Irek Mukhametshin from Vysokogorsky District named best excavator operator in Tatarstan
The results of the regional stage of the All-Russian competition “Best in Profession” in the category “Excavator Operator” have been summed up in Tatarstan.
This competition in this category was held in the republic for the first time. It was organized by the Ministry of Construction, Architecture and Housing and Communal Services of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Center for the Development of Professional Competencies, and the Kazan Automobile Transport College named after A.P. Obydennov.
Representatives of Kazenergo JSC, the municipal enterprise Vodokanal of Kazan, WINNER Kazan LLC (Vysokogorsky District), and Almetyevsk-Vodokanal JSC took part in the competition. Each of them passed a preliminary selection stage and confirmed a high level of training.
Participants had to answer theoretical questions on occupational safety and equipment operation rules. They also completed complex practical tasks requiring both technical skills and ingenuity. For example, using a 22-ton tracked excavator, they had to collect three basketballs into a 1.3 cubic meter bucket, drop them into a barrel, accurately hit targets, and stack metal planks.
All participants were highly motivated to win. Dmitry Yaikov from Kazan Vodokanal has been working as an excavator operator since the age of 18, has experience in competitions, and achieved the second result in this contest.
“I liked the organization. There were difficult moments, but I overcame them. During training, we all performed well. Today we were a bit nervous. You need to feel the excavator — completing many tasks with a large bucket within 10–15 minutes requires maximum concentration and endurance,” Dmitry said.
After a tough competition, the winner was Irek Mukhametshin from WINNER Kazan LLC. He will represent Tatarstan at the federal stage, which is preliminarily scheduled for September.
Irek Mukhametshin has been working as an excavator operator for more than 22 years.
“It was not easy to get the ball into the basket and drop three balls into the barrel at once. The rest of the tasks were not as difficult for me. I believe such competitions are very important because we meet, communicate, learn from each other, and share experience,” he said.
The All-Russian competition “Best in Profession” has been held since 2012. Since 2025, it has been included in the program of the national project “Human Resources.” Cash prizes are предусмотрены for each category: 1,000,000 rubles for first place, 500,000 rubles for second place, and 300,000 rubles for third place.