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FORMATION OF NATIONAL AND REGIONAL SYSTEMS OF CONTINUOUS FORMATION, UNIVERSITIES AS THE CENTRES OF CONTINUOUS FORMATION AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHES
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AS ONE OF THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH
N. E. Kolesnikov
Everlasting relevance of training of skilled staff, particularly, workers and middle specialists continues in the current conditions of crisis where employment of the available manpower is a problem in many cases. However, even today, many enterprises have a need for skilled, the more so, highly skilled employees. What is more important is that without such specialists one cannot expect that the Russian economy will quickly overcome the current financial and economic situation and continue to develop.
Let us consider a few questions of staff training in primary and secondary vocational education institutions.
From the perspective of preparing young people for work, the preferred areas of work and occupations and selection of occupations are clearly reflected in disproportional distribution of school leavers in favor of higher professional education. In many educational centers of the country (for instance, St. Petersburg), the number of enrollees in higher education institutions is almost equal to that of school leavers. A certain level of enrollment in primary and secondary vocational education institutions is only maintained by enrollees from other regions and provinces who move to large cities to continue their education. At the same time, the demand of the economy for skilled workers and specialists with a middle level of qualification is met by graduates from these education institutions in St. Petersburg only by 5 - 10%. This has caused the current critical staffing situation, where the number of specialists with higher education who "settle down" in the cities is 4.5 times as much as required, while that of those with primary and secondary vocational education is 2 and 7 times as less as required, respectively. Therefore it takes a long time for many graduates from higher education institutions to find a suitable job, while a lot of funds (both budgetary and personal), efforts and time are spent to train them. They are often forced to agree to jobs that are far from being in line with the
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level of their qualification or to master the second, more relevant profession at their own expense. It seems to us that in order to overcome these disproportions in meeting the staff needs of the regional economy taking into account its current and prospective development we should unconditionally and profoundly enhance the role of primary and secondary vocational education (hereinafter referred to as PVE and SVE, respectively). It has been especially so for the recent decades when the rate of degradation of this subsystem of the Russian education system increased.
According to the statistical data, the number of education institutions and students in the subsystem of primary vocational education has been decreasing since 1995. The greatest rate of decrease was observed starting from 2005 when these education institutions were placed under the supervision of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in order to optimize the structure of training and improve utilization of workforce in regions. That was a good intention of the said transformation, but its practical implementation, unfortunately, appeared to prejudice the PVE and SVE system and hence the economies of the regions. The constituent entities of the Russian Federation presently supervise about 90% of the primary vocational education institutions. As of January 1, 2007, the Russian PVE system included 3,207 education institutions and the number of students amounted to about 1,413 thousand people (of which full-time education institutions accounted for 2,846 thousand people, and evening (shift-based) and other institutions accounted to 361 thousand people). For reference: in 2004, the number of PVE institutions was 3,686 with the total number of students of 1,604 thousand people (2007 vs. 2004 in percentage: 87% and 88%, respectively). The number of skilled workers also goes down: from 762.8, thousand people in 2000 down to 679,7 thousand in 2006 (by 11%). The number of skilled workers who graduated in 2006 was 101 per 10,000 of employed persons against 118 in 2000. This trend is also observed in the key groups of occupations, for which statistical data is available [1].
PVE institutions train skilled workers in 291 occupations. Moreover, PVE institutions increasingly offer short-term training courses for adults who already have vocational education, in particular, based on the orders from the regional employment services, agreements with employers and individuals. As a result, the amount of core training in these education institutions is only 1.5 times as much as the amount of short-term training and re-training of workers.
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The quality of staff training in PVE institutions often fails to meet the requirements of modern production and the employers' demands. The problem is not only imperfect training technology and outdated equipment, which prevents students from gaining a proper level of qualification, but also qualification itself. The requirements to the level of qualification of a graduate set forth in the educational standard, in particular, prescribe that training should correspond to the 3rd grade. Therefore enterprises have to provide workers, who have graduated from vocational colleges and schools, with additional training corresponding to the 4th or 5th grades, so that they are able to participate in production processes to the fullest extent possible. Experts suggest that in order to overcome this and other similar deficiencies in vocational training of skilled workers in PVE institutions students should spend more time practicing their vocational skills. The education institutions should be granted the right to provide more profound and in-depth vocational education in major occupations. Moreover, they should train their graduate students in allied occupations, so that they gain qualification grades and professional qualification profiles required by production. When providing support to employers, the vocational colleges and schools should increasingly undertake the functions of permanent skills improvement centers for adults (along with training teenagers in their first blue-collar occupation).
Secondary vocational education institutions deal with training of middle specialists along with providing them with blue collar skills in particularly complex occupations that require that a specialist has secondary vocational education in accordance with the wage rate and qualification characteristics or professional standards. As it is known, there are currently two key types of secondary vocational education institutions in this country: technical school and college. Technical schools implement the basic secondary vocational education programs. Colleges implement the basic and advanced secondary vocational education programs.
