This is a study of how vocational education was transformed to deal with social distancing due to
coronavirus infection in the Russian Federation. Data was taken from online delivery platforms such
as Coursera, Timepad, and Edumarket. The demand for educational courses in Russia increased by
2.5 times in the first half of 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19. Despite this only 19% of learners
are prepared to continue their learning after the quarantine measures are lifted. In the first half of
2020 programs on these platforms were focused on soft skills. There was an increase in programs for
stress resistance, leadership, productivity, business, hobbies and art, parent-child relationships, and
foreign language learning. The proportion of programs reliant on social communications decreased
significantly. However, there was an increase courses in IT (blog / website development, machine
learning), and medicine (ensuring safety in case of coronavirus infection, prevention of COVID-19,
etc.). The study is of interest to the heads of regional educational departments, specialists of the
continuing education in universities, professional educational organizations, non-governmental
organizations of continuing education, labor exchange and those who are involved in continuing
education and self-learning.
Keyword(s) : soft skills
A Toolkit to Assess the Level of Universal Competencies (Soft Skills) of Pedagogical University Students
As science and technology develops rapidly and the knowledge gained over the years of study devalues
equally rapidly, a university should not only provide students with specific, highly professional
knowledge and skills, but also develop universal competencies (soft skills), which include the ability
to self-study, self-development, communication and cooperation, creativity, critical thinking and
others. These are the skills that are increasingly valuable and will be more valuable in the future for
the personal and professional success of a young specialist demanded by an employer.
In the absence of unified and validated methods for diagnosing universal competencies, and with the
uncertainty and inconsistency relating to the basic set of soft skills required for a young specialist at
the start of his/her professional career, difficulties arise in organizing the educational process in high
education to integrate the development of hard and soft skills. The aim of the study was to develop a
toolkit for assessing and monitoring the level of development of universal competencies in students
of a pedagogical university.
The proposed toolkit was tested at the Institute of Natural Science and Sports Technologies of the
Moscow City University. It made it possible to identify strengths and weaknesses in the educational
process, acting as a sensitive diagnostic tool and facilitating the choice of a strategy aimed at
increasing its effectiveness for developing students’ universal competencies. The proposed approach
is universal and can be used in different contexts.
University Students’ Attitudes to Soft Skills in Business Communication Training
Nowadays learning Russian in business communication is a major part of vocational education and
training and within this academic subject it is possible for university students to develop soft skills.
This research examined the formation, development and application of a universal set of soft skills
to help graduates adapt to the modern labor market. The study was conducted with 196 first-year
students in the Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service. A subjective scale technique
was applied using a survey-questionnaire. The data were processed using systematization and
generalization methods. The results showed that subjective attitudes to the application of soft skills
were developed in students studying Business Russian. The building of soft skills helps students
use knowledge in practice and to increase their motivation for personal professional growth and
development. The research revealed that 21 out of 24 declared soft skills are actively formed in
students in the course of teaching. In addition, the analysis gave an objective view of the abilities,
interests and tendencies of each student. This information is necessary to improve the educational
process. The results of the research play an important role in the development of the theory of
competence model of successful modern graduates. The research results can be used by universities
to develop and improve working curricula in accordance with the requirements of new educational
standards.