Continuous education: opportunities and limitations

The market for additional education in Russia is experiencing dynamic growth, according to expert evaluations, and is currently in an active development phase. However, this landscape is fraught with contradictions and challenges related to the fundamental principles of lifelong learning. This study aims to theoretically elucidate these contradictions in the context of lifelong education in Russia and to empirically validate their presence in actual educational practices. Key research objectives include analyzing and systematizing primary trends in lifelong education both in Russia and globally, and conducting a diagnostic study to identify the target audience most engaged with lifelong education issues. This involves examining the values, motivations, and preferences of consumers seeking additional educational services, as well as establishing criteria for assessing the quality of educational products. The author used analysis, synthesis, and generalization during the theoretical phase, and survey methods encompassing questionnaires and interviews for quantitative and qualitative analysis in the empirical phase. The findings revealed distinct characteristics and potential avenues for the development of the additional education market in Russia, including the disorientation of the target audience regarding available educational options, a multifaceted approach to selecting educational products among consumers, low awareness levels when choosing additional education paths, and a high sensitivity to various forms of social validation.