Practical training in universities as a strategy for employing youth

This article presents the results of a study of how getting young students engaged in practical training can be a means of job placement in the future. The author relies on the work of those Russian sociologists who study issues such as employment, strategies for finding a job, young people’s educational trajectories. The aim of this article is to examine the process of how students go through practical training, to identify their expectations from such practices, difficulties in their interaction with employers, as well as to formulate methodological recommendations for organizing practical training in universities. In order to examine students’ opinions on the specifics of going through practical training, interviews were conducted in two stages. 43 students were surveyed in total. The first stage took place in 2018, prior to going through practical training, during which respondents’ expectations from practical training and employment were determined. The second round of interviews was carried out in 2019 – after they had completed their practical training. The authors found out that students have become more demanding: they expect practical training to help them acquire new skills, grab the attention of potential employers, as well as receive a monetary reward. The following strategies were identified during interviewing: employment, educational, career-based, compensational, personal development focused, the anticipation strategy; strategies for going through practical training were included into one of two categories – active or passive. Students expressed their thoughts on the difficulties they encountered while going through practical training which involved a lack of attention and interest on behalf of employers. According to students, employers showed a low degree of interest, while their attention was focused on keeping track of attendance, and on students strictly fulfilling the obligations that they put upon them. The article also considers foreign practice in resolving the issue, manifested in the idea of paying employers for providing young people with jobs. In Russian universities, employers are invited to work at said universities, with payment being issued for training students. The author recommends inviting employers to universities for them to conduct master-classes and organize students’ practical training while taking into account the specifics of their field, motivating and attracting the interest of potential employers by putting money on the table. Another suggestion is to conduct seminars, in preparing young people for job interviews, for putting together a resume and a portfolio for future employment. Hence, according to the author, practical training can not only promote future employment, but also help in developing competencies, in socialization, a person’s personal growth, enhancing competitive capacity and familiarizing youth with labor.