Digital Skills Improvement in Development of the Population Employment

Abstract

The article highlights the main shortage problems of the specialists having digital skills that hinder the introduction of new technologies and equipment, and limit the activities development. The purpose of the study is to identify the problems and ways to improve the digital skills level for employment development in Russia. The methodological basis of the research is theoretical and empirical methods: economic analysis and synthesis, methods of economic observation, comparison methods, statistical methods, and expert method. The article examines changes dynamics of the digital skills level of the Russian population and the factors influencing digital competencies development. The results of the survey of digitalization state in economic sectors reveal the relationship between the level of digital technologies use and the amount of wages in organizations. The ways to increase the digital skills level in professional activities are highlighted: specialized courses and trainings, targeted corporate training, professional mentoring and self-study. The authors present the directions for improving digital skills in the complex of knowledge of theoretical foundations, professional and technical components. The improvement of digital skills contributes to the expansion of employment opportunities, the use of non-standard types of employment, the use of hybrid work formats and the opportunity to earn additional income together with the labour activity.