Life Skills for Employability, Citizenship and Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Vocationalization in Russia

Abstract

Embedded in the modernisation of the Russian educational system is the concept of the vocationalisation of secondary schooling. This article analyses this concept from three perspectives: learning for work; learning about work; and understanding the nature of work. Vocationalisation claims to develop students’ life skills for employability. The argument of this article is that, through the analysis of a brief history of vocational education and training (VET) in Russia that links training, upbringing and Russian concepts of sustainable development, it may be concluded that life skills for citizenship and sustainable development can be developed via the vocationalisation of secondary school, a great deal of work is needed to expand the knowledge of educators in this regard.