Competence Readiness of Personnel for Digital Economy

Abstract

Over the past two decades, digitalization has become an integral part of our daily life. The spread of digital technologies has transformed both business in which they have integrated firmly, and the entire world economy. At the same time, with the further spread, digitalization requires significant improvement in education and personnel training, talents of high qualification able to implement digital development of economy. Digitalization cannot emerge by itself, and the main role here is played by qualified personnel which are not easy to find. For employees to effectively function in the new conditions, definite competencies and skills are required. Those employees are referred to, which do not have professional education in the field of information and digital technologies, demonstrating skills at the level of the Internet users or basic knowledge of PC, this being absolutely insufficient for rapidly developing digitalization transforming the major part of economy. The authors consider the economic contribution of digitalization, profits and opportunities for business due to its rapid development. Special consideration is paid to personnel and infrastructure as key factors of the digital breakthrough. The need to update national education system is regarded, taking into account its focus on personnel training for digital economy. Based on an expert survey, the authors made an attempt to assess the competence readiness of personnel for challenges of digital environment. Although the number of specialists in the field of information and communication technologies is analyzed by statistic researches, the information on competence readiness of personnel to challenges of digital environment which takes into account the needs of employers and business community is not analyzed. The expert survey results confirm the insufficient readiness of personnel for digitalization of economy, and the need to involve both business and education system into this process. The paper stresses the need to involve business into the process of forming and developing digital competencies among employees engaged in production. In the conditions of economy digitalization the mastery of digital competencies is sharply relevant for the majority of professions.