Thorny paths of modern Russian higher professional education

The article analyzes problem situations on the way to acquiring professions that require higher professional education. The main attention is paid to the fact that in society there is a real gap between personal (individual) goals in obtaining highly qualified professions and the socio-economic, socio-political and socio-cultural needs of society. In this regard, the reference points of acquiring and passing professional socialization are analyzed, which, in the author's opinion, consists of a consistent solution (algorithm) of interconnected, consistently implemented tasks – professional education, professional orientation, professional selection and professional adaptation. The author examines how these tasks are solved from the standpoint of: a) official state educational policy; b) actions and activities of schools and universities; c) behavior of schoolchildren and students; and d) their regional characteristics. Moreover, attention is paid not so much to the educational, methodological and organizational problems of mastering professions, as to the social aspects of the process of training and obtaining higher education.