Business has become a key driver of support for working professions

The structure of the demand for education in Russia is changing and the demand for secondary vocational education (SPE) is actively growing, with business playing an increasingly important role in the development of this sector. This is stated in a study by the Platforma Center for Social Design and the Institute for the Development of Professional Education, dedicated to the transformation of the vocational education system in Russia.

Against the background of the transformation of the economy and the labor market, as well as technological development in the country, "solid" or "sustainable" professions are in increasing demand, that is, professions that are in demand in the long term. They assume skills that companies and industries have a demand for not only today, but also in the foreseeable future, which allow them to work with modern technologies and quickly adapt to changes. They also provide an opportunity to develop professionally and build a career in stable companies, the study notes.

According to analysts, large companies are behind the accelerated development of secondary vocational education. Thanks to their active participation, from the renovation of premises and the formation of a material and technical base to the development of applied and production—oriented curricula, the influx of students to vocational schools is also growing. The number of applications for admission in 2025 increased by 37% compared to 2020, 29% of students in grades 7-9 are now planning to go to college after grade 9, and 80% of parents of schoolchildren have a positive attitude towards working professions, experts estimate.

Alexey Firsov, General Director of the Platform CSP, noted that there is a certain reprioritization of choice. Parents see changes in the quality of education, and students understand their goals better. Against this background, the perception of both colleges and working professions is gradually changing. Negative stereotypes about the lack of prestige of this job and low salaries in manufacturing are losing their force.

Among the leading companies, experts note that the largest companies are leading in the field of education and training of future personnel. They implement comprehensive corporate programs, create educational ecosystems, introduce dual education, when a student simultaneously studies at an educational institution and works in one form or another at an enterprise, and modernize the infrastructure of colleges.

In particular, Rusal actively participates in the federal project "Professionalism", which trains workers to meet the long-term needs of the business. The company's 25 enterprises, together with more than a dozen partner colleges in six regions, train students in 20 professions in demand in metallurgy and mining.

"Professionalism is not only a material and technical base. This is a new format where businesses adapt programs to meet the needs of production so that graduates can work immediately," says Natalia Albrecht, Rusal's Deputy Director General for Human Resources Management.

According to the company, comprehensive work with young people is reflected in important indicators. So, by the end of 2025, according to a Headhunter study, university and college students highly rate Rusal as an employer: 67% of respondents in this audience know the company, 60% consider it an attractive employer, and 71% are ready to respond to a vacancy. The company is also one of the most recognizable employers in the segment of engineering and technical workers and is one of the three leaders among manufacturing workers. In addition, the aluminum producer is among the top three metallurgical and mining companies in Russia, according to a study by the Changellenge mining platform.

Meanwhile, the most important issue in the development of the vocational education system is the close connection between the education system and business, and the key challenge is to ensure a seamless transition of young people to high—tech industries, says Sergey Kozhevnikov, rector of the Institute for the Development of Vocational Education. The active participation of business in the development of vocational education in general and in the federal project "Professionalism", in particular, largely solves this problem. In the case of four metallurgical clusters of "Professionalism", working with the support of Rusal, the vast majority of students, on their own initiative, conclude targeted contracts with the company's enterprises and get the opportunity to join the company and quickly achieve career growth.

At the same time, the study points out the remaining barriers to the development of the vocational education system: lack of investment in equipment, lack of qualified teachers, as well as regulatory restrictions. In addition, business-supported colleges are developing much faster than others, which creates a gap within the system. Nevertheless, according to Alexey Firsov, director of the Platform CSP, the popularity of open source software will grow.

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