Mergen Oorzhak: specialized secondary education is future of Russian economy

Today the studio of Vestnik Kavkaza was visited by a member of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy, a representative of the executive body of the Republic of Tuva, Mergen Oorzhak. During the program Tribune he spoke about the development and promotion of specialized secondary education in Russia.

First of all, the senator pointed to the link between specialized secondary education and the labor market situation. "The overall situation in the labor market in Russia is estimated as stable, although it varies in different regions. For example, if the total unemployment in the Russian Federation is at the level of 5% of the economically active population, in the Republic of Tuva it is 13%. Today, in parallel with the development of small business in the Republic of Tuva, unemployment is decreasing every year, " Mergen Oorzhak noted.

The member of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy said that modernized, high-tech production, requiring a high level of productivity, plays an important roll in today's economy, which creates a demand for specialized secondary education. "Thus, the Republic of Tuva is a region where industry and production are on the rise, so it is necessary, of course, to have the appropriate personnel with specialized secondary education," he explained.

According to the senator, the state actively helps the regions to have the opportunity to retrain employees for modern specialties. "In this regard, the end of 2014 and the first half of 2015 are very significant for the Republic of Tuva: co-financing from the republican budget for the re-training of personnel has been doubled. I believe that no company wants to dismiss its experienced staff due to the fact that they do not know how to use a computer," Mergen Oorzhak pointed out.

The senator recalled that due to the problems in the field of specialized secondary education – one of the first decrees of President Vladimir Putin in 2012 was dedicated to it – a list of popular and promising jobs in the labor market was created. "Currently, the 50 most promising professions, which are in demand in the labor market and require specialized secondary education, were highlighted on that list," the representative of the executive body of the Republic of Tuva noted.

Along with this list, a strategy for solving the problem of import substitution is being formed. "The next step is the development of professional standards," the senator said.

Also, Russia is actively working to enhance the prestige of specialized secondary education and corresponding professions. "For this purpose, championships of professional skills, the most popular of which is WorldSkills, were established. Russia is an active participant in the championship. It helps to get rid of the stereotype that only losers choose vocational technical schools," Mergen Oorzhak stressed.

"In fact, specialized secondary education is much more highly paid in many industries than higher education, because it's about the work on upgraded workplaces. I think society should contribute and say its word," the member of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy, a representative of the executive body of the Republic of Tuva, Mergen Oorzhak, called for.