Learn from a young age: how secondary vocational education in Russia will change
On behalf of the president, the Russian government will continue to "upgrade" the system of secondary vocational education, which will receive a new name — the word "secondary" in the abbreviation of vocational education will be changed to "special". They are going to bring this educational stage even closer to the activities of enterprises, as well as update the programs of colleges and technical schools. Izvestia investigated how the vocational education system, which has already become the most popular among school graduates, will change in the coming years, and what weaknesses it has.
What is the essence of the orders for the SPO system?
In Russia, the "retrofitting" of the PDF system continues. In his report at a meeting of the State Duma, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that the new educational level, which will be called "special vocational education", will better meet the tasks set.
"We are updating the material and technical base of colleges and curricula so that students receive relevant knowledge and skills that are as close as possible to the activities of the enterprises they should work for after graduation," the Prime Minister said, promising that the number of budget places in sought-after specialties will increase.
The Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Sergey Kravtsov, in turn, noted that in recent years the number of budget places has already been increased by 150,000, and the number of jobs has increased by 37%. He clarified that, according to the forecast of the Ministry of Labor, 65% of the replacement personnel needs of the labor market are specialists with vocational training.
At the same time, President Vladimir Putin, speaking at the Future Technologies Forum, instructed to update vocational education programs by expanding practical training for students at enterprise sites.
Where are the weaknesses of the PDF
Now the sphere of secondary (or now special) vocational education can be roughly divided into three groups, emphasizes Irina Abankina, professor at the HSE Institute of Education.
The first, but so far small, is the establishment of "Professionalism". This is a federal project that allows college students to obtain a sought-after work specialty in two to three years with a job guarantee. The programs there have been developed with employers, with an emphasis on practice, there is a modern logistical base and mentoring. However, there are no more than three such institutions in each region, the Izvestia interlocutor clarifies.
The second group — about 30% of the market — consists of colleges that train personnel for specific industries: specialists in the oil and gas complex, aviation, etc. These vocational education institutions are also considered quite prestigious.
But in the third group, where 65-70% of colleges are located, there are still quite a lot of problems, says Irina Abankina.
"Such educational institutions have remained in outdated premises, with outdated equipment, a serious shortage of staff and not such a close relationship with employers," she points out, adding that these colleges still retain their attractiveness, especially for residents of villages and small towns.
Federal project "Professionalism"The Ministry of Education has been implementing it since 2022. In 2022-2025, 506 clusters of the Professionalitet foundation in 24 industries were created in 86 regions of the Russian Federation, the ministry told Izvestia. The volume of the practical part of vocational education programs within the framework of the professional training program "Professionalism" can be up to 80%.
In turn, Elena Lomteva, a researcher at the Center for Economics of Continuing Education at the Presidential Academy, explains that profound changes are taking place in the vocational education system in the context of the digitalization of the economy and the transformation of the labor market. And they are reflected, among other things, in renaming.
— The term "special professional education" defines the high role of the vocational education system in training personnel to ensure technological leadership, — the expert is convinced.
However, if the point of renaming is also to increase the prestige of the PDF system, then this can be achieved "only in combination with real changes." Among them, Elena Lomteva names the updating of the material and technical base and the content of the educational program, strengthening communication with employers, as well as the participation of employers in the development of the curriculum.
To what extent do they bring PDF closer to production
The gap between educational programs and actual technological processes in production still remains, says Ilya Zubkov, Vice President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
— Students of the vocational education system often acquire knowledge that becomes obsolete faster than they receive a diploma, and a college graduate must come to an enterprise with competencies that allow them to start work without lengthy retraining. He should spend most of his academic time at work," the source told Izvestia.
Within the framework of the Professionalism project, according to him, the modernization of infrastructure and material base took place in 320 vocational training organizations. However, not all colleges operate according to this model and have industrial partners.
