Abstract:

The crucial factor of the future sustainable industrial development in Russia is ability of workforce to cope with challenges of emerging Industry 4.0 presenting the new requirements for employees’ digital skills. The goal of the study is identification of the digital skills in communication, study and research for Generation Y entering soon at the labor market of Russia when the Industry 4.0 will be a dominating concept. The target group of the study is students of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The target group belongs to the last wave of Generation Y cohort expected soon to enter labor force of Industry 4.0. The tool for data gathering was questionnaire consisting of 21 questions. The study was conducted in period of 2017-2019, and the total number of responses was 144. The study findings revealed the state of the art and dynamics in digital skills development and preferable ways of students to use digital technologies in communication, study and research.