KBSU in the federal project «Employment Promotion» from WorldSkills Russia

Within the framework of the federal project «Employment Promotion» of the national project «Demography», the Pedagogical College of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after H.M. Berbekov implements additional professional education programs for retraining specialists with a diploma in the competencies «Teaching in the lower grades» and «Preschool education»; advanced training programs with obtaining a state-recognized certificate; vocational training programs with obtaining a certificate of a worker (employee) in the profession «Junior educator».

The training is conducted in accordance with the agreement concluded in June 2022 between KBSU and the regional operator of the autonomous non-profit organization «Agency for the Development of Professional Skills (WorldSkills Russia)», which is the Kabardino-Balkarian Humanitarian and Technical College of the Ministry education, science and youth affairs of the KBR. The teachers of the training programs are a certified WorldSkills Russia expert, a teacher at the Pedagogical College, the head of the CCS for the competence «Teaching in the elementary grades» Lyudmila Kuzmenko, as well as her colleagues who have the status of «expert master». In addition, the teacher of some modules is an expert of the demonstration exam and the winner of the WorldSkills Russia championship in the age group «Skills of the Wise», a teacher of gymnasium No.4 in Nalchik Aina Tsoloeva.

Previously, similar projects, together with the Agency for the Development of Professional Excellence in five different training programs, have already been implemented by the only specialized center of competence in the North Caucasus Federal District for the competence «Teaching in the lower grades», accredited at KBSU in 2020.

In July 2022, in the training centers of the KBSU Pedagogical College, accredited according to WorldSkills standards, 8 students of the last year of study who seek to expand their professional opportunities and, after receiving one pedagogical specialty, master an adjacent profession, undergo a retraining program in related specialties within a month. Graduates of secondary vocational education study for the first time under the Employment Assistance program. This format of retraining makes citizens of this category more competitive in the modern labor market. Lyudmila Kuzmenko commented:

“Many of our students in search of work have the opportunity to realize themselves not only in the profession in which they were trained, but also in a related one. So, for example, our graduate Alina Dzakhmisheva, having become the winner of the WorldSkills Russia regional championship, received an offer to work in a private kindergarten and developing Montessori center Zvyozdochka. (The activity of children’s institutions operating according to the system proposed by the Italian doctor Maria Montessori is based on three components: a properly organized environment, trained teachers and groups of different ages). As Alina holds a college degree with honors in Elementary Teaching and is expected to work primarily with pre-school children, the decision to pursue additional education was an immediate one. In the process of preparing for the “Preschool Education” competency, Alina learned to organize classes with young children, create interactive didactic games, develop projects and work with the most modern equipment in the kindergarten group.”

Education at the sites of the KBSU Pedagogical College is only full-time, since it has a great practical focus. Students master the creation of smart presentations on computers and interactive whiteboards, learn how to create didactic exercises for children on modern digital platforms, develop research projects using digital laboratories and digital microscopes, create plans for extracurricular developmental activities using electronic tablets and robotics. Progress does not stand still, and with it the digital competencies of the teacher develop. The work of a teacher and educator is becoming more complex every day and requires high energy costs, which new information technologies can help with. The task of the training format we offer is to prepare such a specialist who does not need to be retrained by the employer according to the requirements of modern standards. Our listeners and students are not told in the workplace: «Forget what you were taught, now everything is different.» Our graduates themselves can say: “This is what I can do. I can show you how to do it right,” explained Karina Khromova, expert-master of the training program.

In addition to retraining programs for college graduates, the Pedagogical College of KBSU under the programs of the WorldSkills Russia Academy provides free training for specialists aged 50 years and older, citizens of pre-retirement age;

— women who are on parental leave until they reach the age of 3 years;

— women who are not in labor relations and have children of preschool age aged 0 to 7 years inclusive;

— unemployed citizens registered with the employment service;

— citizens who do not have secondary vocational or higher education, who can be trained as a junior educator;

— persons at risk of dismissal due to the liquidation of the organization or the termination of the activity of an individual entrepreneur, a reduction in the number or staff of the organization’s employees.

Programs are free for students, all consumables and the most modern equipment are provided by KBSU training centers. Different programs require different training times. Professional retraining programs are designed for 256 hours and take an average of 3-4 weeks of training. Professional development programs range from 72 to 144 hours and take 2-3 weeks to complete the course. Less lectures, more practice! An expert with the right to host the WorldSkills Russia Championship, Svetlana Khamdohova, explained that a mandatory point of the programs is to conduct practical and independent classes with students: “Students devote 80% of their time to mastering the necessary competencies: they conduct fragments of lessons and classes, independently develop interactive presentations and tasks on digital platforms, work out methods of working with parents, improve the skills of conducting research work with children. That is, a minimum of lectures and a maximum of practice!” The course ends with a qualifying exam. For each program, students demonstrate their acquired skills in the main areas of professional activity on the proposed tasks. Depending on the training program, they receive either a state diploma of professional retraining or a certificate of advanced training. According to the professional training program with the qualification «Junior educator», students are issued a certificate of the profession of a worker, the position of an employee. Free of charge, at the expense of the state I would like to note once again that under the federal project «Employment Assistance» it is possible to get training free of charge, at the expense of the state budget, to obtain the necessary practical skills and a state-recognized document on advanced training or professional retraining. This significantly increases the possibility of employment as a generalist,” — informed us Fatima Kizarisova, expert-master of the “Preschool education” competence.