May 7, 2014. KBTM, a member enterprise of Uralvagonzavod Scientific and Production Corporation, coordinated its traditional skills contest for blue-collar workers. Welders, turners, and numeric program control machine operators (some thirty people altogether) competed for the right to be called the best in their fields, the corporation's press service says.

'KBTM holds skills contests every year in order to enhance the prestige of highly skilled workers, single out the best people in their fields, promote their achievements and advanced experience, and provide professional training (which is the main factor that impacts the efficiency and the quality of production), and offer the young workers something to do. The contestants are young people under 35 years of age who do their work conscientiously throughout the year and haven't violated either disciplinary or safety regulations,' the press release says.

The contest consists of two stages, a practical and a theoretical one. First, the contestants had to demonstrate their practical skills and then they sat an exam.

'Machine operators were the smallest group this year, they competed on the last day of the contest at two of the Mechanical Assembly departments. They had to make a certain spare part within a set time limit that would meet strict quality standards. All the contestants passed this test very well, but Vyacheslav Yakushin was the best. Nikolai Simonenko proved the best turner, and Talgat Antipov proved the best welder,' the company reports.

The awarding ceremony and the giving out of certificates and valuable prizes will take place during the solemn Victory Day event.