UDC 378
DOI 10.20339/AM.04-26.011
Victor P. Soloviev, Cand. Sci. (Engineering), Professor, National University of Science and Technology MISIS, e-mail: solovjev@mail.ru
The problems of changes of two levels of domestic professional education at the present stage are considered. Currently, vocational education is managed not only by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, but also by the Ministry of Education in terms of secondary vocational education. A set of information on the training of qualified workers (employees), middle-level specialists and specialists with higher education is presented. There has been a significant decrease in the training of workers and employees between 2000 and 2023: the number of admissions decreased by 4 times, and the number of graduates decreased by 4.5 times. Currently, there is a shortage of specialists with secondary vocational education in all sectors of the national economy. Secondary vocational education programs are provided by independent colleges, which are founded by regional education authorities, and colleges affiliated with universities. The content of educational standards for higher education and secondary vocational education indicates that they are identical in structure and basic formulations. The difference in the training of specialists at these two levels lies in the content and implementation of educational programs. A comparison of the training of bachelor's degree holders in mechanics and engineering has shown that colleges train educated workers who can only hold primary engineering and technical positions at the 3rd to 5th level of qualification after gaining practical experience. Currently, the higher professional education system is undergoing transformations that include changes in the structure of personnel training, updating of educational standards, and the introduction of modern teaching technologies. The system of training workers and mid-level specialists should not be left out. There were doubts about the Ministry of Education's ability to modernize secondary vocational education due to the fragmentation of management in this area. It has been proposed to establish a State Committee for Secondary Vocational Education under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, which has the closest connection with the consumers of educational institutions’ graduates, and to include the Professional Qualification Councils, which are responsible for developing and updating professional standards and qualification requirements, in this activity. This is a direct link to the training of workers and mid-level specialists.
Keywords: higher and secondary vocational education, profession, specialty, technical school, college, educational standard, qualification
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