State Duma Deputy Anton Nemkin proposed making internships in state institutions mandatory for students pursuing IT specialties, with the entire funding covered by the budget. The plan was announced through DEA News and has since been formally presented in a written bill. Nemkin has sent the accompanying draft to the Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov and the Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadayev, requesting that their ministries assume responsibility for the program. A notable clause in the document states that the internships would be funded from public coffers, while students who choose to pay out of pocket would not be bound by this requirement.
Nemkin argues that Russia currently faces a considerable shortage of IT professionals, a gap that is especially acute within government agencies and other budget-funded institutions. The deputy contends that bringing students into the public sector for structured, long-term IT internships could help alleviate this shortfall and inject fresh energy into government technology projects. He emphasizes that the aim is not to replace experienced developers but to give third-year students, who already possess a solid foundation, the chance to work on real tasks under the guidance of a mentor, gradually increasing their responsibilities as they learn.
The proposed law is described as a modification to the federal law On Education, designed to authorize the allocation of budget funds to place senior IT students in state authorities and budgetary organizations for extended internships. According to Nemkin, this approach would bridge the gap between academic training and practical government needs, helping to cultivate a pipeline of qualified IT specialists ready to contribute to public sector projects. The arrangement would also facilitate the practical application of student work, enabling them to develop solutions that could be integrated into official processes and systems.
Under this initiative, students would not only gain hands-on experience but also have opportunities to advance their own projects. Some of these student projects could be advanced to full development and even credited as part of their thesis requirements, providing a tangible incentive to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations. The proposal envisions a mentorship model where a seasoned government IT supervisor oversees the interns and helps translate academic learning into practical outcomes that serve public administration needs.
It is important to note that this proposal follows reporting that, at the start of 2023, there was a decline in optimism among Russian IT professionals about their future prospects within the domestic IT sector. Nemkin’s initiative is framed as a response to that sentiment and as a strategic effort to strengthen the domestic IT workforce, particularly within the public sector, by nurturing talent from the early stages of higher education. The outcome of the bill and the level of support it receives from the ministries will determine whether this program moves forward, how it would be implemented, and what safeguards would be put in place to ensure quality, accountability, and alignment with national education standards.