Ural Federal University Experts Spot Factors Influencing Young People’s Preferences in Choosing Their Future Profession
The Ural Federal University, the Sverdlovsk Regional Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and the Sverdlovsk Regional Parents’ Committee jointly conducted a survey and found out what factors influence career choice of schoolchildren and students. They created recommendations for the Sverdlovsk Region government and enterprises. About 3,600 schoolchildren, students and their parents took part in the survey.
“By 2025, 40% less young people than now will enter the labor market. The issue related to staff shortage is important for enterprises. Our research will allow us to build career guidance directions and find new tools, mechanisms and channels of interaction. The survey has shown that every second student makes a career choice during high school studies: personal growth, self-development and the opportunity to do what they love are the most important motibvations for them. And every second colleage student makes the decision to choose an educational institution on their own, and for them the opportunity to get financial independence and find an interesting job as early as possible is a priority,” said Tatyana Kansafarova, Executive Vice-President of the Sverdlovsk Regional Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.
Based on the results of the survey, the most popular career guidance events for college and university applicants were identified. Most often schoolchildren learn about their future place of study and work by attending an open day at an educational institution, production facility tours, vocational tests and open days at enterprises.
“The choice of a schoolchild’s future place of study is largely influenced by parents. At the same time, parents do not always know and understand the situation in the labor market and the requirements of the economy to future specialists. According to the results of the survey, when choosing an educational institution parents are more interested in opportunities for future employment, safe environment, dormitories and food”, – explained Lyudmila Zolotnitskaya, Chairman of the Sverdlovsk Regional Parents’ Committee.
In turn, Oleg Belosheikin, Director of the Regional Center for the Development of Labor Resources and Social and Labor Relations, emphasized the fact that the center for the development of labor resources and social and labor relations can be useful to high school students. The center has a program “Career Guidance”. It is free for schoolchildren from the age of 14, but only if they have a profile on the public service Gosuslugi. Specialists of the center travel to schools and work with students from the 9th to the 11th grades by conducting professional testing. As a result, students receive a full protocol of psychogenetic research that show a suitable profession for the pupil.