— The current level of cooperation with companies in the real sector can be described as sufficient for a start, but insufficient for a breakthrough. We need to massively move from a format where business acts only as a consumer of personnel to a model of complicity. Employers should be involved everywhere in the development of educational programs, the provision of modern practice and participation in the final assessment, — emphasizes Ilya Zubkov.
Some companies are now taking the position of an observer, waiting for colleges to figure out their needs themselves and adjust their programs, confirms Alexey Letunovsky, director of the Moscow City Open College. However, this approach does not work, he believes.
— This is especially sensitive for a private college. We don't have government assignments or direct access to major programs like Proficiency. If our graduates are not needed by the market, we will simply close. The gap narrows only when the business participates in the training of specialists, rather than watching from the sidelines," the expert argues, adding that this partnership should not be formal.
As an example, he cites cooperation with one of the companies — a resident of the Moscow Innovation Cluster — which donated several million rubles worth of equipment to the college so that students could learn from real technology. The company's representatives also participate in the development of curricula and the assessment of students' practical skills.
— Such models work. But most often they are based on the initiative of the colleges themselves and individual companies. At the system level, it is important to consolidate the mandatory participation of businesses in personnel training and expand the practice of dual training," believes Alexey Letunovsky.
In his opinion, business representatives should be on the governing boards of colleges and participate in the development of educational programs. Companies should help build the logistical base of educational institutions, evaluate graduates' skills on real equipment, and bring their leaders to the classroom as teachers.
Alexey Vovchenko, Director General of the National Agency for the Development of Qualifications, recalls the possibility of introducing an independent assessment of qualifications for college graduates. This project has been implemented in the vocational education system since 2018, and in universities since 2022. Now more than 11 thousand students have passed the NOC.
— The percentage of successful NOC's is growing every year. For example, if in 2018 about 38% of college students passed the professional exam, then in 2024 it was almost 74%. It is the NOC that helps to single out the best graduates with a "quality mark". Almost everyone who completed their final year will receive a college diploma, and only the best will receive a certificate of qualification, and this is a real advantage in a resume, all other things being equal, the opportunity to apply for a higher salary," explains Izvestia's interlocutor.
He believes that the expansion of the practice of independent assessment of qualifications can be an important factor in the improvement of vocational education. And the legislative framework for this has already been created.
Will the trend in PDF continue
The Ministry of Education told Izvestia that 3.9 million students are currently studying at colleges — and these are record numbers since the 70s, when 4 million students attended technical schools and colleges of the RSFSR. Five years ago, the number of colleges and technical schools was 3 million people.
The state expects "real records" from the ACT system, taking into account the shortage of qualified specialists in the market, Ekaterina Stenyakina, a member of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans' Affairs, draws attention.
— We still don't have enough graduates. Therefore, it is necessary to continue updating the material and technical base of colleges and technical schools, increase the number of budget places in sought-after specialties and, of course, further increase the prestige of vocational education in the eyes of applicants and their parents," she told Izvestia.
Ilya Zubkov notes that the popularity of PDF among ninth grade graduates has increased from 48% in 2018 to 63% in 2025. The growth of young people in the vocational education system from 2017 to 2025 amounted to 39.2%, adds Elena Lomteva.
"A study conducted by the Center for the Economics of Continuing Education at the Presidential Academy confirmed the first successes of the experiment to expand the availability of this level of vocational education," she points out.
Oleg Movsesyan, General Director of the Lomonosov Moscow State University Science Park, is convinced that the attractiveness of working professions among young people should be further increased. And we should also talk about preferences for graduates of the vocational education system, for example, mortgage benefits.
However, as Irina Abankina notes, already this year the vocational education institutions were overcrowded — their capacity turned out to be insufficient, which is why they had to refuse 11th graders who did not enroll in universities or decided to change their trajectory after graduation. Maintaining the growth trend will require serious investments. And given the desire to increase budget enrollment with an increasing number of preferential categories, the main burden of college admission control figures will fall on regional budgets, which already have a difficult situation, the expert warns.
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