Rafael Yakhin as part of WorldSkills Russia national team took part in meeting with Russian President in Kremlin

UFA, 27 October 2017. /Bashinform News Agency, Elmira Sabirova/. Rafael Yakhin, the bronze medalist of WorldSkills-2017 World Championship in Abu Dhabi, was in the Kremlin as part of the WorldSkills Russia national team, where he met with the President of Russia.

"All those who worked with you, and you yourselves, put in an enormous amount of work. I am referring to your coaches, experts and teachers, " said Vladimir Putin, referring to the participants of competitions in the UAE. "I mentioned your victory and recalled that we only joined this movement in 2012 and competed for the first time in 2013 when we placed just 41st. And now you placed first in total points. This is simply stunning progress.

Proceeding from what you have achieved we will draft future personnel training programs, and this is one of our most important areas. The Government and the relevant agencies are taking into account all these modern trends so that colleges and other secondary and higher educational institutions make adjustments to training programmes, including the training of those who work with you, your teachers".

The head of state stressed that the country needed such professionals.

"Incidentally, how many members did your team have - 58? You did a brilliant job. But the economy needs hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands of specialists like you. Let me congratulate you once again and wish you all the best," Vladimir Putin concluded.

The Russian national team was represented by 58 competitors and 52 experts from 24 regions of the country and took part in the competitions in all 52 competencies at WorldSkills International.

Apart from high scores the Russian team was fifth in the number of medals won. It took 11 medals, including six gold, four silver and one bronze. It was won by the fourth-year student of the Sibai multidisciplinary professional college Rafael Yakhin in the competence of "Stonecutting".