Entrepreneurship in plans of graduates

The article describes thereadiness of teenagers (school graduates of Tomsk region) for entrepreneurship as a form of economic behaviour based on the results ofannual sociological monitoring. The problems of entrepreneurship have been researched for the last twenty years, but the urgency ofthese questions in the modernization context of the country has increased at present. The article is focused on the following problems:the way to change the youth perception of this social practice; the place of entrepreneur activity in graduates plans, and estimation ofprestige and demand for this profession. The analysis of the results of sociological monitoring has shown the following. On the onehand, the rating (in the opinion poll) of entrepreneurial activity as a future profession is not high, but the prestige of it, according toschoolchildrens opinion, is constantly growing. For instance, at the end of 1990s entrepreneur was on the 16th position in the ratinglist of prestigious professions while in 2001 it went up to the 7th position. The results of the monitoring let compare the rating lists ofprestigious and popular occupations and, thus, determine the coincidence rate. The conclusion is that public recognition, as well as awide popularity of a profession, influences the graduates professional self-determination. The following professions are top-estimated:economists, lawyers, programmers, and managers. As for the entrepreneur, with its uncertain 7th rating place, it is mentioned as a prestigiousoccupation but graduates usually do not choose it as their future profession. Demand in the labour market also influences theteenagers professional choice. According to the graduates, in the next five years entrepreneurial activity will loose its prestige as a profession.Thus, entrepreneurship does not relate to the plans, intentions and life strategy of teenagers. One of the factors that could explainthe gap between professional determination and reality is the image of entrepreneurial activity, which is not a part of public consciousnessor a social pattern. So, it is not the time to announce the premises for creating a new social subject that would be able tochange the routine and social structures.

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