PREPARATION OF MANAGERIAL PERSONNEL THROUGH PRACTICAL TRAINING: SYNERGY OF EDUCATION, COMMUNITY, AND STATE IN CRISIS CONDITIONS

Abstract

The article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the practical training of higher education students majoring in D4 «Public Management and Administration» in the context of the new socio-political realities of Ukraine, shaped by decentralization processes, ongoing military aggression, and the urgent need for a qualitatively new level of public administration training. The authors emphasize that under conditions of multidimensional turbulence, the practical component of the educational process comes to the forefront, serving not only as a tool for acquiring professional competencies, but also as a means of fostering managerial responsibility, stress resilience, flexible thinking, strategic vision, and crisis management skills.

The article provides a detailed description of the main types of practice –introductory, academic, and industrial – defining their goals, objectives, expected outcomes, and specific features in different organizational and territorial contexts. It is noted that the implementation of practice in local self-government bodies, executive structures, civic institutions, and social initiatives ensures comprehensive coverage of managerial functions and decision-making models. The nationwide geography of practice – from border territorial communities to major urban centers – enables comparison and reflection on diverse administrative approaches, contributing to a bottom-up systemic vision of public administration reform.

The article explores current legal, methodological, and organizational approaches to the structure of practical training, including the role and recommendations of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine regarding the implementation of a continuous practice-oriented component in the educational process. The authors highlight the synergy of three key stakeholders – educational institutions, territorial communities, and the state – as a prerequisite for high-quality training of a new generation of public administrators. Particular attention is given to analyzing the effectiveness of student involvement in real local projects, participation in teamwork, analysis of administrative situations, and practical decision-making in cooperation with representatives of local authorities.

Special emphasis is placed on the transformational potential of practice as a factor of personal and professional self-determination of students. The article argues that practice serves not only as a mechanism for testing knowledge but also as a space for shaping future leaders – not as bureaucratic administrators, but as active agents of change capable of implementing innovations, generating governance solutions based on the real needs of communities, and taking responsibility for societal development.

In the final part, the article formulates conclusions regarding the need to implement a systemic approach to practical training: developing unified sectoral standards for practice, creating mechanisms for evaluating their effectiveness, and establishing a sustainable system of feedback among all participants. Concrete ways to strengthen the integration of educational and practical dimensions of public administration are proposed, which are of strategic importance for Ukraine’s recovery, modernization, and European integration in the post-war period.