From Combining Study and Work to Combining Work and Study? The Changing Model of Russian Higher Education

Abstract

Combining study and work has become a widespread phenomenon in Russia. According to the national monitoring of graduate employment, about 53% of full-time bachelor and specialist degree holders worked for at least one month during their studies. The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the characteristics of combining study and work and an assessment of their contribution to individual wages and the probability of employment one year after graduation. The results suggest that regular employment during the academic year is more common than temporary employment during the summer break. On average, combining study and work increases the probability of employment one year after graduation by 16-19% and brings a wage premium of 14%. However, there are significant differences in the size of the effect depending on the characteristics of student employment and educational factors. The combination of studying and working in the final years of university has a larger effect on wages and the probability of employment. There are significant cross effects between the fact of combining study and work with fields of study and the degree of university selectivity. The observed effects suggest that a special model of transition from study to work has emerged in Russia, in which professional career entry precedes graduation. Moreover, the results of the study show that there is a strong complementarity between education and combining study with work. Combining study and work does not yield significant returns when the quality of education is low, while success in the labour market is achieved through a combination of different educational factors and not solely work experience.