Vocational vs Higher Education

Significant changes have taken place in the educational and professional trajectories of Russian youth in recent years. Enrollment in upper-grade vocational education programs exceeded enrollment in higher education programs in 2015 and continues to grow. This is particularly noteworthy in the context of debates on the expansion of higher education. This article compares the rates of employment and unemployment, the motivation of choice, the dynamics of interest, and the social well-being after job acquisition between the holders of vocational (ISCED 4, 5) and higher education (ISCED 6, 7) qualifications based on state statistics and data from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey. The results substantiate the conclusion that higher education degrees have lost both real and symbolic value both for the holders (including potential ones) and employers. This urges a comprehensive assessment of the qualifications system. In particular, decreasing aspirations for higher education and declining enrolments entail certain risks for the accumulation and effective implementation of human capital.