Education

Quote: "Comparing which is better: secondary vocational education or higher education—feels like a game" / ITech content

Quote: "Comparing which is better: secondary vocational education or higher education—feels like a game" / ITech content

Content:

Skillbox Digital College → In-demand professions in IT and design. Diploma of secondary vocational education and assistance in finding a job.

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Acting Rector of the Institute for the Development of Professional Education.

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Comparing secondary vocational education and higher education is an unproductive competition. These are two different paths to entry into the labor market, reflecting different professional paths. It's not so much a choice between a university or a college that matters, but rather recognizing that combining these levels of education can significantly increase career opportunities. Multi-level vocational education is key to becoming a highly qualified specialist. A change in approach is needed: instead of competition, we should develop cooperation with educational institutions, joining forces to achieve common goals.

Context

The "Rector Speaks!" portal published an interview with Natalia Zolotareva, Acting Rector of the Institute for the Development of Professional Education. In the conversation, she highlighted the reasons for the increased interest in secondary vocational education (SVE) in recent years. Statistics confirm this trend: according to information voiced by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, approximately 60% of ninth-grade graduates and approximately 30% of eleventh-grade graduates choose colleges to continue their education. The growth in popularity of mid-level specialist training programs is particularly noticeable, while interest in training skilled workers and employees has significantly declined over the past 20 years. Overall, secondary vocational education remains the most widespread level of vocational training in the country, encompassing almost half of Russians of the corresponding age.

The reasons for the popularity of colleges vary depending on the source. One positive explanation is that colleges offer young people a more pragmatic path to independence and entry into the labor market. Modern colleges are well-equipped and offer practice-oriented education in in-demand professions, allowing them to compete successfully with universities. This is supported by the notion that students in secondary vocational education increasingly choose to pursue their chosen path, even from wealthy families who could afford higher education. Furthermore, research shows that college students tend to be more independent and goal-oriented than their university-educated peers.

Data on the employment and salary of college graduates is not encouraging. Surveys show that students themselves recognize that higher education is necessary to obtain a higher-paying job. It is important to note that only 21.88% of modern colleges boast a well-developed infrastructure for one or more competencies. According to the HSE's Monitoring of the Economics of Education, 35% of colleges are innovative, while 48% of educational institutions are lagging behind. These data highlight the need to improve the quality of education and the equipment of educational institutions to improve the employment prospects of graduates.

The second, negative, theory: the choice of secondary vocational education (SVE) is becoming forced on young people from low-income families, with parents who lack a high level of education, and often from small communities. These young people, as a rule, do not demonstrate high academic achievement. Thus, access to quality education and family support influence their choice, which can limit opportunities for further career advancement and personal development.

Parents aren't always willing to support their teenagers for the long period required to complete high school and enter university. Many don't see the value in higher education because they themselves haven't received it. Furthermore, their children's poor academic performance creates difficulties in securing state-funded places at universities. These difficulties are often linked to the family's financial situation: parents can't afford a good school or additional tutoring, and they don't always have the resources to help their children with their studies. Thus, educational inequality arises: access to grades 10 and 11 and university becomes a privilege, while teenagers from disadvantaged social backgrounds are forced to choose more accessible vocational education programs. This is confirmed by numerous studies by the Higher School of Economics (HSE), which analyze the educational and career trajectories of university graduates, the accessibility of higher education, and the factors influencing the choice of secondary vocational education among young people.

The third version, which is quite widespread, is that specialized preparation for exams (SPE) is an attempt to avoid the mandatory and difficult Unified State Exam (USE). This opinion is supported by the results of a survey conducted among 6,000 college students.

Which version is considered correct? It is likely that each of them influences a specific group of students.

Obtaining basic vocational education is an important step in entering the labor market. Many choose applied professions for various reasons. A significant proportion of students in the secondary vocational education (SPE) system come from low-income families, making obtaining a profession a quick way to start earning money. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of students from middle- and high-income families, especially in specialties in information technology and programming. These programs offer employment opportunities, particularly in the creative industries, design, and computer game development, where a secondary vocational education is sufficient to launch a career. Natalia Zolotareva emphasizes the importance of these trends in the modern educational landscape.

According to the 2021 admissions campaign, the competition for the "Information Security" program at colleges was 34 applicants per state-funded spot, while the "Fine and Applied Arts" program had 25 applicants per spot. Tuition for in-demand paid programs at colleges is comparable to that at higher education institutions. Therefore, programs in information technology and creative professions are becoming accessible only to a limited number of applicants from more affluent families. These programs are attracting growing interest from prospective students, as confirmed by research from the Higher School of Economics. However, a higher education is not required for successful work in these industries, which may also contribute to increased interest in colleges. Most students in secondary vocational education (SVE) choose more traditional professions, primarily in the technical field, which is often a forced choice.

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