Indicators of the Interrelation between the Education System and the Labor Market: Development and Testing

Abstract

Introduction. Ensuring the consistency of regional vocational education systems with the labor markets demands is a nationwide task of strategic importance. It causes the development of methodological tools instrumental in a quick and objective assessment of the current state of regional educational systems in the context of their interaction with the region’s labor markets. The aim of the article is to develop indicators of the relationship between the system of vocational education and the labor market and to test the calculation of these indicators in the Russian regions. Materials and Methods. The research methodology includes substantiation, development and formalization of indicators of the interrelation between the education system and the labor market. The first indicator characterizes the potential of the regional vocational education system to provide places for the admission of its own graduates of the 9th and 11th grades of schools. The second indicator assesses the supply of the regional labor market with graduates of the regional system of vocational education. To calculate the proposed indicators, official statistical reporting data are used. Results. In the course of research, using statistical data for 2018–2020, the proposed indicators were calculated for all Russian regions. Based on the cluster analysis of the indicators calculated values, a typology of Russian regions was made, during which five types of stable regions associations with homogeneous characteristics were identified. The strengths and weaknesses of regional educational systems are identified, including in the context of their interaction with the region’s labor markets. Discussion and Сonclusion. The developed indicators allowed to quickly assess the potential of the regions, on the one hand, to provide school graduates with vocational education, and on the other hand, to meet the economy staffing needs by graduates of universities and vocational educational organizations. The results of the study are of undoubted practical significance and will be useful to executive authority in developing recommendations for bringing education systems in line with regional development priorities, strengthening and developing regional educational systems.