bodies of the defence forces should be done by modernizing the system of mobilization training and mobilization, as well as pre-conscription training and military-patriotic education of youth. Article 61 stipulates that the defence industry will meet the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, other components of the security and defence sector of Ukraine in armaments and military equipment, invest in the development of tech- nology, production capacity, human resources, attract investment, participate in joint international projects, implement potential public-private partnership and will thus act as a driver of economic growth1.

Thus, the main issues of vocational education development in the context of na- tional security cover the following aspects: modernization of vocational education system, mastering by graduates of competencies necessary for state defence, use of public-private partnership projects and active military-patriotic education.

The subject of the article is the main directions of development of the system of vocational education to ensure national security.

The purpose of the article is to analyse the development of vocational education in terms of strengthening national security, preparing graduates to perform respon- sibilities for national security and organizing the activities of vocational education institutions on the basis of public-private partnership.

The main problem of the research, formulated in this article, is the following: how the reform and modernization of the vocational education system can contribute to strengthening national security and how to organize these activities on the basis of public-private partnership.

Safe dimensions of vocational education

Analysis of safety dimensions of vocational education shows that the main indica- tor of educational institutions is the compliance of training of workers with the needs of the national economy, in the field of national security – training of highly skilled workers for the defence industry. At present, there is an imbalance in the interaction between public administration bodies, the system of vocational education, employees and employers for the training of such personnel. This, of course, requires forecasting the necessity for specialists in the economy and communication of educational institu- tions with potential employers. Therefore, the issue of formation of mechanisms and structures capable of effectively implementing the state policy of bringing the educa- tional market in line with the labour market and the needs of the domestic economy is on the agenda, as well as the legislative support for their functioning. Successful foreign experience can be a certain reference point here. For example, in the United States, issues of national security and education are considered in the context of hu- man capital development, improving the state and society’s protection against current and potential threats. Back in 1983, the report of the National Commission for the

1Ukaz Prezydenta Ukrayiny №392/2020 «Pro rishennya Rady natsionalʹnoyi bezpeky i obo- rony Ukrayiny vid 14 veresnya 2020 roku «Pro Stratehiyu natsionalʹnoyi bezpeky Ukrayiny» URL:www.president.gov.ua › 3922.

for Ukraine. This is also due to human development indicators, where Ukraine is below the average level in Europe and Central Asia, and this figure has not improved in 10 years. As a result, Ukrainian youth do not have the opportunity to grow into pro- ductive adults. A newborn child in our country only achieves 63% of the productivity of an adult with a sufficient level of education. The World Bank notes that this figure is higher among countries with similar levels of economic growth, but at the same time it is lower than in Europe and Central Asia. To solve this problem, large investments in education, health care and social protection are needed. For example, in Poland a child can expect to achieve 75% productivity and in Tajikistan – 50%6.

One of the threats to national security is the departure of qualified specialists ab- road. The National Report “Ukrainian Society: Migration Dimension”7 states that the negative impact of natural and migratory factors of population decline on the country’s defence system is manifested in two key areas. In both cases, it is the wor- king population of working age, which has the necessary physical development, edu- cation, professional knowledge and skills to perform the relevant functions, which determines the mobilization potential of the population.

The processes of natural and migratory population reduction also affects the ability to meet the labour needs of those enterprises that are involved in the implementation of military (defence) orders. Manufacturing in the interests of the security and defence sector requires highly qualified specialists, who are already in significant demand, which, due to migration, remains largely unsatisfied.

According to the authors of the study8, the most threatening is the reduction of the economically active population of working age (1.8 million people, or 9.7%), which is the basis of the mobilization potential of the country. Prolonged depopulation and ageing of the population and its high migration mobility have an extremely negative impact on the mobilization potential of the basic component of the security and defen- ce sector – the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Thus, the practice of working abroad not only reduces the number of mobilization opportunities, but also simplifies the decision to abandon military service and work at defence enterprises, even in conditions of armed aggression. This can lead to a gene- ral mobilization depletion of the population of Ukraine, so it increases the threats not only in the field of military development, but also for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country.

Development of public-private partnership in the field of vocational education as a factor of strengthening national security

In the field of vocational training, the close relationship between education and work is extremely important. This requires knowledge of changes in the demand for voca- tional skills for the rapid response of the education and vocational training system to structural changes in the economy and society. The success of initiatives in these areas is determined by the correlation with the objectives of economic and social policy.

A special role in their solution belongs to the implementation of public-private partnership (PPP) projects. The positive consequences of the implementation of PPP projects should be: promotion of better management and coordination of the VET system with the needs of the labour market; introduction of educational innovations; improving the quality of vocational education; increasing the level of employment of graduates.

In recent years, Ukraine has developed the necessary legal framework for the im- plementation of PPP in the VET system, in particular in Article 6 of the Law of Ukra- ine “On Education” (2017)9 public-private partnership is included in the foundations of public policy in education and principles of educational activities.

The main areas of partnership between VET institutions and employers are, in our opinion, the following:

▪▪joint development of professional and educational standards;

▪▪joint provision of professional qualifications to graduates;

▪▪providing practical training of students and internships for teachers and masters of industrial training at enterprises;

▪▪introduction of payments by enterprises and organizations of branches and no- minal scholarships for the best students;

▪▪providing enterprises and organizations with assistance in the maintenance and development of the material and technical base of vocational and technical institutions;

▪▪introduction by enterprises and organizations of material and moral stimulation of teachers and masters of industrial training.