The statistical data shows that over the recent years, the development of secondary vocational education was more successful in terms of quantitative indicators than that of primary vocational education. As of January 1, 2007, the number of secondary vocational education institutions in Russia amounted to 2,847, including 2,631 state and 216 non-state institutions (92% and 8%, respectively), with the total number of students of 2,514 thousand people, of whom 2,388.9 thousand people studied in state institutions and 125.2 thousand people studied in non-state institutions (95% and 5%, respectively). For reference: in 2004, the number
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of SVE institutions was 2,805 (99% against 2007), including 2,637 state and 168 non-state institutions (100% and 78% against 2007, respectively). Approximately 60% of the total number of the secondary vocational education institutions is under the supervision of the constituent entities of the Federation. SVE institutions train skilled workers and middle specialists in 260 occupations. Knowledge and technology intensive occupations account for 15% of the total number.
Analysis of the structure of training of skilled workers and specialists in SVE institutions shows that there is a persistent problem in this area: for many years the structure and scales of staff training have not been in line with the needs of the regional and national economies. 40% of the graduates from SVE institutions are economists and lawyers; only 18% of the graduates are trained to work in industry; 7% - in transport, 7% - in intensively growing building industry; 4% - in agricultural production, and 5% - in service sector, catering and housing and utilities sector. All this is mainly caused by orientation of secondary vocational education towards raising non-budgetary funds by means of providing training in marketable occupations (lawyers, economists, specialists of beauty parlors, etc.) on a contractual basis. Underfinancing of education institutions from the local and federal budgets forces them to raise non-budgetary funds in order to pay wage supplements to SVE employees, thereby retaining the staff.
Until recently, primary and secondary vocational education had to tackle the problem of its own survival in the first place. Inadequate amounts of budget finance and investment, in fact, brought to naught their opportunities to upgrade their educational and material resources. The employers did not see strong economic incentives to invest in these education institutions. As a result, more than 70% of the equipment has exhausted its service life. There is almost no new construction or reconstruction of buildings and dormitories. The lowest level of remuneration and scholarships in education hampered the renewal and innovative development of staff of education institutions (teachers and training officers). Domination of higher education and orientation of general education schools exclusively towards meeting the requirements of universities have a negative impact on prestige and efficiency of PVE and SVE.
A new stage in the development of the subsystem of primary and secondary vocational education started in 2007 when the government began to provide a profound support to these education institutions, primarily, in the framework of the "Education" National Project. An independent area of activities, which has been implemented under this
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National Project since that time, is known as the "State support to training of regular workforce and specialists for highly technological production facilities in state primary and secondary vocational education institutions" (the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of December 30, 2006, No. 850). A strategic task is to overcome a gap between the structure, scale and scope (quality) of training of skilled staff of the qualification level in question and the demands of enterprises in different sectors of the economy. The governmental support to the implementation of the innovative programs in primary and secondary vocational education institutions amounted to 1.8 bln rubles. The co-finance, including that from the budgets of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and employers' money, amounted to 2 bln rubles, exceeding the amount of the state support (1.1 bln rubles of that was provided by employers). This reflects an interest of both regional authorities and employers in improving training of skilled workers and middle specialists.
Implementation of this project at the level of primary and secondary vocational education involves the development of interactions between the education institutions of this subsystem and employers; acceleration of creation and development of the relevant innovative educational resources, including the development of a new generation of state educational standards; the creation and implementation of innovative teaching methodologies and technologies, etc., which ultimately contributes to the improvement of the quality of vocational education in these education institutions. A new phenomenon in the framework of these transformations is the establishment of resource centers and development of new organizational forms of vocational education. The government has elaborated the Package of Measures for the Development of Primary and Secondary Vocational Education for the Period Until 2010, which is implemented through the projects of the Federal Target Program for the Development of Education for 2006 - 2010. Another package of measures for the period until 2010 involves the improvement of vocational education structure in terms of the scope of training in colleges, technical schools and vocational colleges and schools; the establishment of closer relationships with enterprises; the renewal of the material and technical facilities of education institutions; the provision of training of staff with qualifications required by production, primarily, highly skilled workers.
It is expected that upon completion of this 3-year phase of the National Project it will be extended until 2010 - 2011 and the annual state
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support to primary and secondary vocational education will be increased up to 3.6 bln rubles.
Funds allocated for the development of the vocational education system are primarily used to improve the educational and material resources. Educational machines, laboratory and classroom equipment should not only be modern, but also capable of meeting the requirements of tomorrow. The technical and material facilities of this type are increasingly often created these days through a merger of several education institutions, which are related in terms of technology and occupation, into powerful educational centers.
One of the important drivers of the future successful development of the primary and secondary vocational education subsystem is to ensure proper staffing with teachers and training officers. The current lack of such staff in many respects hampers the modernization of the educational processes in these institutions, primarily, in the education institutions subordinated to the federal center (as can be seen from the regional experience). One of the major reasons for this is low salary, which, in many cases, does not correspond to the level of qualification of these specialists.
