Digitalization of the economy as a factor in updating the educational process

Global and rapid changes in all spheres of life give rise to the need to modernize the education system, introduce innovative technologies and form new qualities in a person. A digital state is impossible without one of the priority areas - the digital economy, which is currently emerging. The digital economy is not a separate industry, it is a way of life, a new basis for the development of the public administration system, economic and social spheres. The introduction of digital technologies in the industrial sector is synonymous with the sustainability and prospects of companies. The demand for specialists with digital skills is increasing every year, as business leaders come to the understanding that without the use of a modern information system, a business cannot be competitive. In this regard, modern education should meet the needs of the digital economy with an emphasis on the formation of such qualities of a graduate as technical and creative thinking, sociability, constructiveness, focus on achieving results. At the same time, the content of the learning process should be aimed at developing students’ digital literacy and the ability to independently search for useful information. The article reveals the content of the scientific categories “digital literacy” and “digital competence”. At the same time, the authors analyze modern scientific approaches in the field of developing students’ digital literacy. All this poses the task of a meaningful renewal of the educational process for higher education institutions. The traditional model of professional education of specialists does not always sufficiently take into account the requirements of the digital economy. In this case, an important condition for the success of digitalization of education is the new position of the teacher, for whom it is important not only to use a computer as a teaching tool, but also to actively use digital educational resources to solve pedagogical problems, to design a new digital educational environment. The conducted survey of students of the Tyumen Industrial University confirms the importance of developing digital competencies in future engineers. The results of the author’s study are an important methodological tool for improving the digital literacy of students and developing methods for the effective and safe use of digital content.