Introduction. Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is transforming the labour market, yet existing methodological approaches to assessing its impact remain fragmented and insufficiently adapted to the Russian context of labour shortages. 

Aim.  To  systematize and comparatively analyze methodological approaches for assessing the impact of GenAI on labour market dynamics and to identify directions for their application in Russian research. 

Methods. A systematic review and comparative analysis of scientific literature (2023– 2026), including studies from international research centers (IZA, NBER) and Russian publications. 

Results. An original classification of methods is proposed: partial and general equilibrium models, econometric approaches (including survival analysis), agent-based modeling, big data analysis, task automation assessment methodology (verb-noun semantic pairs), and the analogy method. It is shown that no single method is universal, necessitating a hybridization of approaches. The Russian context is characterized by labour shortages, shifting the focus from substitution risks to  workforce compensation opportunities. Econometric methods based on  administrative microdata and an  adapted task automation assessment methodology hold the greatest potential for Russian research. 

Scientific novelty. This is the first systematic classification of methods for assessing the impact of  GenAI on  the labour market, emphasizing their applicability in  the Russian context, considering spatial heterogeneity and institutional features. 

Practical significance.  The findings can inform the development of  regional employment programs, skills demand monitoring, and active labour market policy measures (retraining, career guidance) amidst technological transformation.

Introduction. The updating of  the regulatory and legal framework for pedagogical activities in  secondary vocational education should be  based on  objective processes of  changes in  Labour functions, which in  turn are determined by  the development of  Labour activities in  real sectors of  the economy. The processes of  change should be proactive, but they should not violate the principles of stability in the regulatory and legal framework for pedagogical activities. Management decisions aimed at changing the regulatory and legal framework should be scientifically justified. 

Aim. Identification of  factors and regulatory contradictions that affect the adoption of management decisions regarding the application of regulatory legal acts on personnel policy in organizations that implement secondary vocational education programs. 

Methods. The study is based on a comparative legal and content analysis of regulatory documents governing pedagogical activities in  secondary vocational education. The provisions of  the Federal Law “On Education in  the Russian Federation”, the Labour Code of the Russian Federation, the Unified Qualification Reference Book for Managers, Specialists, and Employees (EQS), the Nomenclature of  Positions for Teachers, as  well as  the professional standards for managers and teachers in  secondary vocational education, as of April 2026, have been analyzed. 

Results. The findings indicate that the current system of  legal and regulatory  regulation of pedagogical activities in secondary vocational education is characterized by  fragmentation and inconsistency. Deficiencies, duplication, and contradictions between the Nomenclature of  Positions, the Unified Classification System, and professional standards have been identified. Areas that require updating the qualification requirements and job functions of  teachers, taking into account the digitalization of  education, strengthening the educational component, developing mentoring, and cooperation with employers, have been identified. The need to  clarify the functional differentiation of certain pedagogical positions and develop new professional standards has been substantiated. 

Scientific novelty. A  system of  factors has been identified that determine the need to  synchronize the processes of  developing pedagogical activities and updating the regulatory and legal framework of  the secondary vocational education system. An approach to assessing the relevance of regulatory documents has been proposed by comparing the Labour functions specified in the Unified Classification System, the Nomenclature of Positions, and professional standards. 

Practical significance. Critical shortages have been identified that determine the development of regulatory and legal support for personnel policy in terms of managerial and pedagogical positions in  the secondary vocational education system. The data obtained can serve as  an analytical basis for making managerial decisions aimed at improving the range of positions.

Introduction. In  the context of  accelerating technological, economic, and social change, the international expert and professional community is  actively developing an  approach that shifts the emphasis from formal educational qualifications to  the assessment of  actual skills demonstrated by  employees. The spread of  this approach highlights the need for a scientific understanding of the relationship between diplomas and skills for HR and the personnel training system. The relevance of this study is also determined by  the objectives of  ensuring Russia’s human resource sovereignty and the need to  prevent the risks of  devaluation of  the secondary and higher vocational education systems. 

Aim. To develop balanced approaches to assessing the role of diplomas and qualifications in  the formal education system and actual skills acquired through various means, as applied to labour market needs and the professional development of employees. 

Methods. The study is interdisciplinary. The central method is reflexive analytics applied to  the analysis of  the evolution of  the epistemology of  skills, the labour market, and human resource management. Comparative and systemic analysis methods were also used, including a critical review of Russian and international publications and reports of international organizations (OECD, WEF). 

