Formation of digital competencies of students of the Republic of Mordovia: results of a sociological study

Digital technologies are continuously evolving and adapting, becoming an integral part of human life. In the current reality, the demands on the digital skills of young professionals in the labor market are increasing. In this regard, there is a need for a sociological study of the level of formation of student youth competencies, identification of barriers to their acquisition, as well as factors that contribute to the graduates' competitiveness in the labor market. The aim of the study is to identify differences among students in the possession of digital skills, to determine their self-assessment of their own level of formation of specific digital competencies, to establish the barriers to their development and the motivational basis for this. The relevant research object is the student youth of the Republic of Mordovia. The article analyzes the self-assessment of the possession of digital skills and competencies, the ways of their further development, which is the subject of research. The assessments are analyzed by age, gender, and profile criteria. Based on the results of the analysis, conclusions were drawn about the difference in access to technical means, and the stereotype of using PCs and smartphones only for games and entertainment was refuted. The main motivations for learning digital skills were also identified - remote work, higher wages, acceleration of work and daily processes. In addition, a tendency of “dissatisfaction” with one's own level of proficiency in professional digital skills, such as understanding professional work programs and software packages, was revealed. The main obstacle to mastering digital competencies is the lack of time, the high price of training courses and the lack of opportunities for independent study.