Mismatch between the level of training of IT personnel and the requirements of employers: problems and solutions

The availability of qualified IT specialists is an important factor that contributes to the development of the digital economy. The need for personnel training for the IT industry is stated in the national project “Digital economy of the Russian Federation until 2024”. Educational organizations are an important source that supplies IT specialists for the economy. However, today there is an acute problem of inconsistency between the educational system and the labor market. The aim of the study is to identify problems of non-compliance of the level of IT personnel training with the requirements of employers, and to determine ways to address these problems (on the example of the Vologda Oblast). Using the data from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, we analyze the number of graduates in information technology-related fields in the Vologda Oblast. We also review educational programs at universities of the region and reveal problems in the formation of professional competencies in students. Based on the results of a survey conducted in 2020 by VolRC RAS, we have obtained information on the compliance of the level of competencies in graduates of IT specialties with the requirements of employers in the IT industry. In the final part of the article we highlight problems related to personnel training for the IT industry of the region and outline main ways to address them. Scientific novelty of our work consists in the application of a system-wide approach that help us studythe viewpoints widespread in the education system and among employers, in order to identify problems related to the training of in-demand personnel for the IT industry. The materials of our study can be used by researchers, postgraduates and students who deal with the issues of digital economy development and those related to the staffing of this industry. Practical significance of our work lies in the fact that our proposals for solving the problems under consideration can be used by federal and regional authorities and management bodies, when it would be necessary to adjust plans for the implementation of national projects “Digital economy” and “Education”; our proposals should also be the basis for goal-setting and reflected in the tasks of other regulatory documents in the field of education at the federal and regional levels.