Results. The key risks of the “skills first” approach for the tertiary education system, the labour market, and social stability are identified. The inadmissibility of extending this approach beyond continuing vocational education is  substantiated. It  is proposed to determine the balance of knowledge and skills for each subject area and qualification level, taking into account the dynamics of  their variability. Recommendations are formulated for supporting discourse at the macro-, meso-, and micro-levels, including improving skill signaling systems and mechanisms for their implementation. 

The scientific novelty lies in conceptualizing the emerging public discourse of “diplomas vs skills” as an independent area of scientific analysis and in identifying key areas of its institutionalization in  the context of  the interaction between the tertiary education system and the labour market. 

Practical significance. The results of the study can be used in the formation of public policy in  the field of  higher and continuing vocational and professional education, as well as for improving qualification verification mechanisms in the process of aligning labour market requirements with the results of vocational and professional education.

Introduction. The transformation of higher education in the context of the transition to a knowledge economy, digitalization, and increasing global competition has intensified interest in  the future development of  pedagogical universities. Unlike classical and research universities, pedagogical universities operate under conditions of  limited resources while simultaneously fulfilling the strategic mission of training personnel for the education system. In this regard, the analysis of research activity as a factor of institutional change and advanced development of teacher education becomes especially significant. 

Aim. The purpose of  the present article is  to identify the features of  the institutional (organizational) structure of  research activity in  Russian pedagogical universities and to  determine its opportunities and limitations as  a basis for development and transformation. 

Methods. The study is based on a comparative approach. An analysis was conducted of  the institutional structure of  research activity in  37 pedagogical universities subordinate to  the Ministry of  Education of  the Russian Federation. The source base included materials from official university websites, university performance monitoring data, as well as analytical and statistical materials devoted to the development of higher education and university science. 

Results. The main organizational factors hindering the development of research in pedagogical universities have been identified, along with promising directions for improving the institutional structure of research activity. It is shown that the existing system for evaluating university effectiveness and the mechanisms for allocating resources do not sufficiently take into account the specific characteristics of pedagogical universities, which limits their opportunities for scientific development and institutional transformation. 

Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the comprehensive analysis of the institutional structure of research activity in pedagogical universities as a factor of their transformation and strategic development. 

Practical significance. The results of the study may be used in developing strategies for the advancement of  pedagogical universities, improving research management mechanisms, and shaping state policy in the field of teacher education.

Introduction. The formation of  students’ professional identity is  an important prerequisite for successful career self-determination, professional self-realization, and sustainable career trajectories. Despite considerable scholarly attention to  this issue, the risks of professional identity disruption in contemporary higher education remain insufficiently explored. 

Aim. The study aims to identify the specific features of students’ professional identity formation and to  systematize the risks of  its disruption within the higher education environment. 

Methods. The study employed a qualitative research design, including semi-structured interviews with university faculty members (n = 9), focus group discussions with students (n = 16), and an analysis of data from a pilot student survey (n = 496). 

Results. The findings demonstrate that students’ professional identity is highly dynamic and may transform under the influence of both individual and institutional factors. The study identifies the phenomenon of  imposed professional identity, associated with educational and career choices shaped by  significant others and by  a lack of  reliable information about the profession. A “third-year crisis” was observed, manifested in the reconsideration of career choices, awareness of competency deficits, and a mismatch between students’ expectations and the realities of professional practice. The key risks of professional identity disruption were systematized, including structural imbalances in  educational programs, information deficits, insufficient media literacy, distortions of professional values, and weak reflexive mechanisms of professional goal-setting. 

Scientific novelty. The study proposes an interpretation of imposed professional identity as an independent risk factor in students’ professional self-determination. A typology of  risks associated with professional identity disruption is  developed, encompassing institutional, informational, and value-related factors. 

Practical significance. The findings may be  used to  improve educational programs, enhance students’ practical training, strengthen mentoring practices, and support initiatives aimed at fostering young people’s professional self-determination.

Introduction. Combining education and paid work has become an  increasingly common practice among students in  secondary vocational education. However, the impact of  socio-economic, regional, and educational factors on  the patterns and motivations of student employment remains underexplored. 

Aim. The study aims to identify the relationship between the nature and motivations of  employment among secondary vocational education students and their socioeconomic background, region of study, and educational programme. 

Methods. The study is  based on  the analysis of  data obtained from a  quantitative sociological survey conducted using a  multistage sampling design in  three regions of  Russia differing in  their levels of  socio-economic development and geographical location. 

