Modernization of the training system for mining engineers in conditions of digital transformation of Russia's mineral resources complex

E.L. Cherkashina, O.V. Tsibizova, N.S. Artyukhova
 Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy
Russian Mining Industry №6/ 2025 p. 64-70

Abstract: The article offers a comprehensive analysis of the transformation of the training system for the mining industry of Russia in conditions of accelerated digitalization of production processes and structural changes in the industry's labor market. The study is based on empirical data from 47 higher education institutions offering programs in mining, with a total number of students exceeding 15,000. The period from 2020 to 2024 is analyzed, which is characterized by a critical shortage of qualified specialists against the backdrop of the intensive development of the country's mineral resource complex. The results show that the quality of graduates' professional training is uneven in relation to employers' requirements, e.g. only 62–66% of mining engineers possess the modern competencies required of the digital economy. A divergence has been identified between the pace of technological upgrading of the company's production base and the conservative nature of the university curricula. It has been established that the average score on the Unified State Examination for students enrolled in mining and geological majors rose from 228 in 2023 to 236 in 2024, with 16–18 applicants per place, indicating an enhanced prestige of the profession. However, there remains a critical gap between the number of specialists graduating and the industry's need for manpower, i.e. approximately 65,000–70,000 vacancies remain vacant, 68–72% of which are in the Ural, Siberian, and Far Eastern Federal Districts. The average salary of mining engineers for the investigated period increased from 112,000 rubles in 2023 to 158,000 rubles in 2025, demonstrating a 41% increase. Introduction of digital educational technologies, including virtual training complexes and software simulators, has increased the efficiency of practical skills training by 35–40%. The study justifies the need for a radical transformation of the content and methods of training mining engineers through the integration of industrial partnerships, personalization of the educational paths, and acceleration of the digital transformation of the educational process.

Keywords: training of mining engineers, digitization of mining education, shortage of qualified specialists, competencies of a mining engineer, mineral resources complex, educational technologies, employment of graduates

For citation: Cherkashina E.L., Tsibizova O.V., Artyukhova N.S. Modernization of the training system for mining engineers in conditions of digital transformation of Russia's mineral resources complex. Russian Mining Industry. 2025;(6):64–70. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.30686/1609-9192-2025-6-64-70

Article info

Received: 08.09.2025

Revised: 27.10.2025

Accepted: 18.11.2025

Information about the authors

Elena L. Cherkashina – Cand. Sci. (Philol.), Associate Professor, Department of Russian as a Foreign Language and General Theoretical Disciplines, Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Moscow, Russian Federation; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1613-0147; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Oksana V. Tsibizova – Cand. Sci. (Philol.), Head of the Department of Russian as a Foreign Language and General Theoretical Disciplines, Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Moscow, Russian Federation; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0674-7140; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Natalya S. Artyukhova – Senior Lecturer, Department of Russian as a Foreign Language and General Theoretical Disciplines, Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Moscow, Russian Federation; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0949-1902; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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