Influence Of Digitalization On Expectations And Real Prospects Of Students And Employers

Impact of digitalization on the labor market and education

Digitalization determines trends in the labor market and sets new ones. It is the impetus for the emergence of creative professions (Skosyreva et al., 2020). New economy needs new professionals - highly educated people of free professions, whom Perkin (1990) called transprofessionals at the end of the twentieth century. They are ready to work in various professional environments due to their thinking and ways of organizing activities (Avraamova & Verpakhovskaya, 2006). Nowadays, we talk more and more about multitasking, universal workers with universal knowledge, capable of retraining, re-profiling, adapting and developing throughout their lives (Sologubova, 2018). Today, even traditional professions in the context of the digital transformation of economy require the formation of additional competencies, the development of cross-functional qualities of a specialist, which requires a change in approaches to additional education and professional retraining, the transition to lifelong learning and the effective combination of training with professional activity (Kosenchuk et al., 2021; Trukhachev, 2019).

In the context of digitalization, an employee is evolving. The usual working conditions are replaced by an irregular schedule, remote work, the ability to use any other devices instead of corporate equipment. There is a shift in focus from incoming information to the result, instead of a career ladder in a corporation, an employee builds his own career ladder and everyone can become a leader. The work is arranged according to the task, instead of hiding information, there is an active exchange of information and the use of cloud technologies instead of corporate mail. The approaches to learning are also being transformed: the focus is shifted from knowledge to adaptive learning; the exchange of experience is replacing standard learning.

In the age of digital transformation, one of the most important competencies is the ability to master new competencies. The digitalization of education involves the development of student's personality, the formation of a unique set of competencies for everyone, a kind of a set of possible educational options for oneself (Larionov et al., 2019). According to the Job Growth and Talent Gap 2017–2027 report, a well-developed digital professional must have experience in soft digital skills (customer focus) and passion (enthusiasm) for learning (Sologubova, 2018).

Digitalization sets new trends in the higher education system and gives new great opportunities. However, the rate of change in the higher education system is much lower than the demands of the market and economy as a whole. Employers often have to eliminate the non-compliance of a significant part of graduates with the modern requirements. Large companies, as a rule, develop in-house continuous education not only in corporate institutions, but also in supervised schools and even kindergartens. Small and medium-sized companies are forced to combine or invent different approaches to hire right people.

Quarantine restrictions caused by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic gave a sharp impetus to the acceleration of digitalization. The transition to a remote form of work not only intensified and highlighted previously existing problems, but also gave new opportunities for both employees and employers. New vacant positions have appeared against the background of growing unemployment. Many people have realized that the future has already arrived and it is necessary to quickly adapt. For them, the remote form of work has become a reality. Many people have discovered the possibilities of on-line training. Therefore, there is a sharp jump in demand in this area. Companies that have already switched to digital technologies have adapted to new conditions most easily and have managed to reorganize their business processes. Moreover, even after the quarantine restrictions are lifted, regular management practice will include: remote work, on-line recruitment and on-line training (Podcerob, 2020).

Thus, on the one hand under the influence of digitalization the previously existing imbalances and contradictions are exacerbated in the labor market and in education, and, on the other hand, new opportunities and development prospects are arriving.

Features of the digital transformation of the labor market in agro-industrial complex

In the labor market of the agro-industrial complex, there are many imbalances (gaps) that are increasing in new conditions:

First, rural areas have a higher unemployment rate than urban areas (Popova & Kanavtsev 2018).

Secondly, there is a shortage of quality labor resources. Moreover, there is a shortage of workers, both traditional professions and professions based on digital methods of economic activity (Mnatsakanyan et al., 2020).

Thirdly, there is a shortage of low-skilled labor. This deficit is caused by the reluctance of local residents to work due to difficult working conditions and low wages. They prefer to choose less difficult and more paid work in the city (Larina, 2016). Employers, in their turn give preference to foreign labor closing these positions. However, during the quarantine period, this trend decreased.

Thus, there is high demand in the labor market at the high and low levels, but without medium (The Future of Jobs. Report. World Economic Forum, 2016) (World Development Indicators. 2017. Data Bank Microdata Data Catalog, 2017).

The inconsistency of the quality of the labor force with the requirements of employers is the most significant of the existing imbalances for the digitalization process. Employers tend to place high demands on the experience and specialization of workers. In the agricultural labor market, the professions of an agronomist, engineer, technologist and programmer are more in demand (Larina, 2016).

