The other day it became known that the contest “The Best Plumber. Cup of the Urals” showed up participants from Belarus and other countries of the near abroad.
The organizer and ideologist of the Best Plumber. Ural Cup" Sergey Ermakov.
- Sergey Vladimirovich, this year the competition is held for the fourth time. How many plumbers in total have already taken part in it?
– The competition started in 2012 in the Chelyabinsk region, was actively gaining momentum, and already in 2013-2014 representatives of different regions of our country took part in it. In 2015, we dynamically entered not only the all-Russian, but also the international level - teams from Belarus and Kazakhstan will take part in it. In general, during this period, about 100 teams have already taken part in the competition. And we see that the dynamics of the project is colossal. The competition has grown to the level of a prestigious professional championship.
- In your opinion, what is the reason for such success?
– From year to year, the competition not only expands in scope, but also changes qualitatively. When we started this project, we saw with what enthusiasm the participants worked at the qualifying stages. We realized that this format, which we came up with, likes the participants. Every year there were new qualifying stages and new tasks. One year, the contestants prepared training stands for specialized educational institutions, the next year they made a creative presentation of their profession - they shot mini-films, wrote poems and made unusual crafts. Well, traditionally one of the qualifying stages is free assistance to those who need to install plumbing.
- Whom do plumbers help and at whose expense?
- As I said, one of the stages of the contest “The Best Plumber. Ural Cup” is the good deeds of plumbers. Last year, assistance was provided to kindergartens, schools, boarding schools, single pensioners, large families and the disabled. Plumbing is provided by us, as the organizers of the competition, and the task of the participants is to replace it qualitatively and free of charge. It was up to the participants to decide who to help. And we did not limit them in the number of good deeds. As a result, 45 facilities across the country were renovated. This year is an anniversary one, we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Victory, so we decided that assistance would be provided to veterans of the Great Patriotic War.
Good deeds of plumbers - to people
– How do the participants themselves relate to these stages?
– Our participants have the opportunity to show themselves from different angles, reveal their talents, and also do a good and necessary thing. Many admit that these stages bring them great moral satisfaction, as they provide an opportunity to participate in charity and pass on their experience to the younger generation. This is actually a unique format of professional skill competitions, which has no analogues.
- Tell us a secret, what other qualifying stages will be this year?
- In addition to good deeds, we will offer our participants to hold a master class for children who are brought up in orphanages and boarding schools. They have no fathers, they have no one to explain to them how to make minor plumbing repairs at home, fix leaks or change the faucet on their own. Therefore, we decided to organize a lesson where the best plumbers, as experienced mentors, will demonstrate the basics of their craft in practice. Through themselves, through their hearts, they will convey love for their profession, show it from the inside. Perhaps these boys, having talked with successful representatives of the profession, will want to follow in their footsteps. We called this stage "Santechmen's School". And we hope that this lesson, which the guys will receive from professionals, will instill in them respect for work, show that the profession of plumbing is prestigious and in demand.
- And who is Santekhmen?
- This is a collective image of a modern plumber, a professional in his field, a symbol of our competition. It was invented by us in order to popularize this profession even at the kindergarten level. This is a character that children know and love, perhaps even no less than foreign superheroes. Every year we hold a children's drawing contest on the theme "superhero plumber". Last year, 500 children from different regions of the country participated in it. We want as many children as possible to get acquainted with this profession and learn how necessary and important it is.
The modern plumber is a socially responsible citizen
– As far as we know, the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation appreciated this approach.
– Indeed, the Government has been following the development of our competition for several years now, and this year Andrey Chibis, Deputy Minister of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities of the Russian Federation, sent us a letter in which he called this format unique. We were pleased to receive approval at such a high level. For us, this is a project for which we support with all our heart. Many competitions of professional skills are held formally, like a blueprint. And for us, the most important thing is that it was not just a competition for the sake of competition. We really want to show plumbers across the country to be proud of their colleagues, wives, children, brothers, sisters.
– Why did you, an entrepreneur, decide to take this initiative?
– In 1993, I opened the SantekhUral company, which today is one of the leading engineering companies and is engaged in construction equipment in Russia and the CIS countries. We manufacture products under our own trademarks and we want the level of those specialists who are engaged in its installation to be high as well. And now there are few professionals in the labor market. Therefore, we decided not to complain about life, but to take the initiative in our own hands and lead a competition that will promote the professional growth of plumbers, introduce them to innovative materials and increase the prestige of the profession.
- As an employer, as a specialist in this industry, how urgent is the issue of staff shortages now?
