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THE FORMATION OF DEMOGRAPHIC COMPETENCIES OF PUBLIC SERVANTS AS A NEW FEATURE OF RUSSIAN EDUCATION

Anna Bagirova, Angelika Voroshilova

Abstract

The demographic crisis in Russia actualizes the search of very different ways of escaping it. One of such way could become the growing focus of the education system to the demographic problems of the society. The acquisition of competencies in the demographic sphere is necessary by all different subjects at all levels - from fundamental to additional education. Notably the public servants who are professionally involved in the regulation of demographic processes at the municipal and regional levels should be educated first. The article presents the results of a survey of public servants, held in the Urals region of Russia. We interviewed 20 experts to assess their level of awareness about existing demographic problems and their vision of development perspectives of the demographic situation, to match their assessments with the objective tendencies of demographic development of the region. The results of the survey showed that the level of awareness of public servants about demographic problems and perspectives is generally perfunctory and short-dated. The attention is focused on the achievements of the last years, without taking into consideration the presuppositions of the past and future demographic resources. The views of experts diverge with the trends, determinants and perspectives of demographic scenario, marked by demographer analysts. Based on the results of the survey we have developed a program of further training public servants. The aim of this program is a qualitative change of professional competencies needed for performing the following kinds of professional work of public servants: management-organizational, administrative-technological, information-analytical, project and expert-consulting. The logic of the studies within the framework of supplementary professional training program includes three levels. At the first theoretical-methodological level, students acquire knowledge about the general demographic processes, the entity and role of the family as a social institution that implements the parental labor. The following - methodological level of supplementary professional program assumes students to master the methodologies of socio-economic analysis and forecasting. At the third project-technological level students gain skills associated with technology of developing projects in the sphere of family-demographic policy and master the technology of expertizing projects existing in this field.

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