On Application of Occupational Standards in Training Bachelors and Masters in Economics and Housing and Public Utilities Management

The paper focuses on the major problems arising during the application of occupational standards in the process of training economists, including specialists in housing and public utilities (HPU), at universities. It reveals the main contradictions and presents a classification of problems that surface while applying occupational standards. The authors propose an algorithm of actions to follow when introducing occupational standards in a higher education institution; examine the problem of applying occupational standards in the context of training bachelors and masters in economics and housing and public utilities management; and show that the HPU industry suffers from a lack of methodical literature on using the requirements of the occupational standard in working training programmes. Based on the current regulatory legal acts and expert interviews, the staff of the Ural State University of Economics have developed relevant curricula of bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes. The study finds that the industry representatives are not ready to cooperate with universities in the development of specialized curricula due to a poor understanding by the professional community of the need to upgrade the skills of personnel in order to bring them in line with the requirements of occupational standards