The demand for specialists in these professions is partially satisfied, first of all, due to the movement of labor from other sectors of economy and only to a small part due to the activity of the vocational education system. However, the quality of the trained labor force for these industries does not meet the needs of the labor market (Mnatsakanyan et al., 2020). There is also a growing demand for leadership positions in large industries of the agricultural sector. Thus, there is a trend in the preference of candidates with additional education in the field of economics and management (Larina, 2016).

According to the general opinion of researchers and practitioners, future agro-specialists should have systems thinking, organizational, managerial skills and knowledge in the field of IT and biotechnology. The changes in the requirements for environmental aspects of activities are also expected, which will require additional skills (Mnatsakanyan et al., 2020). In addition to agricultural education, knowledge of a foreign language is of great importance for working with large foreign companies. Forecasting the emergence of future professions, Moscow School of Management Skolkovo and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives identified six new professions related to agricultural production, which should appear by 2030: agronomist-economist; agricultural ecologist; operator managing automated agricultural systems, machines, mechanisms and devices; city ​​farmer; GMO agronomist; agroinformatics / agrocyberneticist (Atlas of new professions. Agriculture, n.d.).

The problem of staffing the agro-industrial complex is also caused by the reluctance of graduates of agricultural educational institutions to go to work in their specialty (Veklenko & Pugach, 2017). Having received a higher education, rural youth strive to get away from the problems of the village, with which they lived all their childhood. Urban youth, choosing an agricultural university, as a rule, do not plan to link their future work with the agricultural sector.

The youth of the modern digital generation - generation Z are characterized by their strategies of professional self-determination. The traditional process of self-determination, as a rule, was characterized by a choice in favor of a well-paid job, career growth and a guaranteed social package. Modern youth has other guidelines in the choice of a profession. Generation Z is less likely to be oriented toward work for money and financial well-being. Much more important for them is an interesting, enjoyable activity that has social significance and meaning (Ryndak, 2019). Modern young people, capable of multitasking, not constrained by authorities and conventions, are not afraid to tackle complex and seemingly unsolvable tasks; they do not want to have routine and monotonous job.

Creative works, the possibility of self-development and project activities are more attractive for them. Modern youth are not distinguished by their ambitiousness in getting a prestigious job, not striving to rise to the highest rung of the career ladder. For online generation, a horizontal career is more important. They have the desire to become the best in what they do, gain widespread fame, become famous, thus gaining a lot of customers and followers (“Generation Z - the right generation?”, 2017). Moreover, the representatives of generation Z do not want to work for a long time, accumulating professional experience and gaining prestige. They strive for quick success and recognition, numerous examples of which are shown in the Internet space.

Expectations of youth

Based on a sociological study the authors considered the expectations of young people studying professions related to agriculture and the agro-industrial complex regarding their future activities, employment. The research showed that the basis of the choice of a future profession among modern youth was mainly the factor of interest in the future sphere of activity (37.7% of respondents), as well as compliance with its personal inclinations, abilities, knowledge, character (18.2%). Only 4.2% of respondents thought about the prestige of their future profession, 6.6% - about high pay, 11.2% - about being in demand in the labor market. The expectations of young people from their professional choice were mostly justified: 82.6% of the respondents answered that their studies corresponded to their life plans, 90% considered their future profession to be respected and socially significant. At the same time, young people were quite confident in their competitiveness in the labor market, employment opportunities: 14.2% of respondents believed that it would be easy for them to find a job in their specialty, 68.5% answered that it was difficult to find a job in their specialty, but it was possible. The study showed that the youth of a provincial agricultural university were characterized by the same strategies in the choice of their future profession, which were characteristic of the digital generation as a whole.

The contradiction was in the fact that after making a conscious choice of a profession that was interesting, consistent with inclinations and character, in demand and socially significant, most young people after graduation did not plan to work in their specialty. Only more than a third (35%) of respondents expressed their desire to work in their chosen specialty, while only 8.3% of young people associated their future with the countryside, mainly rural youth. The share of those planning to return to the village after their study among the natives of the village was 14%, only 2.8% of townspeople wanted to work in the village. It was obvious that modern youth have strong migration attitudes: 30% of young people from the village wanted to stay in the regional center of Omsk, where they studied and only 29% of townspeople planned to stay in it. Young people strived to move from rural areas to cities, from provincial cities to large and dynamically developing megalopolises, capital centers, as well as to other countries (Skosyreva et al., 2020). Due to the departure of the most employable, active part of population, the quality of the human capital of the village is deteriorating.

The statistical data on the dynamics of the number of rural youth in the Omsk region and its share among the rural population of the region are shown in Table 1.