- There really is a shortage of personnel, there is a catastrophic shortage of workers. About 70% of all vacancies in the labor market are workers. Today it is difficult to meet a person who agrees to change an office shirt for work clothes or imagine a schoolboy who wants to enter a school and get a profession as a locksmith or plumber. We are not saying that everyone should go to work as plumbers. We say that children should know that such a profession exists. And it’s good if one of them chooses it and develops, grows and improves in it.
- Competition "Best Plumber. Ural Cup" can be called a tool for solving the personnel issue?
- Yes, there are not enough people in working professions. But it is not enough because it is necessary to raise the prestige of working professions at a qualitatively different level. We actually see that competitions help to solve this problem. Of course, if they are not held formally, not within the framework of one enterprise, but when these are open competitions with the involvement of the public and the media, spectators, fans. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his speech to the federal assembly in December 2014, noted that it is necessary to raise the prestige of working professions and hold such competitions of professional skills. This is needed throughout the country to solve the problem of shortage of personnel. And most importantly, for the participants themselves, it is an opportunity to show themselves, to receive recognition and a start in life.
- As the ideological inspirer of the competition, what does it give the participants?
“For us, these are not just participants in the final. Over the course of six months, we communicate a lot with the contestants, help them pass the preliminary tests, and then sincerely rejoice at their success. We see how their lives change during and after the competition. Almost every good deed of the participants was covered on television. Several participants even got on federal channels. Friends, relatives, colleagues also see these successes, are proud of them, and this inspires them to new achievements. They begin to value their profession even more, become more in demand, new prospects open up for them.
- And the winners, probably, also receive monetary incentives?
- In the final of the competition, which will be held on November 20 in Chelyabinsk, the participants of the competition will perform theoretical and several practical tasks. Then the jury will determine the best, and we will solemnly award the winners with prizes of 100, 50 and 30 thousand rubles. This is a solid prize worth fighting for. It is also important that the competition is held in front of spectators - representatives of construction and plumbing organizations. Families, colleagues come to cheer for the participants. Competitions are spectacular, accompanied by performances by artists and an entertainment program, so this holiday can rightly be called Plumber's Day.
How big is the competition in your competition?
- Every year the level of participants is growing, the number of applicants is increasing. We see that the participants of previous years are even more enthusiastic asking to participate this year in order to take revenge and prove that they are the ones who deserve this prize and the title of the best plumber in the country. They already know that the competition is not held “for show”, but for the sake of the participants themselves, and that our competition is even. A lot of applications come from companies from different parts of the country. And we are very pleased that plumbers from neighboring countries also showed interest in our competition. Therefore, this year we are seeing a special excitement. So, indeed, our format of the contest “The Best Plumber. Ural Cup”, which we have developed, is necessary and interesting for the participants. We are confident that it will continue to develop dynamically in the future.
The Chelyabinsk regional competition of professional skills "The Best Plumber" will become an all-Russian competition in 2016. Teams from all subjects of Russia will take part in it. This was announced by the Deputy Minister of Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation, Chief State Housing Inspector Andrey Chibis, who became the guest of honor of the competition held on November 20 in Chelyabinsk.
“The Best Plumber Contest is an important initiative that raises the prestige of a sought-after profession. And today we must show as much as possible how important this work is for ensuring a comfortable life,” the Deputy Minister emphasized.
According to Andrei Chibis, it has historically developed that the plumber is the brand of the housing and communal services industry, and today this is a qualified specialist who understands modern technology, neat and polite. “Housing and communal services are changing, the industry is becoming technological, and all this is thanks to specialists like you,” he said.
The contest "The Best Plumber" was held in Chelyabinsk for the fourth time with the support of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Urals Federal District, as well as with the support of the Governor of the region. According to Andrey Chibis, the organizing committee of the first all-Russian competition of professional skills "The Best Plumber" will be formed in the near future, which will include representatives of the Ministry of Construction of Russia.
"The best plumber. Cup of Russia” is an all-Russian championship of professional skills. Participants - 160 Russian teams from 85 regions of Russia. The main prize is 300,000 rubles.
The championship is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation.
Andrey CHIBIS, Deputy Minister of Construction and Housing:“In Chelyabinsk, they are doing a very correct, real and really cool event. We agreed with the organizers and the leadership of the Chelyabinsk region that it is time to enlarge their experience to the scale of our large country. In 2016, the whole of Russia will choose the best plumber. Thank you, Chelyabinsk, for the positive, emotions and demonstration that housing and communal services are changing.”