Results. The findings indicate that a  substantial proportion of  students engage in employment while pursuing their studies. The study reveals a relationship between students’ work-related attitudes and their ascribed status as well as the territorial context of  their education. Significant differences were identified in  the level of  professional integration of  college students depending on  their educational programme, namely programmes for skilled workers and employees or programmes for mid-level specialists. Early professional integration was found to perform an important function of realistic career guidance. The study identifies the main motivations for combining study and work, which vary according to  students’ initial life circumstances and range from a  survival strategy driven by  economic necessity to  an investment-oriented strategy aimed at future career development. Based on the findings, a set of measures to promote the employment of secondary vocational education students is proposed. 

Scientific novelty. The study provides an  analysis of  the determinants and factors influencing the employment of students enrolled in vocational education institutions. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of youth adaptation strategies in the labour market. 

Practical significance. The results are relevant to  a wide range of  stakeholders interested in improving graduate employability and may serve as an analytical basis for developing targeted measures aimed at increasing employment rates among graduates of the secondary vocational education system.

Introduction. Professional development of  students in  the vocational education and training (VET) system involves not only the acquisition of  relevant competencies but also the formation of a value-based attitude toward work. However, empirical evidence on the actual place of labour value in the hierarchy of young people’s value orientations remains limited, making the development of educational strategies largely speculative. 

Aim. The study aims to  identify the place of  labour value within the structure of VET students’ value orientations and to determine the problematic areas of their professional development based on empirical data. 

Methods.  The study employed a  descriptive cross-sectional design based on  data from an  online survey of  college students in  the Sverdlovsk Region (N = 3,108). The questionnaire included items on  values, life goals, and barriers to  self-realization. Frequency analysis and Z-tests for comparing proportions across groups differentiated by gender, age, and type of settlement were applied. 

Results. The value of productive work occupies a peripheral position in the hierarchy of  students’ value orientations. A  contradiction was identified: despite a  pronounced orientation toward pursuing a  “favorite occupation,” students demonstrated a  weak aspiration to  make a  “professional contribution,” indicating an  instrumental attitude toward their profession. The main barriers to  professional self-realization were uncertainty about how to apply one’s abilities and a perceived lack of demand for one’s potential. Scientific novelty. Using a representative sample of VET students from the Sverdlovsk Region (n = 3,108), the study provides the first empirical evidence of  the peripheral position of  labour value within the system of  youth value orientations and confirms differences in professional attitudes according to gender, age, and type of settlement. 

Practical significance. The findings may serve as an empirical basis for the development and scholarly substantiation of a pedagogical strategy for professional upbringing in the VET system grounded in a social partnership approach.

Introduction. In the context of increasing requirements for the quality of engineering education and personnel training for the real sector of  the economy, the problem of  developing the readiness of  technical university students for professional activity is  becoming especially relevant. Despite the sufficiently extensive development of  practice-oriented approaches to  training highly qualified specialists, there remains a discrepancy between the focus of pedagogical science on preparing specialists with highly developed professional competencies and the need to design specific methods of pedagogical support for students at the stage of preparation for future professional activity. 

Aim. To  substantiate a  set of  conditions ensuring pedagogical support for the development of technical university students’ readiness for professional activity. 

Methods. The study is based on consideration of a set of organizational and pedagogical conditions within the educational environment of a technical university that contribute to the development of future graduates’ professional potential. In accordance with the research objective, the results of surveys involving university students and employers of the Kemerovo Region – Kuzbass were analyzed. The study employed the following methods: theoretical methods (analysis and synthesis of scholarly works on the research problem), deductive methods (used to  substantiate the structure of  professional readiness of  future technical university graduates), and prognostic methods (used to  model a  set of  conditions facilitating the development of  students’ readiness for professional activity). 

Results. The study identified the key features of the educational environment of a technical university that influence the development of students’ readiness for professional activity. The  main factors determining graduates’ professional orientations were established, including the need for support in professional self-determination, the necessity of interaction with employers, and the significance of the regional component in professional training. Based on the analysis of empirical data, the content of technical university students’ readiness for professional activity was clarified and presented through motivational, operational, and supra-professional contexts. A  set of  conditions for pedagogical support aimed at developing students’ professional readiness was substantiated. 

Scientific novelty lies in  identifying a  set of  conditions for pedagogical support that facilitate the development of  future technical university graduates’ readiness for professional activity. 

