Graduates of Smolensk colleges and technical schools take part in demonstration exams on WorldSkills standards

In Smolensk region with the support of the Administration of the region, a large-scale pilot project for the WorldSkills Russia Demonstration Exam is being implemented. In this project students from colleges and technical schools carry out tasks which correspond to the programs of secondary vocational education and have been developed by the expert community of the WorldSkills international movement.

A demonstration exam is a new model of independent evaluation of the quality of training. The pilot project is held in 49 subjects of the Russian Federation. When selecting them, the experience of holding regional championships, the availability of specialized centers of WorldSkills competence and readiness of local companies to participate in organizing such certification tests were taken into account. The evaluation procedure allows to assess objectively the professional knowledge and skills of graduates in accordance with the world standards.

Demonstration exams are held according to the competencies included in the TOP-50 list of popular and promising occupations in the labor market. In Smolensk region, the assessment of the quality of training is carried out in five areas - "Teaching in primary school", "Preschool education", "Tiling", "Electrical installation", and "Software solutions for business."

According to the relevant Department, 70 students of the final year of training at vocational educational organizations (VEO) are taking part in the pilot project. The centers for the demonstration examinations have been set up on the basis of Smolensk Construction College, Smolensk Academy of Vocational Education, Smolensk Pedagogical College, and Smolensk Polytechnic College.

The graduates who will successfully pass certification tests will be able to prove their qualification for certain professional modules that are in demand with employers, which will let them receive job offers at the graduation stage from VEO. In addition, according to the examination results, along with the diploma of secondary vocational education, students will receive the Skills Passport (Competency Certificate), a document that proves the level of professional competencies in accordance with WorldSkills Russia standards. It should be noted that the information on the young people who received such passports is entered in the database of young professionals, access to which is provided to all leading employers for recruiting staff.

Smolensk region joined the movement in 2015. Over the past three years, in the region there have been three regional championships, organized under the patronage of Governor Alexey Ostrovskiy, and the winners of which took part in the semifinals and finals of the national championships "Young Professionals" and won prizes.