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.