Graduates of Regional Universities: Educational Practices and Employment Plans

Based on survey data conducted by Economy and Continuing Education Center RANEPA in 2023, the models of educational and labor behavior of final-year students of Russian universities are considered. The study is carried out on the basis of a specially developed methodology that allows both to illuminate a wide range of life practices of student youth and to identify the reasons for their differentiation. It has been revealed that the level of resource capabilities of parental families largely determines the directions of behavioral models implemented by young people. It is shown that slightly more than half of the graduates are characterized by a high level of responsibility and diligence in the process of educational preparation; about a third of young people are actively involved in additional education practices. Against the backdrop of fairly high satisfaction with the results of education, the lack of completeness in acquiring competencies applicable in the labor market is most acutely perceived. Among the most developed skills, young people perceive their own independence, the ability to find and analyze necessary information, performance, responsibility, and diligence. By the time of graduation, 60 % of graduates have already gained work experience, and if initial employment in most cases occurred regardless of the actual profile of educational preparation, after completing their studies, all groups of graduates are oriented towards employment related to their specialty. The research results show that the most important aspects of future work for those receiving higher education are the content of work, as well as career growth prospects and income. About 40 % of young people see the possibility of finding a job that satisfies most subjectively important parameters. Significant discrepancies are noted between the demands of graduates regarding an acceptable level of initial remuneration and the size of labor income that young people see as realistic. The obtained results expand the understanding of the processes taking place in the spheres of professional education and youth employment and may be of interest to specialists in these fields.

1. Shubkin V. N. Sotsiologicheskie opyty [Sociological Experiments]. Moscow, Mysl’, 1970, 288 p. (In Russ.).

2. Shubkin V. N. Nachalo puti [The Beginning of the Path]. Moscow, Molodaya gvardiya, 1979, 224 p. (In Russ.).

3. Konstantinovsky D., Popova E. Otnoshenie molodezhi k obrazovaniyu v sovremennoi Rossii [The intention of young people to higher education as an important recourse of innovative development of Russia]. Obshchestvennye nauki i sovremennost’, 2016, nr 1, pp. 5–19. (In Russ.).

4. Konstantinovsky D. L., Popova E. S. Molodezh’ v sfere obrazovaniya: ozhidaniya i motivatsiya [Youth in Education: Expectations and Motivation]. Rossiya reformiruyushchayasya: ezhegodnik, Moscow, Novyi Khronograf, iss. 15, 2017, pp. 154–174. (In Russ.).

5. Konstantinovsky D. L., Khokhlushkina F. A. Formirovanie sotsial’nogo povedeniya molodezhi v sfere obrazovaniya [Formation of Social Behavior of Youth in the Sphere of Education]. Sotsiologicheskii zhurnal, 1998, nr 3–4, pp. 22–42. (In Russ.).

6. Cherednichenko G. A. Molodezh’ Rossii: sotsial’nye orientatsii i zhiznennye puti (opyt sotsiologicheskogo issledovaniya) [Russian Youth: Social Orientations and Life Paths (Experience of Sociological Research)]. St. Petersburg, Izdatel’stvo Russkogo Khristianskogo gumanitarnogo instituta, 2004, 504 p. (In Russ.).

7. Avraamova E. M., Shabunova A. A., Loginov D. M. Studenty stolitsy i provintsii: sotsial’nye resursy, ozhidaniya [Students of the Capital and the Province: Social Resources, Expectations]. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya, 2005, no. 9(257), pp. 98–103. (In Russ.).

8. Konstantinovsky D. L. Dinamika neravenstva: Rossiiskaya molodezh’ v menyayushchemsya obshchestve: Orientatsii i puti v sfere obrazovaniya (ot 60–kh godov k 2000–mu) [Dynamics of Inequality: Russian Youth in aChanging Society: Orientations and Paths in the Field of Education (from the 60s to the 2000s)]. Moscow, Editorial URSS, 1999, 341 p. (In Russ.).

