DIGITAL SKILLS AND CAREER ADAPTABILITY AMONG YOUTH IN KAZAKHSTAN: THE TRANSITION FROM HIGHER EDUCATION TO A TRANSFORMING LABOUR MARKET
- Authors
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Moldir Akmadi
Kazakh National Women’s Teacher Training UniversityAuthor -
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- Keywords:
- digital competence, adaptability to career, readiness for the labor market, employment of graduates, transition from education to work, youth employment, Kazakhstan.
- Abstract
- The transition from higher education to employment is becoming increasingly difficult, as digitalization shifts job requirements and places greater emphasis on people’s ability to adapt, learn, and manage their own careers. This study examines the relationship between digital competence, career adaptability, practical experience and the degree with which young people in Kazakhstan feel ready to enter the labor market. The study was conducted from January to April 2026. The sample used for analysis consisted of 1,015 university and college students, as well as recent graduates at various stages of transition from education to work. Career adaptability was assessed using six indicators related to career planning, job flexibility, adapting to changes in the labor market, confidence in acquiring new skills, developing a career development strategy in the context of digital transformation, and an emphasis on the skills being transmitted; this measure showed a satisfactory internal sequence (α Kronbach = 0.860). Digital competence was found to be significantly related to perceived readiness for work, although this link was weak and non-linear, χ2(12) = 77.69, p <0.001, V Kramer = 0.160. Both internship experience and current employment status were also significantly related to willingness, but the scale of the effect was small. By contrast, neither adaptability to a career nor willingness to consider alternative career paths showed a significant link to perceived readiness. The results show that availability of digital, adaptive, or empirical resources does not automatically lead to greater readiness for employment. For young people facing changes in the labor market in Kazakhstan, a key issue may be not only acquiring employment resources, but also conditions that allow those resources to be turned into real labor-market opportunities.
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- Published
- 2026-10-03
- Section
- ECONOMIC SOCIOLOGY
