Kavkaz.RF and NCFU signed a roadmap for personnel training.
As part of the business program of the III Caucasus Investment Forum, a roadmap for cooperation was signed between Kavkaz.RF, the North Caucasus Federal District Development Institute, and North Caucasus Federal University. The partnership aims to combine the university's scientific potential with the corporation's practical expertise to address key issues of the region's socioeconomic growth.
On April 29, Kavkaz.RF CEO Andrey Yumshanov and NCFU Rector Professor Tatyana Shebzukhova signed the document. The roadmap developed between the development institute and the flagship federal university contains six areas.
"The partnership is deeply practical and systemic. We have developed a full-cycle training program in tourism – from skilled trades and secondary vocational education to higher education programs. We see our main goal as aligning our curricula with the real challenges facing the tourism industry. "We have already actively participated in the work of the regional Association for the Development of Human Resources in the Tourism Industry of the North Caucasus Federal District, created with the support of Kavkaz.RF," said NCFU Rector and Professor Tatyana Shebzukhova.
Joint research and expert support for projects will also be a key component of this collaboration. University researchers and specialists will be involved in evaluating investment initiatives, developing master plans for territories, including the Caucasian Mineral Waters agglomeration, and creating tourism clusters.
"The tourism industry in the North Caucasus is experiencing a boom: tourist traffic has increased 2.5-fold in five years, but a labor shortage is one of the factors hindering even more rapid growth. According to expert estimates, by 2030, the shortage of qualified tourism specialists in the North Caucasus will exceed 100,000. Of course, we cannot remain on the sidelines—the labor shortage is a pressing issue for both our resorts and our resident hoteliers and restaurateurs." "We will progressively address this challenge through systemic measures and targeted cooperation," commented Andrey Yumshanov, CEO of Kavkaz.RF.
Joint research is planned in priority areas for the district, such as the agro-industrial complex, renewable energy, and creative industries, using NCFU's laboratory facilities.
North Caucasian Federal University (NCFU) is launching a series of continuing education programs at the School of Caucasian Hospitality at the Pyatigorsk Institute of North Caucasian Federal University – for both hotel and travel company employees, as well as for those just beginning their professional careers. The roadmap includes off-site training and seminars for the business community in all regions of the North Caucasian Federal District.
The Federal University will participate in the regional Association for the Development of Human Resources in the Tourism Industry of the North Caucasian Federal District, created with the support of Kavkaz.RF. Every student studying in relevant fields at North Caucasian Federal University will have the opportunity to complete an internship or secure their first job at leading companies in the district.
One of the key social areas of the roadmap is the development of tourism-related initiatives for people with disabilities. Additional educational programs and tourism products are planned, taking into account best international practices for people with disabilities, as well as the regional characteristics and mentality of the North Caucasus.
At its stand at KIF-2026, Kavkaz.RF presented its first projects in the human resources area – the work of the Human Resources Development Association and a career portal created in collaboration with Headhunter.