Involvement of higher education in the training of mid-level specialists

The increasing prestige and popularity of secondary vocational education among youth, coupled with the rising population of individuals aged 15 to 19, contributes to the growing burden on the system of secondary vocational education (SPO). Simultaneously, the pace of development of the infrastructural, resource, and pedagogical capacities of vocational educational organizations lags behind the increasing demand for SPO. There is a noticeable decline in the flow of graduates from the 11th grade who continue their education immediately after completing school into higher educationinstitutions. Therefore, the primary objective of this article is to evaluate the role of higher education institutions in training personnel with secondary vocational education and to analyze the prospects for further implementation of SPO programs within these institutions. The research is based on statistical forms SPO-1 (secondary vocational education), VPO-1 (higher education), VPO-2 (higher education), and demographic forecasts for single-year age cohorts. The study employs mathematical analysis of statistical data as its methodological approach. The temporal scope encompasses the calendar year 2022 and the academic year 2023/24, representing the most recent years available in the statistical records at the time of the study. The conducted research reveals that programs for training SPO personnel are currently being implemented in state universities across 82 regions and in private universities in 35 regions, with these institutions (including branches) accounting for 17.9 % of the total number of educational organizations off ering SPO programs in the Russian Federation. In 2022, compared to 2017, an increase in financial resources allocated for the implementation of SPO educational programs was noted in universities across 60 regions, while a decrease was observed in 21 regions. The novelty of this research lies in the proposal to enhance the accessibility and eff ectiveness of secondary vocational education during a period of continuously increasing demands on vocational educational organizations by leveraging existing resource capabilities within the higher education system. The findings of this study may prove valuable to executive authorities in formulating management decisions aimed at improving approaches to vocational education governance, including eff orts to prepare personnel for technological sovereignty.