4 Important Observations from VTsIOM on How Universities and Colleges Really Prepare for the Workforce

The Russian labor market will continue to be a jobseeker's market, where the number of vacancies exceeds the number of people applying for them. This statement is confirmed by the report by VTsIOM Consulting entitled "Youth Employment in Modern Russia: Opportunities, Problems, Solutions." According to a VTsIOM survey conducted in February 2025, students and recent graduates are confident that finding a job is quite easy. However, how does their employment rate relate to the specifics of training in educational institutions? In this article, we will present key observations from the report, which are important for the education system and can help improve the preparation of specialists for the labor market.

Analysts from VTsIOM Consulting presented their findings based on a survey conducted among 1,600 students and graduates of universities and colleges. Additional information was provided by 18 interviews with labor market and education experts. The data was also enriched by the results of 15 interviews with influencers who are recent students or graduates with more than 1,000 followers on VKontakte or Telegram. All surveys and interviews were conducted between February and March 2025.

Even Leading Universities Are Lagging Behind

In the Russian labor market, companies no longer attach importance to the grades in applicants' diploma supplements, as interviews with experts showed. When recruiting, recruiters often prefer graduates of prestigious universities, as a well-known educational institution can be a significant advantage. At the same time, having an honors degree has ceased to be a significant factor in assessing candidates' professional qualities. This indicates that employers are focusing on the reputation of an educational institution rather than grades, which is changing their approach to selecting candidates in the labor market.

According to numerous surveys, employers still place great importance on candidates' higher education. A diploma from a prestigious university is an important factor that highlights the applicant's qualifications. At the same time, specific details, such as grades, do not have such a significant influence on the decision.

According to VTsIOM Consulting, employers have realized that even leading universities are lagging behind changes in the industry. The assessment of students' knowledge and skills at educational institutions does not correspond to the real requirements of professions. Therefore, companies do not expect graduates, even those with excellent grades in specialized subjects, to be able to work with modern technologies.

In the modern educational process, universities need to focus on providing basic knowledge and developing self-education skills. Graduates should not only possess theoretical knowledge but also have a desire to continue learning throughout their lives. This will allow them to successfully adapt to rapidly changing conditions in the labor market and be competitive specialists. Participation in continuous learning is becoming an important part of professional growth and personal development.

Analyzing the results of interviews with experts, analysts identified three key competencies that companies expect from young specialists. These skills play an important role in the successful integration of graduates into the professional environment and contribute to increasing their competitiveness in the labor market. Companies are looking for candidates with not only theoretical knowledge, but also practical skills that will help them effectively solve problems and adapt to rapidly changing working conditions.

Learnability - willingness to develop the competencies needed by the employer;
Flexibility - the ability to work on different tasks and prioritize them;
Communication skills - including the ability to work in a team.

As a result of various surveys, employers most often highlight the ability to learn and search for necessary information as one of the key results of a university education. However, less than half of employers believe that graduates possess relevant applied knowledge. This highlights the need to strengthen students' practical training at higher education institutions to enhance their competitiveness in the labor market.

According to a study by VTsIOM Consulting, employers prefer to independently assess applicants' subject-matter skills, as they distrust diploma assessments. A relevant project portfolio and practical experience are important factors for them. A survey conducted by SuperJob also confirmed that recruiters are more interested in work experience or internships than in educational attainment or academic performance. This underscores the growing importance of practical skills and real-world experience in the hiring process, which can impact applicants' careers in today's labor market.

Full-fledged studies at universities are limited to the first two years

According to a study by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM), 77% of senior university students reported that they had a part-time job or were working in the past year. Of these, 32% had held a permanent job for some time. Only 22% of surveyed students and graduates were unemployed during their studies. Other surveys show that working while studying has become the norm: 86% of respondents believe that students should work.

Experts interviewed by VTsIOM Consulting analysts note that the transition of students in their senior years from active learning to "studying" can be beneficial for their professional growth. During this period, students have the opportunity to complete both paid and unpaid internships at relevant companies, participate in grant projects, and engage in extracurricular activities at universities. Furthermore, working while studying helps develop important skills. Employment statistics for graduates confirm this: those who began earning money while studying earn significantly higher salaries after graduation.

The authors of the report argue that student work has become commonplace not only due to low stipends, which force students to seek part-time work, but also due to the weakening position of universities. In the 1990s, educational programs became outdated, and many of the best faculty members left their institutions. As a result, a stereotype developed that universities do not prepare students for the real world, and that finding a job often requires "forgetting everything you learned." Although the situation is gradually improving, universities still struggle to keep up with rapid technological change. As a result, students are becoming more selective in their choice of professors and are trying not to miss classes with practitioners, dividing the learning process into those useful for developing practical skills and less significant theoretical aspects. This emphasizes the importance of up-to-date knowledge and skills required in today's labor market.

Choosing to work while studying can result in graduates holding a series of unrelated, unskilled part-time jobs by the time they graduate, which does not promote the development of professional or soft skills. This model can only be useful through collaboration between universities and employers. It is the problem of such interaction that requires special attention.

