Virtual labor market and continuous professional education during COVID-19 pandemic: Interaction prospects in the Russian Federation

During the pandemic, virtual labor market players demonstrated a high level of adaptation to stressful situa-tions through the use of their competitive professional competencies and active educational motivation. These changes became the impulse for the formation of a new segment in the continuous professional education sector for virtual em-ployees. The topic of this article is made relevant by the lack of the conceptual bases for the educational model used by virtual employees and its connection with the virtual labor market of Russia. Using the elements of systemic analysis and synthesis allowed the authors to clarify the borders of the virtual market and suggest assessment criteria for its adaptation to the pandemic. The authors focused on the signals sent by the Russian virtual labor market to the continuous profes-sional education system. Based on their analysis, the authors suggest top-priority actions to make an educational niche for virtual employees based on the continuous education concept and the formation of its economic relationships with the virtual labor market of the Russian Federation. Conclusions. The testing of the authors’ hypothesis showed that the sig-nals obtained by the educational system from the virtual labor market during the pandemic could be assessed as an inno-vative educational adaptation to uncertainty. That is why they require an adequate response from the continuous profes-sional education system manifested in the establishment of a virtual employee sector within it and the formation of prom-ising communication channels for the virtual labor market. The controversies in the problems discussed call for further research in this area. The materials may have practical value for the establishment of the key continuous professional ed-ucation institutes for virtual employees.