Validation of criteria for assessing practical skills of manicure masters in accordance with WorldSkills standards

Abstract

The relevance of the study stems from the growing demand for the quality of professional training for beauty industry specialists, the need to increase the objectivity of practical skills assessment, and the need to align learning outcomes with internationally recognized professional standards. In the context of introducing a competency-based approach, the problems of validity, reliability, and comparability of the assessment results for practical training of manicurists acquire particular importance, directly affecting the quality of professional certification and employers' trust. The purpose of the article is the scientific substantiation and validation of the criteria for assessing practical skills of manicurists in accordance with WorldSkills standards in order to ensure objectivity, reliability and comparability of the results of professional training. The research methods include the analysis and generalization of scientific sources on the problems of assessing practical skills in vocational education, the logical-structural analysis of professional activity standards, the systematization of approaches to the formation of assessment criteria, and the analytical comparison of the results of their practical application in the educational process. Results. The study identifies requirements for assessing manicurists' practical skills in the context of competency-based training, substantiates the assessment criteria and indicators, taking into account professional activity standards, and establishes the effectiveness of validated criteria in the practical training process. It has been proven that the use of validated criteria reduces subjectivity in assessment, increases the consistency of expert judgments, and differentiates levels of professional training. The main scientific and practical problems of assessment are identified, related to insufficient measurability of results, fragmentation of control, and inconsistency between educational programs and real professional requirements. Conclusions. The introduction of validated criteria for assessing practical skills is an effective tool for improving the quality of professional training of manicurists and ensuring the transparency of attestation and certification procedures. Prospects for further research include empirical verification of the validity and reliability of the proposed criteria across various educational and certification contexts, as well as the development of digital tools to support the assessment of practical skills in the beauty industry.