Competency assessment of a secondary vocational education graduate according to WorldSkills standards

Abstract

Introduction. The relevance of the research topic presented in this article is due to the need to spread the practice of assessing competencies formed during the training of graduates of secondary vocational education. The implementation of the comprehensive assessment tasks of the students’ competencies of secondary vocational education is carried out by conducting intermediate and final certification in the form of a demonstration exam according to WorldSkills standards.Aim. The aim of this article was to summarise the results of scaling up the practice of conducting a demonstration exam according to WorldSkills standards in the regional and competency-based sections, to identify factors that contribute to the expansion of the use of the demonstration exam procedure when conducting attestation procedures.Methodology and research methods. The theoretical level of the study included a generalisation of the provisions of the competency-based approach to the training of students in secondary vocational education. The empirical level of the study included an analysis of statistical materials reflecting the results of demonstration exams according to the WorldSkills standards by regions and competencies (skills). The results obtained were verified based on a survey of certified WorldSkills experts. The following general scientific methods were used: analytical review of scientific literature and the content of regulatory documents, generalisation, comparison, synthesis.Results. Only 30.86% of students confirmed the compliance of the acquired knowledge with WorldSkills standards. Among the main reasons for the low preparedness of students, there is a shortage of equipment, consumables, methodological developments, and inconsistency with the content of educational programmes. The low interest of employers is due to the discrepancy between the specifics of the competencies for which demonstration exams are held and the sectoral structure of the regional economy. This situation requires a revision of the processes of training students and the introduction of elements of a competency-based approach. Thus, the formed system for conducting intermediate and final certification in the form of a demonstration exam according to WorldSkills standards needs to be harmonised, the result of which should be the interconnection of the employer’s needs in the competencies of secondary vocational education students. The solution to this problem can be based on a number of regional programmes for staffing the regional economy.Scientific novelty. The novelty of the proposed assessment methodology of the competency-based approach consists in the use of a new integrative property formed in the learning process – competency, taking into account the system of behavioural indicators describing professional activity in terms of observed behaviour.Practical significance. The results obtained will help to develop the elements of a new educational infrastructure of innovative self-development in the regions of the Russian Federation, e.g. centres for advanced training, centres for conducting demonstration exams. Moreover, research results will help eliminate barriers to the spread of the spectrum of competencies and increase in the effectiveness of the formation and development of human capital on the principles of project management in order to increase the participation of employers in the process of training and certification of secondary vocational education graduates.