Modernization of secondary vocational education in the context of the development of the national system of qualifications

Abstract

In March 2021, the National Council for Professional Qualifications under the President of the Russian Federation approved the Strategy for the Development of the National Qualifications System of the Russian Federation until 2030. Almost at the same time, the List of initiatives for the socio-economic development of the Russian Federation until 2030 was approved, among which a special place belongs to the project “Professionalitet”, which involves a large-scale transformation of secondary vocational education. The coincidence of the priorities outlined by the documents became the basis for studying the possibilities of using the tools of the national qualifications system for the successful implementation of the “Professionalitet” project.An analysis of measures to reform secondary vocational education over the past ten to fifteen years is given, the purpose of which is to ensure that the qualifications of graduates meet the requirements of the economy. The study of the data of monitoring studies, expert assessments led to the conclusion that as a result of the experiments there were some successful practices for the training of skilled workers and mid-level specialists, however, for the system as a whole, the effects turned out to be more modest than expected.It is shown that, since the project “Professionalitet”, based on the experience of previous initiatives, should offer a systematic solution to the problem of staff shortages, it is inappropriate to consider its implementation outside the context of the development of the national qualifications system as a whole. As part of the experiment, a new approach to the training of working personnel should be developed, which implies more flexible principles for the work of professional educational organizations, and the active involvement of business representatives in educational programs. This is possible if the state interacts with employers, the professional community, and educational organizations. Mechanisms for such interaction have been formed and continue to develop within the framework of the national qualifications system.On specific examples, it is considered how the tools of the national qualifications system can be used to determine the requirements for the results, content, terms of mastering the educational programs “Professionalitet”, assessing the quality of their implementation, ensuring the right of students to receive and confirm qualifications that are understandable to employers and in demand on the labor market.