Successful partnerships are achieved only by the strongest universities and large companies

According to VTsIOM Consulting, mutually beneficial alliances between employers and universities exist in Russia, but their formation is influenced only by leading universities and large companies. This is due to two main factors. Firstly, large companies have the resources and experience necessary for establishing effective partnerships with educational institutions. Secondly, leading universities strive to provide their students with relevant knowledge and skills that meet the requirements of the modern labour market. Thus, cooperation between these two parties allows for the adaptation of educational programs and improvement of the quality of specialist training, which ultimately contributes to the development of the country's economy.

A high-quality partnership between business and a university requires retraining of teachers, the organization of paid internships for students, courses from practitioners and, ideally, the creation of joint master's programs. All of this requires significant investment, which not every company can afford. Employers who can afford to invest in education choose universities with inherently high-quality students—that is, leading universities where even fee-paying students can be admitted with high Unified State Exam scores. Industry-leading companies don't focus on transferring all training to a single university. Instead, they support multiple educational institutions, striving to provide students with a wide range of competencies. Employer surveys often mention that they prefer to hire students to build a team tailored to their needs. However, one of the main reasons for this approach is the shortage of qualified personnel within organizations.
Today, collaboration between employers and universities is becoming an important aspect for all parties: the government, students, and educational institutions. For example, applicants to IT universities emphasize the importance of training courses offered by IT companies. However, according to experts from VTsIOM Consulting, true partnerships are primarily established between major market players. Medium-sized universities and small companies, unfortunately, cannot offer mutually beneficial terms, leading to a situation where graduates enter the labor market with outdated knowledge and face the need for additional on-the-job training. This highlights the need for more active interaction between all participants in the educational process to prepare specialists who meet the demands of the modern market.

Universities and the labor market: an important connection

Universities play a key role in preparing specialists for the labor market. Educational institutions strive to provide students with relevant knowledge and skills that meet employer demands. However, given the rapidly changing market, it is important that curricula are regularly updated.

Cooperation between universities and businesses is becoming increasingly important. This allows not only to receive feedback from employers but also to introduce practical elements into the educational process. Students who have the opportunity to complete internships and practical training are better prepared for employment and are more in demand in the market.

Furthermore, attention to soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, and critical thinking, is also becoming an important aspect of student preparation. Employers are looking not only for technical skills but also for personal qualities that contribute to successful teamwork.

In conclusion, interaction between universities and the labor market is a prerequisite for the successful employment of graduates. Relevant knowledge and practical experience are the key to a successful career in the modern world.

Many employers remain unaware of their talent needs for a long time, sometimes only realizing this awareness after six years. It is important for companies to begin more actively analyzing their talent needs and anticipating changes in the labor market. This will not only allow for effective recruitment planning but also significantly improve business competitiveness. Forecasting talent needs should become an integral part of every employer's strategic planning.

College graduates sometimes have better career prospects (the key word being "sometimes").

Many mid-sized universities do not cooperate with employers, which means that education at such institutions does not meet modern professional requirements. According to experts, applicants choose these universities out of inertia, often influenced by the opinions of their parents, who insist on the need for higher education and are willing to pay for it. However, young people who enter university with such motivation often have no desire to work in their field after receiving their diploma. According to a report based on surveys of experts and influencers, today's youth are showing greater interest in entrepreneurship, choosing such ventures as opening a small auto repair shop or a nail salon. This underscores the need to adapt educational programs to the realities of the labor market and student interests. Many experts argue that it would be more practical if students who would not benefit from a paid higher education were instead offered vocational training in college, saving their parents' money. However, two key problems exist: young people are often unprepared for physical labor in manufacturing and for maintaining strict discipline. Even technical graduates, according to a VTsIOM survey, prefer to work a hybrid schedule. Furthermore, blue-collar jobs are under-advertised, which reduces interest among young people.

As part of advertising campaigns aimed at specific target audiences, it is important to inform parents about the high salaries of defense industry specialists. Lathe operators of 5th and 6th grades at leading defense industry enterprises earn approximately 200,000 rubles, while top-ranked CNC machine operators also earn approximately the same amount. Furthermore, the salaries of the most qualified welders are approaching record levels. These data highlight the attractiveness of technical professions and their importance for future employment.

According to the report, graduates of secondary universities will receive lower salaries in office jobs. This underscores the importance of career choice and further education to improve income levels. In an increasingly competitive labor market, graduates should consider options for upgrading their qualifications and acquiring additional skills to improve their chances of successful employment and higher salaries.

The income levels cited in the report apply exclusively to highly qualified specialists. A more realistic salary range for graduates of secondary vocational education (SVE) is 100,000–150,000 rubles in Moscow and 50,000–70,000 rubles in the regions. These figures likely refer to the salaries of skilled industrial workers. However, in general, the average income of secondary vocational education graduates, who often work outside their specialty, is significantly lower than the above figures.

4 Important Observations from VTsIOM on How Universities and Colleges Really Prepare for the Workforce

Contents:

Even Leading Universities Are Lagging Behind

Full-fledged studies at universities are limited to the first two years

Successful partnerships are achieved only by the strongest universities and large companies

College graduates sometimes have better career prospects (the key word being "sometimes").