Evaluation of the role and opportunities of Russian high education system in reproducing of the digital economy juvenile potential

Abstract

Problem and purpose. Digital transformation is a key trend of the economic development. Russia still lags behind countries leading in the digitalization. Insufficient development of relevant skills is one of the constraints. The share of Generation Z (born in 1996 and later) will achieve 25% of the labor force by 2025. This statement emphasizes the need to develop competencies for the younger generation that respond to the requirements of the digital economy. The purpose of the study is to assess the contribution of the Russian higher education system to the reproduction of the juvenile potential of the economy in the context of its digital transformation, to identify constraining factors and develop basic recommendations aimed at eliminating them. Materials and methods. The study is based on the use of economic and mathematical methods, including factorial, correlation and regression analysis. The dynamic series of indicators characterizing the state of the investigated sphere in 2001–2019 have been studied. For analytical data processing, the software capabilities of the Statistica package are used. Research results. The author's system of indicators has been developed, which makes it possible to assess the role and capabilities of the higher education system for the reproduction of the juvenile potential of the digital economy – 18 indicators characterizing the financial and material-technical, intellectual, educational potential, the coverage of young people with higher education programs, the effectiveness system of higher education. The formula for calculating the integral indicator of the juvenile potential is mathematically substantiated. Modeling of the dependence of the integral indicator on a set of influencing factors has shown that with an increase in the number of teaching staff by 1 sigma, the integral indicator of juvenile potential will on average increase by 1.758 sigma while fixing other exogenous variables at a constant average level; with an increase in the number of personal computers used for educational purposes by 1000 students per 1 sigma, the integral indicator of juvenile potential will, on average, increase by 1.078 sigma, while fixing other exogenous variables at a constant average level. Discussion and conclusion. The study showed that for the formation of the juvenile potential of the digital economy of the Russian Federation, it is necessary to develop the human resources of higher education and its digital environment. To solve the designated tasks, a system of measures has been developed.