VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
AND LABOUR MARKET
ISSN 2307-4264 (Print) ISSN 2712-9268 (Online)

Assessment of compliance of the structure of training of mid-level specialists with the staffing needs of the economy of the Far Eastern Federal District


Introduction. The primary goal of  the vocational education system is  to prepare personnel for regional economies. It is evident that this preparation should align with the prospective regional and industry-specific personnel needs. However, since the early 1990s, education has been funded not only by the state but also through contracts for paid educational services, based on  the personal preferences of  applicants and their families. This shift has led to  a potentially imbalanced structure in  the preparation of specialists. Therefore, analysing the correspondence between the structure of midlevel specialist (MLS) training and the personnel needs of a region’s economy, including the Far East, becomes crucial. 

Aim. To  conduct an  analysis of  the correspondence between the structure of  MLS training and the personnel needs of the Far Eastern Federal District’s economy and its constituent regions. 

Methods. The analysis involved comparing the share of  specific aggregated groups of  specialties and training directions (AGST) in  the structure of  admissions to  MLS programmes with the share of  individuals employed in  organisations related to  corresponding types of  economic activities. Using different classifiers and having specialists of various professions employed in organisations related to different types of economic activity led to an ambiguity in comparing necessary data. MLS training was deemed deficient/excessive if  the share in  the admission structure to  corresponding AGST deviated from the share in the employed structure by two or more times. 

Results. In most regions of the Far East, MLS training systems are loosely or only partially connected to industrial economic systems. In the future, all regions in the district may face an  excess of  specialists with secondary vocational education in  information and communication, and over half may have an excess in the healthcare system. Four subjects may experience a shortage of personnel for trade-oriented organisations. The identified disproportions cannot be rectified through a deficit/excess of similar specialists in other regions of the district. 

Scientific novelty. Specific types of economic activities have been identified for which MLS training is deficient/excessive compared to the demand for such specialists. 

Practical significance. The findings of  the study can be  used by  state and regional authorities in allocating admission quotas for MLS training in specific AGSTs. They can also aid in  making decisions to  enhance the alignment of  the training structure with the prospective needs of the regional economy in the system of secondary vocational education.


For citation:

Blinova, T. , & Fedotov, A. V. (2023). Assessment of compliance of the structure of training of mid-level specialists with the staffing needs of the economy of the Far Eastern Federal District. Vocational Education and Labour Market, null(4), 25–46. https://doi.org/10.52944/PORT.2023.55.4.002