Component policies for the formation of the contingent of applicants as a tool for ensuring the competitiveness of agricultural universities

Abstract

Introduction. The article examines the theoretical principles and foreign practical approaches of vocational guidance work of institutions of higher education of an agrarian profile. The possibility of applying theoretical approaches and special tools of career guidance work in domestic agricultural universities was evaluated. A system of formation of the contingent of entrants by institutions of higher agricultural education is proposed. Goal. The purpose of the article is to generalize the theoretical principles and practical approaches to the formation of a high-quality composition of the contingent of applicants by agricultural universities and to substantiate the components of career guidance policy in terms of increasing their competitiveness. Method (methodology). The following scientific methods of cognition are used in the article: the method of system analysis, the abstract-logical method when summarizing foreign experience regarding vocational guidance support for secondary school students and when justifying the possibility of its use in domestic practice; the method of retrospective analysis, highlighting the tools of career guidance activities of agricultural universities, induction and deduction when justifying the policy of forming the contingent of applicants by agricultural higher education institutions; abstract-logical and monographic methods for theoretical generalization and formulation of conclusions. The results. The foreign experience regarding purposeful career guidance support for students in choosing an agricultural profile is summarized and the expediency of its use in domestic practice is substantiated. The system of formation of the contingent of applicants by institutions of higher agrarian education is summarized, the algorithm of policy formation of agricultural universities with regard to potential applicants is proposed, and the components of the career guidance policy in terms of increasing their competitiveness are substantiated. The target groups of career guidance influence of institutions of higher agricultural education are characterized. It was determined that the successful implementation of the developed concept of attracting applicants can be ensured on the basis of the use of marketing tools and rational positioning of agricultural universities of their services. The introduction of special career guidance tools for the organization of the educational process at the village school level is proposed and substantiated.