An important area in the development of the primary and secondary vocational education subsystems is to integrate the PVE and SVE programs and create relevant integrated (two-cycle) vocational institutions at the facilities of the existing colleges and technical schools. Another tendency is to transform vocational schools into specialized secondary education institutions (technical schools and colleges) which will continue to provide training on the PVE programs. This should ensure an increase in enrollment and amount of training on the SVE programs on the basis of PVE, which is quite relevant in the context of the current demographic situation and low popularity of primary vocational education institutions among young people.
The integration processes help to eliminate duplications in training of skilled workers and specialists of middle and high professional level and to ensure more efficient utilization of financial resources, material and technical facilities, educational and laboratory resources and staff capacities.
Today, the vocational education institutions increasingly often develop into multifunctional facilities that are capable of not only providing a primary qualification, but also continuously improving and developing it as the production requirements to the human factor grow and develop. The same modern classrooms, laboratories and workshops provide the space
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for some students to learn their basic occupation, for others to be trained in additional profession, and for employed persons to master an allied occupation or upgrade their skills. Training throughout one's working life has become an objective requirement of the developing innovative economy and increasingly becomes a daily reality. It is expected that the federal educational standards for a new generation of PVE and SVE will be developed and put into effect before 2010. It is the first time that these standards are to be developed in cooperation with employers. They will help to establish direct links between the basic functions of labor activity and necessary education attainments and professional competences of graduates. The new standards will provide for more freedom of vocational education institutions in defining the scope of vocational program taking into account the wishes of employers.
An important and complicated task for many years has been to ensure that school leavers are oriented towards being trained in blue-collar occupations in accordance with the demands of the labor market. Recently, the regional authorities began to pay more attention to vocational guidance, hoping to redress the situation where all school leavers aspire to enter higher education institutions. For example, the municipal authorities of St. Petersburg implement the Program of Vocational Guidance and Adaptation of Students of General, Primary and Secondary Vocational Education Institutions to the Labor Market. The program is targeted to schools, lyceums, colleges and technical schools. The participants of the program are parents, employers, public associations which represent their interests, etc. The scientific and methodological support of this activity is provided by the Center for Human Resources Management in the Region (a division of the Academy of Post-graduate Pedagogical Education), which examines the situation on the labor market, demand and supply dynamics, etc.
Apart from the vocational education institutions, which are interested in inflow of general school leavers to their classrooms, and enterprises, which are concerned with the deficit of skilled workers and middle specialists, public institutes also play their role in helping young citizens of the country to select an area of occupation. Mass media (TV, radio, printed media, movies) could have taken an active part in providing young people with guidance in the world of professions and occupations. They daily tell us about the advantages and achievements in culture, about festivals and competitions in music, cinema, etc., while the staffing problems in the real economy are only mentioned passingly and occasionally. At the same time, complete information about the modern status of staff training in primary
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and secondary education institutions, brand new qualifications of graduates, their prospects and opportunities for further professional and social growth and development could provide a different, more positive perspective to the opinion about these education institutions and occupations. It is important that senior school pupils and their parents see that primary and secondary education currently undergoes transformations to be smoothly integrated into the single vocational education system of the regions and the country.
Along with that, a no less important role in increasing the prestige of the occupations in question and the respective area of work as a whole is played by the scope and conditions of work at the workplaces where skilled (as well as low-skilled and unskilled) workers and middle specialists are employed. We believe that this issue is one of the key issues (along with, for instance, remuneration) from the perspective of shaping a positive attitude to mass technical labor and respective occupations among young people. While the issues of remuneration of skilled workers are in many cases solved positively, the scope and conditions of work at the workplaces ("conditions of work" are understood here in a restricted sense in terms of its heaviness, harmfulness to health, sanitary and hygienic criteria, etc.) for the majority of blue-collar occupations in Russia (be it in industry, construction or other sectors) still belong to the domain which is neglected by employers, who for the most part own our economy.
The programs for innovative restructuring of the economy of the regions and the country as a whole or the pinpoint islands of nanotechnology and similar initiatives encompass only the tip of the economic and socio-economic "iceberg", which is far from being determinative. A large-scale transformation on the basis of such principles for the purpose of solving said problems at workplaces and maintaining the occupations of the lowest and middle qualification field does not take place and we are unlikely to observe considerable changes here in the nearest future. One can hardly expect any progress without active governmental involvement in work aiming to radically redesign the scope and conditions of work at mass workplaces, hence, the scope and qualification requirements of the key blue-collar occupations in the economy. A comprehensive and profound redesign of the scope and conditions of work for workers, in particular, skilled workers, who are trained in the primary and secondary vocational education institutions, is one of the critical factors for making these occupations more attractive, first of all, in the eyes of young people who have to choose their future professional career. Without
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taking these measures we cannot seriously believe that talks and persuasions in the framework of vocational guidance are capable of convincing teenagers to select to become, for example, a fitter or a machine operator, unless they are forced to do so by other life circumstances.
Reference
Российский статистический ежегодник. 2007. - М.: Росстат, 2007, с. 229 и др.
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