9. Roshchina Ya. M. Neravenstvo dostupa k obrazovaniyu: chto my znaem ob etom? [Inequality of Access to Education: What Do We Know About It?]. Problemy dostupnosti vysshego obrazovaniya. Nezavisimyi institut sotsial’noi politiki, Moscow, SIGNAL, 2003, pp. 94–149. (In Russ.).

10. Roshchina Ya. M. Semeinyi kapital kak faktor obrazovatel’nykh vozmozhnostei rossiiskikh shkol’nikov [Family Capital as a Factor of Educational Opportunities for Russian High School Students]. Voprosy obrazovaniya, 2012, nr 1, pp. 257–277. doi 10.17323/1814-9545-2012-1-257-277 (In Russ.).

11. Klyachko T. L., Semionova E. A. Trudoustroistvo molodezhi na pervuyu rabotu [Youth Employment. First Job]. Ekonomicheskoe razvitie Rossii, 2019, vol. 26, nr 12, pp. 48–56. (In Russ.).

12. Klyachko T. L., Loginov D. M., Lomteva E. V., Semionova E. A. Trudoustroistvo i osobennosti zanyatosti molodezhi v period pandemii [Integration of Young People into the Labor Market and the Specific Features of their Employment During a Pandemic]. Ekonomicheskoe razvitie Rossii, 2020, vol. 27, nr 12, pp. 70–73. (In Russ.).

13. Cherednichenko G. A. Pervoe trudoustroistvo posle vuza (po materialam oprosa Rosstata RF) [Employment After University Graduation on the Materials of the Russian Statistics Committee Survey]. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya, 2018, nr 8, pp. 91–101. (In Russ.).

14. Shinkarenko E. A. Pervaya rabota molodezhi: zhelaemye stsenarii i real’nye praktiki [First Job of the Youth: Desirable Scenarios and Real Practices]. Izvestiya vysshikh uchebnykh zavedenii. Povolzhskii region. Obshchestvennye nauki, 2022, nr 2 (62), pp. 18–28. doi 10.21685/2072-3016-2022-2-2. (In Russ.).

15. Konstantinovsky D. L., Popopa E. S. Molodezh’, rynok truda i ekspansiya vysshego obrazovaniya [Youth, Labor Market and Expansion of Higher Education]. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya, 2015, nr 11, pp. 37–48. (In Russ.).

16. Avraamova E. M., Loginov D. M. Stabil’nost’ molodezhnoi zanyatosti v period ekonomicheskoi retsessii [Stability of Youth Employment During Economic Recession]. Problemy razvitiya territorii, 2016, nr 5 (85), pp. 107–122. (In Russ.).

17. Voznesenskaya E. D., Konstantinovsky D. L., Cherednichenko G. A. «Konchit’ kurs i mesto dostat’»: Issledovanie vtorichnoi zanyatosti studentov [«Complete the Course and Get a Job»: Secondary Employment of Students]. Sotsiologicheskii zhurnal, 2001, nr 3, pp. 101–120. (In Russ.).

18. Roshchin S. Yu., Rudakov V. N. Sovmeshchenie ucheby i raboty studentami rossiiskikh vuzov [Combining Work and Study by Russian Students]. Voprosy obrazovaniya, 2014, nr 2, pp. 152–179. doi 10.17323/1814-9545-2014-2-152-179 (In Russ.).

19. Vorona M. A. Motivy studencheskoi zanyatosti [Motivation for Students’ Employment]. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya, 2008, nr 8, pp. 106–115. (In Russ.).

20. Avraamova E. M. Rynok truda i sistema obrazovaniya: trudnosti perevoda signalov [Labor Market and Education System: Difficulties of Signal Translation]. Obshchestvennye nauki i sovremennost’, 2011, nr 3, pp. 51–61. (In Russ.).

21. Kliucharev G. A. Razryv obrazovaniya i rynka truda: mneniya ekspertov [The Gap Between Education and Labor Market: Experts’ Opinion]. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya, 2015, nr 11, pp. 49–56. (In Russ.).