Practical significance. The results of the study can be used in university practices aimed at organizing pedagogical support for students preparing to enter the labour market.

Introduction. In recent years, internal affairs bodies have experienced a decline in the number of experienced officers, including heads of departments and divisions, which has negatively affected mentoring activities aimed at  preserving professional culture and maintaining the tradition of service through the transfer of experience from senior officers to  younger employees. Improving the effectiveness of  mentoring requires appropriate training of heads (supervisors), taking into account limited time resources and the large number of daily operational tasks. One possible solution to this problem is  the use of  intra-corporate training for heads (supervisors) in  mentoring activities; however, this issue remains insufficiently developed in  both theoretical and practical aspects. 

Aim. To  characterize the potential of  intra-corporate training for heads (supervisors) in mentoring activities within internal affairs bodies. 

Methods. The methodological framework of the study is based on the theory of adult education and the hermeneutic approach. The research methods included analysis, synthesis, abstraction, analogy, and modeling. 

Results. It  was established that the potential of  intra-corporate training for heads (supervisors) in  mentoring activities within internal affairs bodies is  determined by  the interdependence of  six components of  the normative model: value-semantic, personal, informational, material and technical, personnel, and organizational-activity components. Three levels of  potential development (low, medium, and high) and their corresponding characteristics and indicators were identified. The indicators were determined based on  the resources of  the professional community, the degree of  formalization of  mentoring organization within a  division, and the preparedness of heads (supervisors) for pedagogical activity. 

Scientific novelty. A normative model of the potential of intra-corporate training for heads in mentoring activities within internal affairs bodies was developed, including six interrelated components and a level-based characterization of the potential. 

Practical significance. The results of  the study can be  used in  the development of  training programs for heads (supervisors) in  mentoring activities, as  well as  in improving personnel management practices within internal affairs bodies.

Introduction. The use of unmanned technologies in the national economy is becoming increasingly prominent. Their effectiveness is evident in geodesy, land management, and cadastre, where unmanned systems substantially reduce the labour intensity of territory surveys, topographic mapping, and related operations. This creates the need to develop readiness among land management specialists to apply unmanned technologies in their professional practice. 

Aim. To  assess the alignment between labour market requirements for land management specialists with regard to proficiency in unmanned technologies and the level of theoretical elaboration of this problem in pedagogical science, and to clarify the key concepts of the study. 

Methods. The main methods employed are theoretical analysis of scholarly publications and regulatory documents relevant to  the research topic, theoretical analysis of  the professional competencies of  a land management specialist, and synthesis of  the information obtained. 

Results. Based on  the analysis of  academic literature, the regulatory framework, and labour market requirements, a contradiction has been identified between the economy’s need for land management specialists possessing unmanned technology skills and the inadequate theoretical development of the process of forming such readiness for professional activity involving these technologies. 

Scientific novelty. The key concepts of the study have been clarified: “readiness of land management specialists for professional activity involving unmanned technologies” and “formation of  readiness of  land management specialists for professional activity involving unmanned technologies”. 

Practical significance is determined by the applicability of the findings to educational institutions implementing vocational training programmes in speciality 21.02.19 Land Management, for the purpose of improving the preparation of future land management specialists with regard to  forming their readiness for professional activity involving unmanned technologies.

Introduction. The quality of language training in a non-linguistic university remains a subject of research interest. Despite the growing labour market demand for specialists with advanced foreign language skills, a foreign language is still perceived by students as a supporting discipline, which leads to a decrease in learning motivation and overall satisfaction with education. At the same time, student satisfaction with the quality of education directly affects their actual level of language proficiency, making its systematic monitoring a necessary condition for improving the educational process. 

Aim. To systematize the existing approaches to assessing student satisfaction with the quality of educational services and to present the results of a two-stage monitoring of student satisfaction with foreign language training, conducted at Ural State University of Economics (USUE, Yekaterinburg) in 2025–2026. 

Methods. The study employed theoretical methods (analysis, synthesis, and systematization of research findings), as well as empirical methods: pedagogical observation, two-stage online survey using a Likert scale, and statistical processing of the obtained data. The study involved 498 full-time students from six fields of training. 

Results. The majority of respondents demonstrated a high level of overall satisfaction with the quality of foreign language training. The highest ratings were given to the competence of teachers and the psychological climate during classroom sessions. Student self-assessment of academic achievements, while more moderate, nevertheless remains at a satisfactory level. The analysis of dissatisfaction factors revealed two key problematic aspects: insufficient contact hours and language group formation without regard to students’ actual language skills at the start of training. 

