over the past two decades, there has been an irreparable loss of personnel due to a number of reasons: personnel cuts, lack of jobs, low wages, lack of prestige value of labour, retirement, etc. Educational institutions do not provide specialists with necessary qualifications for the labour market. Young professionals do not rush into pursuing a military industry career, despite the fact that defence companies are ready to employ such specialists. At the time, the military industry had a strong network of Institutions of Advanced Training (IAT) with different focus areas. IAT had a good logistical base and qualified staff. IAT studied the most progressive methods of leading enterprises and passed these innovations to students. Thus, new developments would come into the domain of related companies of the industry. Specialists of different focus areas and levels of education are involved in the defence industry. Professionals with basic vocational education and specialised secondary education, and higher education, and scientists who develop new military equipment and technology, i.e. professionals at all levels of production of military equipment and technology are important there. Only in close collaboration of educational institutions, public authorities and MIC organisations is it possible to generate the most essential qualities that defence industry specialists should possess and to train them. It is common practice for educational institutions, science and defence industry organisations to combine efforts on joint projects and produce good results but currently cooperation of this kind is becoming a rarity. For the formation of the educational system of training, retraining and advanced training required by the defence industry, it is necessary to plant appropriate educational institutions at the same location as defence industry enterprises experiencing shortage of specialists. For greater efficiency of such educational institutions, they should be provided with all the advanced technologies and equipment for training students. It is time to create the Ministry of the Defence Industry, which would provide the necessary training and forecasting of required specialisation and expertise for MIC organizations. The primary role in predicting the necessary number of specialists required for MIC organisations is reserved for government agencies which would consider the complexity of refresher training of managers, scientists, engineers and technical staff, as well as training of working professions and young professionals at all levels of education, id est design a viable system of multistage continuous-action training for military industry specialists. A transition to a trilateral agreement between high school, student and MIC organisation could contribute to resolving the issue of defence personnel shortage. Such agreements should motivate young people to quality learning for their chosen profession in the defence industry, as well as generate opportunities for a young professional to build career, have a decent salary and an attractive job, including benefits for the acquisition of property, social benefits, and more. Training programs of educational institutions, producing young personnel for the defence industry should comply with the requirements of job descriptions applied to the staffing at defence enterprises will further serve as platform for future workplaces reserved for young professionals. It is necessary to start developing students' interest in the technical knowledge from the time of elementary school. It is necessary to create projects related to the development of children's technical creativity, popularise and highly promote technical creativity. It is necessary to teach pupils, showing capacity to exact sciences, using individualised, more complex curriculums. Currently, poorly trained applicants with poor knowledge in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics seek to obtain a technical profession. For educating future generations of engineers needed for the innovation economy in Russia, it is necessary to have a targeted financial and legal assistance. The current state of the defence industry experiencing an acute shortage of skilled workers is a real threat to national and economic security. It is unrealistic to remedy the situation by using market mechanisms only, we need effective government support, legislation, control of defence industry processes, as well as the political will.

Keywords

Authors

References