"More than half of all CBO veterans studying receive education in private universities"

The adaptation of military veterans to peaceful life is an important social task. Upon their return, they will have to re-integrate into society and define their field of activity. Vadim Lobov, President of the Synergy Corporation, spoke in an interview with Izvestia about how the private education sector helps in the social adaptation of ITS veterans.

— How can educational organizations help veterans of their military in social adaptation?

— In order for the heroes of the special operation to return to peaceful life as soon as possible, it is important not only to help them undergo rehabilitation and restore their health, but also to give them the opportunity to get a new profession and find a decent job.

Therefore, veterans need career guidance and professional retraining, which can be completed at educational institutions. Synergy University has focused on helping military personnel with education and further employment.

So, in 2023, together with the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation, we created a Center for retraining veterans. Since its opening, almost 10 thousand people have contacted us. These are the veterans themselves and their loved ones across the country.

— What kind of education can participants and veterans receive? Which areas of training are most in demand?

— At our university, veterans and their families have access to all levels of education: college, bachelor's degree, master's degree, advanced training courses. At the same time, training is conducted both online and face—to-face in Moscow and regional branches. And it's free for all veterans of the special operation.

The most popular areas of study among students are public and municipal administration, information technology, law, management, psychology, and pedagogy.

We single out entrepreneurship especially among all the specialties. ITS participants have the opportunity to learn the basics of doing business, and then open their own business, including a franchise. We have signed agreements with a number of companies that are ready to provide veterans with benefits for starting a business.

— What are the advantages of a private education system in the context of training military veterans?

— According to the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation, more than half of all veterans studying receive education in private organizations.

One of the key advantages of private education, especially in the context of veteran education, is flexibility and individual approach. More than 70% of those enrolled are people aged 23-40, many of them have families that need to be provided for. The private education system allows you to adapt the schedule to the needs of students, which allows them to combine work and study.

At the same time, education in non-governmental universities is always practice-oriented. In our case, this is achieved through established relationships with employers and the ability to quickly adapt the program to their current needs. This approach also contributes to the further employment of veterans — by the end of their studies, they develop the necessary competencies and skills.

— Tell us about the employment process. How can veterans choose the most suitable profession?

— First of all, it is important to conduct a competent professional orientation. It helps to determine the optimal areas of study, taking into account the skills and psychological characteristics of a particular person. We have our own system that allows us to identify everyone's inclinations as accurately as possible. We provide career guidance not only for a complete change of profession, but also for choosing the direction of additional education and advanced training. At the same time, career consultants develop an action plan for each applicant that helps them find the right profession.

During and after graduation, we provide career advice and support for further employment. HR specialists help to compile resumes, select vacancies, prepare for interviews and accompany graduates in the process of adapting to a new job. The database of employers with whom the university cooperates on an ongoing basis allows us to speed up the job search.

We are currently working on creating a separate recruitment agency that will specialize in supporting veterans of their military during employment. At the same time, an information campaign will be conducted with potential employers: graduates, veterans of their military education, should be in demand both in private companies and in the public sector.

— The number of those who returned from their home will increase. Are you planning to scale your social project?

— We see that a number of major private universities, such as the Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis and the Russian University of Cooperation, are actively involved in the social mission of adapting their veterans.

To help as many veterans as possible, it is important to join forces and create a platform for sharing experiences. Therefore, we have taken the initiative to create a coordination center for the retraining of military veterans. It will be a single interuniversity digital project platform. One-stop-shop veterans will be helped to choose an educational program, provided with information about grants and scholarships, and offered psychological assistance. In addition, users of the service will be able to take a financial literacy course.

The wards of the coordination center will also receive employment support. Entrepreneurship support will be a separate area of work. Consultants will select educational business programs for those who wish and inform them about government support measures.

As part of such a large-scale project, the support of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation is very important to us, with which we work closely on all issues related to helping veterans. Together, we can create a system that will help people who have returned from a war zone not only gain new knowledge, but also build their social communications and careers. The adaptation of military veterans requires an integrated approach, and educational organizations can become a link in the process of integrating these people into peaceful life.