COMPETENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY DEVELOPMENT

Within the Bologna Process, employability is understood as 'the ability to gain initial meaningful employment, or to become self-employed, to maintain employment, and to be able to move around within the labour market' (Working Group on Employability 2009). This approach defines the role of higher education against the backdrop of modern requirements.

The role of higher education is 'to equip students with the knowledge, skills and competences that they need in the workplace and that employers require; and to ensure that people have more opportunities to maintain or renew those skills and competences throughout their working lives' (Working Group on Employability 2009).

Successful employment of graduates conforming to their qualification has been a matter of discussion at the state level in the Russian Federation and in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Yet so far, we have witnessed lack of consitency in addresing this issue which resulted in the shortage of SPs to encourage employability and foster interaction between higher educational institutions and employers.

The COMPLETE project is aimed at changing the current situation by establishing Centres for Competence and Employability Development (CCED).