Practice-Oriented Training of Power Engineers in the Conditions of Realization of the Concept of Continuous Education

The purpose of the study was to find ways to ensure the effectiveness of training of universal specialists in energy fields in the implementation of the concept of lifelong learning through a practice-oriented approach.Research methods. To understand the current and future needs of the energy industry, especially in terms of the development of higher professional education, the study used the method of forecasting, direct survey of regional employers of energy enterprises, analysis of the needs of industrial partners in qualified specialists. The normative basis of the study was the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation Nо. 204 (2018) and the federal state educational standard of higher education in the direction of training 13.03.02 “Electric power engineering and electrical engineering”. The theoretical basis of the study is the model of the system of continuous professional education, adapted to the training of specialists for the energy industry. The joint use of these methods has formed a holistic approach to understanding the personnel problems of the power industry and the possibilities of the educational system in their solution.Results. Based on the model of the system of continuous professional education and the results of the analysis of the labor market demand in the Republic of Karelia, a practice-oriented educational program for training specialists in the field of power engineering was designed and implemented. Employers are increasingly looking for specialists with universal skills, capable of solving both typical and non-standard tasks and ready for further training during their working life. Successful implementation of the developed educational program is based on the joint cooperation of energy sector employers and university lecturers. Integration of industry experience with theoretical knowledge, vision of the industry development prospects allowed industrial partners and the university to jointly ensure the successful implementation of the designed educational program, helping to solve the problem of deficit of qualified personnel in the energy sector of the economy in the regions of the Russian Federation. The article presents the experience of the Department of energy supply of enterprises and energy efficiency of Petrozavodsk State University in training bachelors for the energy sector of the economy. The article reveals the totality of all the components of the model of the continuous education system, which contributes to the training of a universal specialist in the field of energy. The integrative qualities of the model are demonstrated, including the possibilities to receive higher and additional professional education for university students, productive combination of study and work at enterprises, ensuring the effectiveness of training, which is achieved by involving industrial partners in the educational process and strengthening the motivational component of the learning process. The educational programs are supplemented with disciplines forming digital and engineering competences, integrative forms of training are introduced: training and profile practice on the basis of ElectroSkills, internships with part-time employment, project activities with the solution of real tasks of enterprises.Conclusion. The authors have proposed and realized new approaches to the formation of professional skills required for university graduates. The key role of industrial partners’ participation in the educational process during the whole period of training is shown, the existing problems and difficulties in the implementation of practice-oriented approach in the training of specialists are outlined, the ways of eliminating the identified problems are proposed. The content and methods of step-by-step implementation of the practice-oriented educational program of training students of energy fields are demonstrated on specific examples.