Schoolchildren were asked to think about where they would like to go to study: to a university or to a secondary vocational school?

Where to go to study: college or university? If five years ago for the majority of school graduates this choice was quite obvious, the guys chose institutes to get a profession, but now the situation has changed. Almost 60 graduates of secondary educational institutions choose to study at secondary vocational schools, and the competition of certificates in them, at least if we talk about studying at a budgetary department, is 4.5-4.7 points.

As part of the professional orientation forum “Projectoria”, which takes place in Yaroslavl, a panel discussion was held on the topic: “Where to go to study: university or secondary vocational education?” The meeting participants agreed that many ninth grade graduates choose the “optimal” strategy for their professional development: they first go to secondary vocational schools, get a profession there, and then continue their development at a university. And employers are very willing to take such guys into their ranks, because they understand that in addition to theoretical knowledge, they also have practical ones.

According to Natalia Kravchenko, Chairman of the Commission for the Development of Preschool, School, Secondary Vocational Education and Educational Activities of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, the prestige of secondary vocational education is enhanced by its high quality. Modern equipment has been installed in colleges and technical schools, on which students study, the guys get applied skills at specialized enterprises.

“Now the federal program “Professionality” is being developed, which connects SPO even more tightly with direct “customers for personnel”, makes secondary vocational education as much as possible subject and practice-oriented,” said Natalia Kravchenko.

Vice-Rector for Youth Policy of the Moscow State University of Food Production Vladimir Shutenko also believes that the most sought-after specialists are obtained from college graduates who then moved to the university: they can lead the process and understand it from the perspective of production and technology.

– At the level of secondary education, you study a profession, and higher education prepares managers. A good manager is one who can do everything himself, – said Vladimir Shutenko.

Igor Barsukov, Deputy Director of the Center for the National Technology Olympiad at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, said in his speech that everything depends on the desires of the youngest person: if he wants to immerse himself in science and do research, his place is at the university. If a school graduate wants to do something with his own hands, then his path to SPO.

Alexei Kovalishin, Deputy Director for Nuclear Technology at the National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute” reminded forum participants, which is absolutely certain that in the near future Russia will need both specialists with higher education and specialists capable of servicing these complex machines.

Mona Platonov.

Photo by Alexander Avilov / Moskva Agency