Continuing education issues were discussed at the RUSSIA EXPO

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The participants of the discussion "Continuing Education in Russia: State and Business Cooperation" discussed the importance of supplementary education in the realization of the country's national goals, the role of universities in this sphere, development and key areas of transformation of children's supplementary education until 2030. They also talked about the interaction between the state and business as a driver of development of this industry, about the state's demand for versatile development and unlocking the potential of the individual through lifelong learning.

The event was attended by Alexander Bugaev, First Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation, Olga Petrova, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Konstantin Pashkov, Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, Alexander Fedyakov, Director of ANO "School 21", and Natalia Tretyak, CEO of "Prosveshchenie" JSC . The discussion was moderated by Anton Serikov, Director General of the Mashuk Knowledge Centre, Deputy Director General of the Russian Society "Knowledge".

"For me personally, supplementary education is an upbringing, educational, leisure activity. In recent years there has been a small revolution in this system from my point of view. Within the framework of national projects in 2024, a lot has been done to equip and improve the material and technical base. However, I would like to emphasize that continuing education does not end with the national projects, because this is the part of educational activity in which a large percentage is made up of non-profit and non-governmental organizations that perform this function. We have a wonderful project called "ProSchool", through which a concession agreement is being implemented with the participation of businesses to build schools. And the role of additional education in these new buildings, the availability of clubs and sections, is huge!" emphasized Alexander Bugaev.

Konstantin Pashkov highlighted the importance of transportation education in Russia. The speaker noted that 4.8 million people work in our country's transportation system. The transportation sector contributes more than 6% to the GDP.

"To put our huge country in motion, there are 19 universities in the system of the Ministry of Transport, and if we take partners from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Ministry of Agriculture, it is 28 universities, where more than 500 thousand students study. The absolute majority of them then come to improve their qualifications. Transport is the most technologically advanced industry, so it is impossible without constant training," said Konstantin Pashkov.

The Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation also noted that today his department works in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science and relies on the support of the state. For example, by order of the President of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Transport is preparing a national project "Efficient Transportation System", which will include a project dedicated to the development of human resources. It will focus on advanced training and additional education.

During the discussion, Konstantin Pashkov also emphasized the effectiveness of joint work between universities, vocational education and training institutions and transport organizations. He noted that such cooperation is beneficial to all.

As the head of the organization, Alexander Fedyakov shared his experience in retraining people from various professions and age groups in IT specialties.

"Our new methodology is the peer-to-peer method. We work with guys from 18 years old to infinity. And many who come to us, come specifically to retrain and acquire a skill set far beyond just digital. And we focus on creating an ideal environment for this interaction. Each project is defended independently, we have a very high bar, and only those who really want to learn can do so! Of course, interaction is important for us, but so is independence," said Alexander Fedyakov.

The Continuing Education Forum is intended to become a key platform for discussing current issues of supplementary education in Russia. The event is organized by the Russian Society "Knowledge" and the Mashuk Knowledge Centre.