The Impact of Non-Formal Education on Human Capital: A Generational Approach

Abstract

Introduction. The update rate of information and the scope of social transformations became a trend of modern life. To remain competitive, a person needs to foster his/her competencies and skills. Non-formal education is becoming the most mobile way to solve the tasks, allowing to quickly acquire relevant knowledge and experience. Research interest is focused on the impact of non-formal education on the formation and development of the human capital. The purpose of the article is to study the involvement of representatives of various generations in a non-formal education. Materials and Methods. The research draws on the methodology of the in-depth interview interpretation analysis. The data was obtained using the focus group method: a series of 27 group interviews, 9 for each age category (youth, mature and older). The focus groups included 253 people – residents of Tyumen, Tobolsk, Ishim, and settlements in the South of the Tyumen region. Results. The possibilities of non-formal education in the process of accumulation and realization of human capital were revealed. The analysis of the practices of youth, adult and older generation’s non-formal education was carried out. Based on the study of generational theories, the educational attitudes of various age groups and the needs for non-formal learningwere analyzed. Based on the analysis of the intensity of educational practices, three types of actors were identified depending on their involvement in non-formal education: the active type “eternal student”, the moderate type “situational student” and the passive type “indifferent student”, which were found in representatives of different generations. The authors identified the following things that motivate and demotivate people to receive non-formal education: operational updating of competencies, fostering of personal and professional skills for a specific professional position, reducing the qualification gap. Analysing the non-formal educational practices of youth, adults, and the older generation, the authors found that non-formal education significantly affects the dynamics of professionalization, the nature of social and labour transfers. Discussion and Conclusion. The results of the study will aid in sizing the impact of non-formal education on human capital in terms of the generational approach. The materials of the article are useful for building an educational ecosystem at the regional and national level and for practical application in the development and adjustment of strategies for working with people of different age groups.

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“…The learning process should therefore be analyzed not only from the perspective of education in the formal education system, but also taking into account non-formal methods of seeking to reduce the qualification gap -by updating the possessed, and shaping new knowledge and competences (e.g. on-the-job training, mutual knowledge sharing between colleagues, knowledge acquired in the home environment) (Kicherova, Efimova, 2020). It should be noted, as mentioned before, that the aforementioned distance of some workers towards the concept of lifelong learning may also result from the use of distance learning tools in this process.…”

Personnel Marketing for Generation Y

“…Russian researchers note a critical feature of Millennials: they, gaining just some competences and having not enough professional experience, begin to teach others, acting as providers of informal education: they are engaged as tutors, lead marathons, hold various master classes in the beauty and culinary industries [14].…”

Interpersonal Communication in Virtual Laboratories during the pandemic: a systematic literature review

“…Virtual Laboratories as digital technologies share a main advantage: they are tools particularly supportive for informal and lifelong learning (Yin & Shi, 2022). This allows the adaptation of these virtual environments for the needs of a variety of educational contexts: formal or inside of a compulsory educational system, informal or cooperative learning with friends or family members in spontaneous life situations (Eshach, 2007), and non-formal, such as workshops, seminars and trainings at working space (Kicherova & Efimova, 2020), the latest are carried out in institutionalized settings -e.g., libraries or museums -but situated outside the school (Moldovan & Bocoş-Binţinţan, 2015). Introduction of tools like Virtual Laboratories can break the boundaries of formal education (Martín-Gutiérrez & González-Marrero, 2017).…”