Dual education as a way to solve modern problems of Ukrainian higher educational institutions

Abstract

High quality education is one of the main aspects that enables graduates to be competitive in the labor market. Competitiveness consists not only of professional knowledge and skills, but also of different qualities, such as resistance to stress, initiative, sociability, application of knowledge in practice and skills for self-organization, just to name a few. Contributing to the development of these qualities creates new difficulties for higher educational institutions (HEI), since in order to do this effectively, it is necessary to use a modern material and technical base and involve first-class specialists with practical experience. The problems of higher education faced by Ukrainian HEI today do not allow students to fulfill their potential in their own universities. Moreover, the qualifications of students after graduation are often not good enough to meet the needs of employers. One of the ways to make the education system more effective for both students and higher institutions is a dual education system. This reserch aims to describe the model of dual education as a tool to solve the main problems faced by Ukrainian universities. The article reveals the differences between the traditional model of education and dual one: acquisition of technical skills, development of critical thinking, learning through experience, and reflection on work practice, solving problems in the work environment, and is thus centered around real-life projects. Also the study shows the approaches to the organization of this type of education, which are inherent in different countries, as well as the advantages that allow dual education to increase the competitiveness of universities in the country and, as a result, their graduates. Based on the experience of Germany, a world leader in the organization of this model of education through the analysis of its basic elements, an algorithm of implementation of concept of a dual education in Ukrainian HEI was developed. Proposed main steps that universities should take to implement dual education (such as creation of a dual education department at universities; forecast of sectoral and regional needs; search for enterprises that are interested in the dual form of education; selection of students for vacant places for dual education; signing a tripartite agreement; curriculum development to combine practical and theoretical knowledge; issuance of an order on the organization of dual education and referral of students to the enterprise during dates; regular monitoring of student work at the enterprise; control of learning outcomes) will allow them to improve the quality of skills of graduates, as well as create more effective relationships with local enterprises and the state.

Keywords

• dual education, university competitiveness, traditional education, world experience of dual education