Paradoxes of students' non-formal education

Introduction. The research topicality lies in the inference that formal education system loses its ability to respond quickly to socio-cultural and technological changes in society. The purpose of the article is to study the international and domestic experience of non-formal education, to identify the practices of non-formal education among students, and to examine the prospects and paradoxes of non-formal education. Materials and Methods. The study encompassed such levels as macrosocial, mesosocial, and microsocial. The authors' methodology comprised two stages. The first part of the research was theoretical. The second part included in-depth interviews (N = 126) and questionnaire results processing (N = 894). Results. The examples of foreign countries show institutional opportunities, regulation mechanisms, and means of recognition of non-formal education. The scale of distribution of non-formal education in the world is presented. The empirical research shows that the absolute majority of the Russian students are not involved in non-formal educational practices. The main objective of non-formal education is to obtain actual knowledge, living and vocational skills within a short time period. Only a third of respondents admit that non-formal education has had a positive effect on their employment. Discussion and Conclusion. The study allows to deepen knowledge about the education system transformation, to identify possible strategies to remove young people's qualification gaps and retards and overcome barriers existing on the labor market. The study results can be used to develop theoretical concepts and conduct a comparative analysis, as well as in practical activities of educational organizations. The study will help identify the opinion of employers regarding their readiness to recognize qualifications earned through non-formal education.