Scientific novelty. New empirical data obtained from a specific non-linguistic university are presented and interpreted. These data do not only record the level of satisfaction among students from different training areas but also reveal factors of dissatisfaction that are not always obvious during standard assessment procedures.

Practical significance. The obtained data can serve as a basis for optimizing the syllabi of the discipline “Foreign Language,” selecting forms and methods of teaching and assessment, as well as for justifying the need for incoming diagnostic testing and subsequent distribution of students into subgroups depending on their level of language proficiency.

Introduction. The dynamic development of  the tourism and hospitality industry in  Russia and key partner countries, such as  China, India, Turkey, the Middle Eastern states, and the CIS, necessitates the training of competent specialists capable of effective intercultural interaction in  a foreign language. This creates a  methodological and practical need for a clear scientific definition, structuring, and conceptualization of a key concept – ”intercultural foreign language competency”. 

The aim of the study is to substantiate the autonomous status and identify the essential characteristics of the concept “intercultural foreign language competency” for specialists in  the international tourism and hospitality industry in  the era of  English as  a lingua franca. 

Methods. The study is based on secondary analysis of scientific literature, supplemented by  a synthesis of  the author’s teaching experience. This experience includes English language instruction for specialists at  the Metropol and Lotte hotels in  Moscow and Vladivostok, as  well as  teaching students at  the Faculty of  Hospitality and Tourism of Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. 

Results. The study has defined and differentiated the concepts of “foreign language competence, “intercultural communicative competence”, “intercultural professional communicative competence” and “intercultural foreign-language competency” in  the context of  the international tourism and hospitality industry, analyzing the dynamics of their institutionalization in language pedagogy. Based on this analysis, the author’s definition of “intercultural foreign language competency” for international tourism and hospitality specialists is presented while taking into account the status of English as a lingua franca. This study underscores the importance of acknowledging lingua franca as  a neutral communicative tool, one that facilitates the bridging of  cultural divides within the context of  international tourism. Another outcome of  the research is  the  introduction of a new concept “intercultural professional situation”, which represents the environment for the actualization of intercultural foreign language competency. 

The scientific novelty of this study lies in two key contributions: the formulation of a definition for “intercultural foreign-language competency” and the introduction of the new term “intercultural professional situation,” contextualized within the international tourism and hospitality industry. 

Practical significance. The results of the study allow for the specification of goals and teaching content in professional foreign language instruction within the modern tertiary education system. The proposed definition and the concept of ‘intercultural professional situation’ can serve as  a foundation for the development of  teaching materials and assessment tools focused on real-world scenarios of professional communication.

Introduction. In  the context of  implementing national projects aimed at  ensuring Russia’s technological sovereignty, the issue of staffing in the chemical, pharmaceutical, food, and veterinary industries is  becoming increasingly relevant. Despite the high demand for specialists in these sectors, the higher education system faces significant student attrition, which reduces both the actual effectiveness of workforce training and the efficiency of public spending. 

Aim. This study aims to  identify structural imbalances in  personnel training for the aforementioned industries by  analyzing trends in  enrollment, graduation and employment between 2015 and 2024, as well as to assess the impact of student attrition on labour shortages. 

Methods. The empirical basis of  the study includes data from the federal statistical monitoring forms and official graduate employment statistics for 2015–2024. The study focuses on seven enlarged groups of specialties and fields of study that contribute to the human resource capacity of the target industries. The sample is confined to state-funded higher education institutions, full-time attendance, and state-funded enrollment. 

Results. A persistent pattern of student attrition was identified, with losses ranging from 10% to 66% of enrolled students depending on the field of study and educational level. Despite a declining absolute number of graduates, the proportion of those employed in their field of training remains consistently high (80–95%), indicating unmet demand from relevant industries. The most critical situation is observed in the fields of Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials (up to 48% attrition), Industrial Ecology and Biotechnology (up to 66%), and Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (up to 44%). Pharmacy demonstrates the most favorable student retention dynamics, with retention rates reaching up to 90%. 

Scientific novelty. This study provides the first quantitative assessment of  student dropout as  a structural factor driving the imbalance between the supply of  highly qualified personnel and the workforce needs of the chemical and related industries. 

Practical significance. The findings may be  used to  adjust state-funded admission quotas, develop measures aimed at reducing student attrition, and improve educational program content in  order to  enhance workforce provision for strategically important sectors of the economy