The analysis of statistical data showed that the rural population of the region was constantly decreasing, as was the number of rural youth. The share of young citizens among the villagers was also decreasing from year to year. The proportion of young people among the total population decline in rural areas was v significant. With regard to young people, the natural decrease of which, as a rule, was small, it was possible to state that its decrease among rural residents was due to migration. Significant parts of rural youth did not associate their future professional identity with the countryside and the agro-industrial complex of the region.

The main reasons for the unwillingness of young people to work in their specialty in the village, their migration sentiments had a socio-economic nature. The majority of respondents explained the absence in their plans of the desire to work in the profession they received, first of all, by the underdevelopment of the rural labor market (lack of jobs in the specialty (24%), low wages in the agro-industrial complex (21%), as well as the underdevelopment of the social sphere (poor working conditions and living conditions (9.5%)). The high level of potential territorial mobility of modern youth was explained by their determination to live and work where the potential of young specialists would be in demand and the prospects for professional growth, self-development and the best working conditions and wages were offered.

The study showed that the most decisive conditions for retaining young people in the countryside were decent wages (52% of respondents), good modern working conditions (15.4%), housing (11.9%) and professional development possibility (9.3%). Thus, young people were considering the possibility to connect their life and professional identity with the countryside only on conditions of initially high wages, or at least a comfortable and promising working environment and solution of social problems.

Expectations of employers

The survey of experts - representatives of the agro-industrial complex of the Omsk region showed to what extent the expectations of students coincide or do not coincide with the ideas of potential employers about the qualifications and competencies of university graduates. A questionnaire was developed for the survey, which included 15 questions. First of all, it was necessary to find out whether a company was in need of young specialists. 90% of surveyed employers indicated an insignificant need for young specialists. At the same time, the greatest need was noted for specialists of the following profiles: engineers, livestock specialists, veterinarians.

The next question in the questionnaire was supposed to reveal the opinion of employers regarding what factors influenced the desire of young people to work in the countryside. If students, answering a similar question, put the level of wages in the first place, then employers (80%) were confident that modern working conditions, including technical equipment, digitalization, etc. able to attract young people to work in the countryside played an important role. The second place was occupied by decent wages, and the third place was taken by the organization of social and cultural services. It turned out to be interesting to analyze the employers' assessment of professional knowledge and personal qualities that young specialists lack, as well as a comparison of these results with the assessment of their own qualities by the interviewed students.

Thus, 85.5% of employers believe that modern graduates have little understanding of the real problems and needs of agricultural enterprises and the market as a whole. 73% noted that the students of the agricultural university are not sufficiently prepared for practical activities, 33% are sure that young people lack hard work, responsibility and discipline. Although the students themselves, answering the question “What qualities do you think an employee needs to be competitive in the labor market?” put responsibility and conscientiousness on the third place (50.6%). Approximately the same choice was in the question “Name the most effective means, ways to become a winner in professional competition”, among the answers to which the first three positions were hard work (68.5%), professional superiority (65.1%), intellectual advantage (58%). Thus, the importance of the listed qualities is unambiguous both for employers and for future employees. However, the level of proficiency in them is rather low in the assessment by employers.

Assessing the importance of various professional knowledge, skills, competencies of personal qualities that affect the effectiveness of a specialist's activity, employers, in addition to those mentioned above, noted the importance of possessing digital skills (71%), the ability to work in a team, team (83%), focus on career growth, professional and personal development, professional development (68%), personnel management skills, organizational skills (51%), openness to everything new, adaptability (48%).

According to the research, the most important criteria for enterprises when hiring a young specialist are: marks in diploma, the quality of knowledge (67%), willingness to work, starting with a working profession, 59%). For employers who participated in our survey, criteria such as the prestige of the educational institution that an applicant graduated from, gender, marital status and work experience turned out to be unimportant. 65% of surveyed employers prefer a young specialist who has recently graduated from an educational institution, although without work experience.

Meanwhile, the real need for highly qualified personnel, for example, in the agro-industrial complex of the Omsk region is not high. Thus, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Omsk Region, in the 1^st quarter of 2021, 80 vacant positions were registered in the organizations of the agro-industrial complex of the Omsk Region. Only 23 vacant positions of them can apply to persons with higher education. In 40% of the proposals, the companies do not provide any housing. The level of wages for the offered vacant positions reaches the maximum size of 50 thousand rubles only in 2.5%, and for the majority of vacant positions (65%) wages are less than 20 thousand rubles (List of vacancies in the organizations of the agro-industrial complex of the Omsk region for April 2021, 2021).