Sergei Ermakov,the main organizer of the championship “The Best Plumber. Cup of Russia": "Competition "Best Plumber. Ural Cup" allows you to solve several problems at once. For the participants, this is an exchange of experience and work with new innovative materials, for those in need, this is an opportunity to get free plumbing, and for partners and manufacturers, this is an excellent advertising platform.”
The goal of the championship is popularization of working professions and the formation of a positive image of a working person.
Championship history:
2012 - the first championship in Chelyabinsk
2013 - the composition and geography of participants is expanding - 37 teams from 4 regions and 2 republics participate
2014 - 28 cities joined, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Simferopol, Kazan, Ufa.
2015 - participants from Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus joined.
2016 is an event of a federal scale, participants are from all 85 regions of the Russian Federation, support is provided by the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation. This is the main professional and socially significant event of the industry.
Championship"The best plumber. The Ural Cup takes place throughout the year and consists of three key stages.
Stage 1. GOOD DEEDS
Format: remote
Each team does a good deed in its city - it installs plumbing for veterans, large families or single pensioners. Provides a report.
Stage 2. SANITARY SCHOOL
Format: remote
Teams conduct classes in schools. They show an educational cartoon about their profession and tell in practice what it means to be a real plumber.
Stage 3. FINAL (full-time)
Place: Chelyabinsk
Teams perform test and practical tasks. The results are evaluated by experts and the winners are determined. Presentation of the championship gold cup, certificates and prizes from partners and sponsors.
PARTICIPANTS
- management company representatives
- plumbing teams
- assembly organizations
- construction and trading companies
GEOGRAPHY- 85 regions of the Russian Federation
ORGANIZERS OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Charitable public fund "Dream". For more than 3 years, he has been actively working to support unique projects in the field of education, children's sports and culture. http://www.bf-mechta.ru
Trading house "SantekhUral". One of the leading wholesale plumbing and construction equipment companies throughout Russia. www.tdsu.ru
WITH THE SUPPORT OF
Ministry of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities of the Russian Federation, Government of the Chelyabinsk Region
SPONSORS AND PARTNERS OF THE EVENT - the best Russian and international companies
The format of the competition allows building effective partnerships to solve business problems and opens up the Ural market for new modern sanitary products.
Plumbing Day
There is no professional plumbers' holiday in the official calendar. However, in Chelyabinsk it is celebrated annually on November 22. The Ural Plumbing Day was first held in 2010. Then they chose the best in the profession among the participants in the competition. Moreover, the event was held not within the framework of one enterprise, but within the framework of the whole industry. By 2013, the competition of professional skills has acquired an all-Russian scale, covering participants from several cities in Russia and neighboring countries.
The initiator of the holiday was the Trading House "SantekhUral" - one of the largest companies in the Ural region for the wholesale of plumbing. “Our company is engaged in the supply of modern plumbing, which means that it is interested in its installation and maintenance being carried out by real professionals,” says Sergey Ermakov, chairman of the SUCCI Entrepreneurship Development Committee and CEO of SantekhUral Trade House.
Superhero in the world of plumbing
Unfortunately, over the past few years, the authority of working professions in the country has been greatly shaken. The housing and communal services sector is experiencing a particularly severe shortage of personnel today. For example, in the Chelyabinsk region there are only two educational institutions that train professional plumbers, but this specialty is not particularly popular among young people, and the groups in these institutions are not staffed.
One of the objectives of the contest "The Best Plumber of the Urals" is to change the attitude of young people towards this profession, to form a new positive image of a plumber - a high-level specialist who uses modern high-quality materials and advanced technologies. The symbol of the event was the "superhero in the world of plumbing" - Santechmen. This is a professional in his field, a highly qualified specialist, whose services are constantly in demand.
For the event, the Anthem of the Plumbers of the Urals was specially written and a website was created - day-plumbing.rf. The idea of holding such an event was supported by the Government of the Chelyabinsk Region, the South Ural Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Public Chamber of the Chelyabinsk Region.
The best plumber of the Urals
In 2013, 37 teams from Yekaterinburg, Ufa, Bishkek, Orsk and Chelyabinsk applied for the competition. It was decided to hold the event in several stages. For the qualifying round, the teams prepared two dozen training stands with examples of assembling plumbing units and types of plumbing products, and then handed them over to specialized educational institutions.
Thus, the masters shared their experience with a new generation of plumbers and helped educational institutions with the preparation of visual aids. The second stage of the competition was called "Good deeds of plumbers - to people." Its essence was to provide professional assistance to a kindergarten, school, boarding school or single pensioners, in general, to all those who need it. Participants of the competition changed pipes, repaired or installed new plumbing.
