Features of organizing pre-professional education and specialized training: Summarizing international experience and integration opportunities in Russian schools

Ilya V. Afanasyev, Cand. Sc. (Jurisprudence), Docent, Associate Professor at the Department of Legal Regulation of Economic Activity, Faculty of Law Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow city, SPIN-code: 6869-0985, AuthorID: 782823, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9628-820X, e-mail: ivafv7@gmail.com

Svetlana M. Kunitsyna, Cand. Sc. (Pedagogy), Associate Professor, Research Fellow Research Department (Military Humanitarian Studies) Research Center (Military Applied Studies) Alexander Nevsky Military University of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Moscow city, SPIN-code: 8283-5690, AuthorID: 590261, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0674-7204, e-mail: svetlana28061979@mail.ru

The article focuses on analyzing the pedagogical foundations necessary for enhancing pre-professional education and specialized training in Russian general education institutions. Special emphasis is placed on the need to adapt these systems to dynamic changes in the global educational landscape through the integration of accumulated international experience. It highlights that Russian scholars and practicing educators are actively developing new forms and methods of specialized education, with international practices playing a central role in this work. The study aims to identify pedagogical foundations for organizing pre-professional education and specialized training that align with current educational challenges. The methodological framework involves analyzing mechanisms for organizing pre-professional and specialized education in countries with advanced educational systems, including China, Canada, the United States, Germany, and others, while considering their regulatory, organizational, and content-related aspects. The scientific novelty of the article lies in synthesizing international experience and identifying key trends in the development of pre-professional education and specialized training, such as practice-oriented approaches, the integration of general and vocational education, the use of credit systems, and the modeling of professional environments. Particular attention is given to Chinese research, which focuses on institutional reforms to bridge the gap between general and vocational education. The practical significance of the article lies in its recommendations for the Russian educational system, proposing mechanisms to adapt elements of foreign models. These adaptations are expected to improve students’ self-determination, readiness for career choices, and engagement with professional environments. Key results include the identification of effective pre-professional and specialized education models developed and successfully implemented abroad, along with their characteristics; the identification of elements adaptable to Russia; and the determination of conditions for their successful implementation. The article outlines future research prospects in this field, emphasizing the need to explore flexible and innovative approaches to student career guidance, accounting for global trends (digitalization, humanization of education) and regional specifics. Key directions include methods for integrating the discussed models into Russian educational practice and examining the role of social partnerships in enhancing the quality of pre-professional education and specialized training.

Keywords: pre-professional education, specialized training, unified career guidance model, general education institutions

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