Introduction. Graduates of secondary vocational education institutions face a number of difficulties when entering the labour market. Among the main reasons are the lack of practical experience, the underdevelopment of the system of interaction between educational organisations and employers, and the discrepancy between the desired salary level and the real one.
Aim. Analysis of strategies for students of professional educational organisations to enter the labour market, taking into account regional specifics and resource security of families.
Methods. The leading method was a sociological study conducted by the Centre for Economics of Lifelong Learning of the RANEPA in the spring of 2023 among 1,098 senior year students of secondary vocational education organisations. The survey was conducted in three regions – Sverdlovsk, Volgograd and Ivanovo regions. The regions were selected taking into account their geographical location and place in the ranking of the socio-economic situation of the regions.
Results. The result of the study was the analysis of graduates’ ideas about employment prospects, as well as the role of colleges in promoting youth employment.
Scientific novelty. The projective models of employment of secondary vocational education graduates are presented.
Practical significance. The obtained research results can be used for the development of managerial and organisational decisions aimed at improving the state youth policy in the field of employment. The findings of the study may be of interest for improving the methods of career guidance among students