Demographics play a critical role. Since the mid-2000s, the youth cohort supplying both university and vocational entrants shrank dramatically. TVET admissions at first mirrored these demographic curves. However, since the mid-2010s, TVET intake began growing faster than population trends, indicating genuine demand for vocational education beyond demographic necessity. Projections anticipate a brief cohort expansion in the 2030s, followed by renewed contraction that will challenge both TVET and higher education systems to adapt responsively to evolving youth populations.

Labor Market and Qualification Structure

Russia’s TVET system operates within a labor market marked by high overall educational attainment but persistent structural mismatches in workforce qualifications. While the expansion of higher education has raised general schooling levels, most employed Russians hold vocational rather than academic credentials and work in lower- or mid-skilled positions.

The challenge is especially pronounced in vocational segments. Around 60% of jobs require vocational qualifications—mainly at the lower skill level—but only 46% of the workforce hold these credentials, and many of them are trained for mid-skilled roles rather than the lower-skilled positions most needed by employers. This highlights a core policy challenge: aligning the supply of skill credentials with evolving workplace needs.

System Structure and Access to Educational Pathways 

Russian TVET is offered at ISCED levels 3 to 5. Programs are divided into lower-skilled tracks (skilled workers) and mid-skilled tracks (technicians), with program length determined by entry point. A notable trend is the contraction of the lower-skilled segment and the growth of aspirations for mid-level technical qualifications—even within vocational education itself. Also, permeability between vocational and academic tracks is high, allowing VET graduates easier access to higher education. The system’s flexibility enables graduates of certain vocational schools to continue into university, bypassing the competitive national exam required of other applicants. This development fosters cross-sectoral flows and upward mobility.

TVET programs in Russia are primarily accessed after the 9th grade, making this a critical decision point. Nearly half of students choose vocational pathways after basic secondary education, signaling both increased attractiveness and reduced dropout rates. While higher education remains prestigious, its massification plateaued by the late 2010s, allowing vocational tracks to gain ground as a strategic—not fallback—option. The pathways are permeable, enabling graduates to enter higher education, but a persistent image gap between TVET and universities remains. Thus, vocational routes serve as both primary pathways for skill acquisition and safety nets for those who do not transition into university, illustrating the bifurcated nature of Russia’s postsecondary system.

The demographics of VET students reveal strong representation of recent school-leavers and a variety of specializations, particularly in technical, IT, and healthcare fields. The share of fee-paying students is increasing, especially in high-demand programs, reflecting both market-driven preferences and constraints in state-funded places. Gender segmentation persists, with technical disciplines remaining male-dominated and caregiving fields attracting predominantly female enrolments. TVET continues to serve students from families with lower educational and cultural capital, further reinforcing its significant social role.

Governance, Funding, and Provider Diversity

Governance and funding arrangements reflect a system dominated by public support, with only modest employer involvement. Teacher industry experience is limited, and practical training comprises less than half the program time in most cases, except in highly practical occupations. Extending employer engagement and increasing real-world learning remain key priorities in ongoing reforms aimed at improving school-to-work transitions.

The provider network is extensive, including over 4,500 institutions. While 8% of colleges are affiliated with universities, the majority are regional and sectoral, governed by local ministries. Private institutions represent a modest share. Most colleges are broad-access, nonselective, and state-funded, but a small contingent of highly selective, university-linked providers sets the standard. Stakeholder heterogeneity complicates quality assurance and reform implementation

Labor Market Outcomes and Skill Mismatches

Labor market data for Russian TVET graduates show high employment rates and clear earnings premiums for mid-level qualifications compared to secondary education alone. Persistent issues include overqualification and gender wage gaps, especially as many graduates trained for technical professions find employment in retail and service sectors. TVET graduates continue to navigate challenges in matching their field of study with job opportunities and successfully transitioning into the formal labour market, reflecting broader postsecondary dynamics in Russia.

Future Outlook

Russian TVET is entering a “new era” of policy momentum, driven by demographic shifts, changing labor market demand, and evolving educational aspirations. Major reforms have set the foundation for industry-responsive training, multisectoral integration, and modernization of pedagogical models. Yet, persistent gaps in employer engagement, quality assurance, and sectoral equity pose significant risks to sustainable improvement.

Balancing centralization with flexibility, harmonizing youth aspirations with labor-market realities, and fostering genuine collaboration among public and private actors are critical for Russia’s TVET system to fulfill its developmental promise. The coming decade will test the resilience and adaptability of vocational education as Russia continues to confront demographic contraction, skills mismatch, and the need for economic modernization.

24 September 2025

Source (left chart): Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016), processed by Our World in Data.
Source (right chart): Authors’ calculations based on Rosstat demographic data, enrollment data from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, and Pro-HE aspirations from VCIOM surveys.

Source: Authors’ calculations based on Rosstat demographic projection.

Source: Authors’ calculations based on LFS Rosstat data.

Source: Authors’ calculations based on ISCED data.

Source: Authors’ calculations based on statistics from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, 2024.

Source: Authors’ calculations based on statistics from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. Family background statistics derived from the HSE longitudinal study ‘Trajectories in Education and Careers’.

Source: Authors’ calculations based on statistics from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

Source: Authors’ calculations based on statistics from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation; Maltseva et al. (2025), ‘Typology of Vocational Education Organizations in Russia: An Empirical Analysis’, HSE Publishing (forthcoming).

Source (left chart): Tracer Study by Rosstat, 2024.
Source (right chart): HSE (2023), ‘Graduates of Secondary Vocational Education in the Russian Labor Market’, edited by Roshchin S., HSE Publishing.

Source: HSE (2023), ‘Graduates of Secondary Vocational Education in the Russian Labor Market’, edited by Roshchin S., HSE Publishing.

Source: Tracer Study by Rosstat, 2024; HSE (2023), ‘Graduates of Secondary Vocational Education in the Russian Labor Market’, edited by Roshchin S., HSE Publishing.