In recent years, the practical implementation of public-private partnership projects in the form of dual education has become popular in Ukraine. The main changes in the organization of the educational and production process in the introduction of elements of the dual form of education are to strengthen the practical orientation of training skilled workers, the introduction of block-modular construction of the educational process: evaluation of learning outcomes according to employers’ needs.

Since September 1, 2019, elements of the dual form of education in vocational (technical) education institutions have been implemented by 262 institutions, 1,000 employers, training of 190 working professions is carried out and 12,000 students study in dual education programmes.

9Pro osvitu: Zakon Ukrayiny (2017) URL: zakon.rada.gov.ua.

Currently, the training of modern workers requires new approaches to training, the use of modern and effective educational technologies, the main result of which should be the employee’s ability to self-improve, rapid adaptation to changes in production and services, which highlights the need for quality education and innovative deve- lopment VET on the basis of public-private partnership. This determines the relevan- ce of modernization of the educational process and the transition from traditional to a targeted model of training, which is implemented in the format of network intera- ction of educational institutions and enterprises, which should focus on the specifics of the order for economic needs.

The above analysis shows that combining the efforts of the VET system with em- ployers for systematic, constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation to ensure high quality training, attract additional resources for the development of the VET system and its focus on modern labour market requirements, is an important factor in national security.

Post-pandemic need for modern and quality vocational education

Lucia Duriš Nicholsonová points out in the article “The post-pandemic need for modern and high-quality vocational education and training” that, despite the damage caused to society and individuals by the coronavirus crisis, we must ensure that the European workforce is ready to solve future challenges. According to her, employ- ment and education are among the most affected by the crisis due to lockdowns and measures taken by governments to prevent the spread of the virus and its devastating effects. According to Eurostat, in January 2020 the unemployment rate in the EU was 6.6%, the lowest in 20 years. After the crisis in September 2020, the unemployment rate in the EU-27 rose to 7.5%, and youth unemployment also rose from 14.5% last year to 17.1%10.

We believe that the pandemic has become a significant threat to the national securi- ty of all countries, so we agree that in addition to combating the coronavirus, the focus should be on stimulating economic recovery and employment. Vocational education and training are tools that can quickly overcome skills shortages and labour market needs, thus contributing to economic recovery and strengthening national security.

To this end, the European Commission has proposed action at the EU level to support vocational education reform as part of its post-COVID-19 recovery agenda. The Parliamentary Committee on Employment and Social Affairs calls for the moder- nization of VET to meet the needs of sustainable competitiveness, social justice and sustainability in the following areas:

▪▪VET systems must be accessible to all citizens, including vulnerable groups. All relevant stakeholders should be involved throughout the design and supply process;

10Lucia Duriš Nicholsonová. The post-pandemic need for modern and high-quality vocational edu- cation and training. URL:www.theparliamentmagazine.eu.

In order to further determine the directions of development of the VET system, it is worth paying attention to the study “Key lessons from national industry 4.0 policy initiatives in Europe” (2017),15 which determined that the development of industry

4.0will lead to many job cuts where production is already largely automated and in office workers employed in the service sector. According to the study, the global labo- ur market will lose about seven million jobs, two-thirds of which are administrative and office positions. On the other hand, the need for IT specialists will increase. The- refore, the most important investment that people, firms and governments can make to change the nature of work is to increase human capital. At the general economic level, human capital is positively correlated with the general level of implementation of advanced technologies. Firms with a higher proportion of educated workers are better able to innovate. Individuals with more powerful human capital receive higher economic returns from new technologies.

Thus, the post-pandemic period requires new forms and directions of VET deve- lopment, which will have a positive impact on economic development and strengthe- ning national security.

We believe that in the matter of strengthening the national security of the country, education should ensure the formation of critical thinking, national consciousness, and the strengthening of spiritual security in VET students. This will contribute to the formation of patriotic, civic consciousness, which, of course, affects the state of national security.

The purpose of the article is achieved and the research problem is solved by sub- stantiating the main directions of development of the VET system as a factor of natio- nal security. The study allows us to draw the following conclusions.

Modernization of the VET system and introduction of new forms of interaction with employers are important factors in ensuring the demand for professionals trained in the system of vocational education and training. The benefits of a successful public- -private partnership for skills development mean increased access to learning, a focus on demand for vocational education and training, employment and economic growth. This indicates that the use of PPP in vocational education combines educational and labour processes affects the participation of the economically active population in the labour market, is an important factor in strengthening the economy and defence, and it is one of the mechanisms to provide the labour market with qualified personnel.

The functioning of the partnership mechanism between vocational education insti- tutions and employers in Ukraine requires the following conditions: a sufficient legal framework that is in line with international agreements and allows partners to agree on the terms of interaction; state and public institutions that will promote dialogue and partnership between educational institutions and employers in the new socio- -economic environment, providing financial, organizational, political support; free, independent and empowered partners who seek mutual understanding and are able to develop a common vision of the labour market prospects; adherence to certain

15Key lessons from national industry 4.0 policy initiatives in Europe. URL:ec.europa.eu › default › files.