And all this is completely free. The most responsive and noble were determined by online voting. A total of 68.7 thousand votes were cast for the participants of this stage. In the finals, the participants had to quickly and correctly answer theoretical questions in the field of plumbing, and they also had to complete practical tasks - installing a metal-plastic pipe using press fittings and connecting a circulation pump with a bypass.
In addition, within the framework of the "Day of the Plumber of the Urals" a drawing competition "My dad is the best plumber" was held. The children showed that they are really proud of their fathers' profession.
Prize fund
The benefits of such a large-scale event are obvious. Participating companies found business partners and new contractors, specialists "refreshed" the knowledge they needed in their work, and socially unprotected segments of the population received free plumbing assistance.
And most importantly, the winners received valuable gifts. The total prize fund amounted to 200 thousand rubles. The title of "The Best Plumber of the Urals" and a certificate worth 100,000 rubles were awarded for the first place. In addition to cash prizes, participants receive sets of professional plumbing tools, branded overalls and other valuable prizes as gifts.
The sponsors of the Best Plumber of the Urals 2013 contest were: Technoavia, Sanitec Group, Firat Plastik Plant, Orio Group, Wavin Ekoplastik polypropylene pipeline systems, Meter water meters, Chelyabinvestbank OJSC, LD steel ball valves , W. Zorge brass faucets, WDR radiators, RVC plumbing, Qubik pumping equipment.
This year the competition promises to be even bigger. The geography of participants of the event will expand. So, teams from Moscow and Novosibirsk have already submitted a preliminary application. We invite you to become a partner of the Ural Plumbing Day '2014 competition and contribute to the presidential program to popularize blue-collar jobs in Russia. The qualifying stages of the competition will start in July, and on November 22, the new best plumbers of the Urals will be selected. All necessary information can be found on the website. day-plumbing.rf, as well as on the website of the organizers of the competition - the charity fund "Dream" - bf-mechta.ru.
"Day of the Plumber of the Urals" is:
- 91.7 thousand views of information about the competition on the website day-sanitation.rf;
- 37 participating teams from different cities of Russia and neighboring countries;
- 230 spectators in the final of the competition;
- more than 20 partners and sponsors;
- 200 thousand rubles - the prize fund of the competition in 2013.
On September 1, voting was launched in the largest charity plumbing project. For three months, participants in the championship “The Best Plumber. Cup of Russia" did good deeds. Now they are waiting for assessments for the work done on the site www.day-sanitary.rf. Vorkuta plumbers Ivan Eger and Ruslan Shcherbatykh, which replaced the battery, installed new pipes, faucets, a toilet in the apartment veteran of the education system of the polar city Valentina Brazhinskene - participants of the contest number 14. At the moment they have collected almost 50 votes
In the first qualifying round of the championship “Best Plumber. Cup of Russia” was attended by 100 plumbers. All of them became volunteers and went to veterans, pensioners and families with many children to replace the plumbing in their apartments for free. Such a task was invented for specialists by the organizers of the championship of professional skills - the Mechta Charitable Foundation and the SantekhUral Trading House. They also provided all the necessary materials for the work.
According to preliminary estimates, almost one and a half thousand units of plumbing equipment were needed for this action. A great contribution to this action was made by Russian plumbing brands, which became partners of "good deeds". For example, more than 90 Optima brass faucets, 18 WDR heating radiators, 45 ORIO siphons and drains, as well as BioPipe metal-plastic pipes and RVC valves were provided.
Plumbers from Nadym and Priobye became record holders for good deeds. Each of the teams helped four people in need. A large volume was carried out by participants from Yoshkar-Ola. They organized a heating system for a private house in the house of a lonely pensioner, where before that they had been heated with a Russian stove. And the Kirov specialists installed two drinking fountains in the city, installed a summer water supply system and a drip irrigation system in the orphanage.
The plumbers did a great job. They showed the whole country that this profession deserves respect. This is especially important in the context of a shortage of personnel, - says the main organizer of the championship "The Best Plumber. Cup of Russia" Sergey Ermakov.
The kindest team of plumbers will be determined by a vote of experts and Internet users. You can evaluate the work of the contestants on the website www.den-sanitary.rf
At the second stage, the participants will hold master classes in schools and orphanages. This is necessary in order to attract young people to the profession. And the most important competition of plumbers will be held on November 22 in Chelyabinsk. 30 teams from different regions of the country and neighboring countries will compete for the title of the best in the profession. The winners will receive solid cash prizes.